In this episode, Cory Connors welcomes Greg Poirier to discuss how hotels and resorts can operate more sustainably and how travelers can reduce their impact on the road. Greg shares his path from dishwasher and night auditor to hotel general manager, and how his interest in sustainability and social equity led him to Audubon International. He explains the origins of Audubon International — founded in 1987 as a certification body rooted in the legacy of the New York State Audubon chapter — and walks through how its hospitality certification program works, from membership and a detailed designation application to on-site, third-party audits. Greg and Cory dig into practical sustainability opportunities in the industry, including waste tracking, energy savings, refillable programs, and the emerging trend of planned sustainable resort communities.

Key Topics Discussed:

•  Greg's career journey through independent hotels and into sustainability leadership
• The history and mission of Audubon International across golf, communities, and hospitality
• Using tools like EZ3 Data to track haulers, containers, and waste metrics
• Smart thermostats and occupancy-based energy savings of 20–40% on electric bills
• Refillable water programs, filtered water stations, and moving away from single-use plastic bottles
• The nuance of bulk shampoo/conditioner dispensers and the role of Clean the World
• Audubon International's four certification levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum
• Advice for travelers on how to choose and advocate for more sustainable properties

Resources Mentioned:

• Audubon International
• EZ3 Data (waste tracking platform)
• Clean the World (bulk amenity recycling program)
• Populus Hotels (Denver, Seattle)
• Cabot developments
• Black Desert Resort (Utah)

Contact:

Listeners can learn more or reach out to Greg directly:
- Website: auduboninternational.org
- Email: [email protected]

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I'm here to help you make your packaging more sustainable! Reach out today and I'll get back to you asap. 

This podcast is an independent production and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2022.

In this episode, Cory Connors welcomes back Julianne Strunk and introduces Kelsey LaCoursiere as they discuss 3M's latest packaging innovations and their upcoming PACK EXPO International booth in Chicago. Julianne shares a career update, including her recent move into a marketing management role overseeing all of 3M packaging in North America, as well as personal news that she's expecting her second child. Kelsey steps into the spotlight as the new owner of 3M's Matic case sealer and sustainable packaging portfolio. The conversation dives into why tape adhesion is becoming more challenging as recycled and alternative fiber content (like eucalyptus) increases in corrugate, along with emerging trends in carry handles, recycling stream considerations, and where 3M sees sustainable packaging headed over the next five to ten years.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Julianne's transition into a marketing management role and Kelsey's move into the 3M Matic and sustainable portfolio
• 3M's frontline marketing internship program and how interns are contributing fresh insight, including AI perspectives
• 3M's role as founding sponsor of the podcast and the value of reaching a sustainability-focused audience
• Why recycled corrugate and non-tree fibers like eucalyptus make it harder for tape to adhere, and how 3M's tape line is engineered to address this
• Growth trends in the carry handle market, including bundling, sustainability drivers, and new global use cases
• The growing importance of recycling streams and post-consumer considerations, including 3M's recyclable 570 paper tape
• Customer demand for custom-printed tape and the shift from water-activated tape to paper tape
• 3M's long-term focus on marrying sustainable consumable products with sustainable automation
• A preview of 3M's PACK EXPO 2026 booth in Chicago, centered on a new recycled corrugate "sealing made simple" campaign

Resources Mentioned:

• 3M Packaging
• 3M Box Sealing Equipment
• 3M Primary Packaging
• PACK EXPO International, Chicago, 2026

Contact:

To connect with 3M's packaging team directly, reach out through their support page.

To find 3M at PACK EXPO International 2026 in Chicago, check the exhibitor directory and plan your visit here.

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Connect with Cory on LinkedIn here: 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cory-connors/

I'm here to help you make your packaging more sustainable! Reach out today and I'll get back to you asap. 

This podcast is an independent production and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2022.

In this episode, Cory Connors welcomes Bethelhem Dejene to discuss her journey from observing waste at an Ethiopian fruit and vegetable market to founding Zafree Papers, an award-winning startup manufacturing tree-free virgin pulp from banana farm waste. Bethelhem shares how she iterated through multiple business models before discovering the potential of banana fiber, how Zafree partners with converters to supply sustainable packaging materials, and what it meant to become the first African company to win the Sustainable Packaging Summit Innovation Challenge.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Bethelhem's origin story and how a visit to a fruit and vegetable market sparked a waste management business
• The evolution from paper recycling to manufacturing virgin pulp from banana farm waste
• How Zafree sources banana stems and leaves after harvest and extracts fiber to produce pulp
• The types of packaging products the pulp can be converted into, including corrugated, folding carton, duplex, and molded packaging
• Zafree's partnership model with converters and customers such as AB InBev
• Winning two awards at the Sustainable Packaging Summit Innovation Challenge as the first African company to compete at that level
• Plans to have a booth at the upcoming Sustainable Packaging Summit in Utrecht
• The potential to scale the banana fiber model across Africa and other banana-producing regions
• Scaling from a pilot factory to a commercial facility targeting 100 tons per day capacity
• Zafree's active Series A fundraising round
• Advice for sustainable packaging founders: align cost, quality, and impact or the business will not scale

Resources Mentioned:

• Zafree Papers
• Bethelhem Dejene
• Sustainable Packaging Summit
• AB InBev Sustainability
• Sway 

Contact:

Listeners interested in working with Zafree Papers or learning more about their Series A fundraising round can reach out to Bethelhem Dejene via LinkedIn.

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Connect with Cory

Connect with Cory on LinkedIn here: 
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I'm here to help you make your packaging more sustainable! Reach out today and I'll get back to you asap. 

This podcast is an independent production and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2022.

In this episode, Cory Connors welcomes Adam Brundage from Nike to discuss the company's wide-ranging sustainability efforts. Adam shares his unconventional path into sustainability beginning with a degree in meteorology and atmospheric science and how that led him to learning about life-cycle assessments, discovering greenhouse gas analysis, and pursuing a decade-long career at one of the world's most iconic brands.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Adam's background in meteorology and atmospheric science and how it shaped his passion for climate impact
• Life cycle assessment (LCA) as a foundational tool for understanding Nike's environmental footprint
• Nike's full value chain focus: raw materials, manufacturing, transportation, and packaging
• Packaging's role in Nike's overall carbon footprint (approximately 7%) and the Nike OneBox initiative
• The five major materials Nike focuses on: cotton, polyester, leather, foam, and rubber
• Recycled and organic material adoption: approximately 25% of Nike's current products contain at least one sustainable or recycled material
• Scaling renewable energy across Nike's global store and supplier network
• The evolution of Nike's shoe recycling program: from "Reuse a Shoe" (early 1990s) to the current "Recycle and Donate" model
• Nike's Refurbished program: cleaning and reselling lightly used returns to reduce waste
• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and its growing relevance to the apparel and textile industry
• Textile-to-textile recycling technology: converting old polyester garments back into raw polyester for new products
• Bio-based and biomass-balanced materials as the future of sustainable packaging and apparel
• The challenge of translating complex climate data into actionable understanding for employees across all departments
• The tension between cost and doing the right thing, and finding opportunities where sustainability and savings align
• AI's promise and concern: its power consumption and the importance of powering data centers with renewable energy
• The influence Nike's sustainability efforts can have on the broader apparel, footwear, and consumer goods sectors

Resources Mentioned:

• Nike Recycle
• Nike Refurbished program
• Sway (seaweed-based bio material)
• Adam Brundage

Contact:

Listeners can connect with Adam Brundage via LinkedIn or explore Nike's sustainability initiatives at Nike.com by searching "sustainability" or "recycle." More information on the Recycle and Donate program is also available through Nike's sustainability web pages.

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Connect with Cory

Connect with Cory on LinkedIn here: 
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I'm here to help you make your packaging more sustainable! Reach out today and I'll get back to you asap. 

This podcast is an independent production and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2022.

In this episode, Cory Connors welcomes Danielle Goad to discuss her journey at Specright, her recent move to London to lead the EMEA division, and the growing importance of packaging data management in the age of PPWR. Danielle shares how Specright helps companies build a foundational data infrastructure to navigate complex regulations, reduce reporting burdens, and drive sustainable innovation. She and Cory also reflect on the Sustainable Packaging Summit in Utrecht and what to expect at this year's expanded three-day event in November.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Danielle's eight-year journey at Specright, from intern to Director of EMEA
• Her relocation to London and experience building a new team abroad
• What Specright does as an AI-powered specification and data management platform
• The difference between EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) and PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation)
• Why PPWR is a long-term data foundation challenge, not just a one-time reporting exercise
• Key PPWR milestones, including the August 2026 deadline around PFAS and declaration of conformity
• How having accurate data helps companies avoid over-reporting and potential fines
• The maturity scale from static/chaotic data to a standardized, confident data foundation
• Specright's role in helping companies evaluate portfolios and model the impact of material changes (e.g., adding PCR content)
• The value of the Sustainable Packaging Summit in Utrecht — quality speakers, collaborative atmosphere, and industry depth
• Specright's upcoming workshop at this year's Summit focused on PPWR and spec management transformation
• The partnership between Specright and Lorax EPI as complementary best-in-breed solutions

Resources Mentioned:

• Specright

Contact:
Listeners can connect with Danielle Goad on LinkedIn or reach her directly at [email protected].

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I'm here to help you make your packaging more sustainable! Reach out today and I'll get back to you asap. 

This podcast is an independent production and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2022.

In this episode, Cory Connors reconnects with his friend Mitch Rovito from Burton Snowboards following a tour of Burton's Vermont facility. Mitch shares his unique origin story — writing a mock cover letter to Burton as an 18-year-old packaging student at RIT — and how that dream became reality. The conversation explores Burton's deep-rooted culture of curiosity and sustainability under founder Jake Burton's legacy and current owner Donna Carpenter, the organic partnership between Burton and Atlantic Packaging's New Earth Project, and the innovative strides Burton is making toward eliminating single-use plastics from its packaging.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Mitch's early passion for both snowboarding and packaging science, and how he discovered packaging through a chance visit to RIT in ninth grade
• Burton's culture of curiosity and innovation, rooted in founder Jake Burton's legacy and sustained by owner Donna Carpenter
• The advantages of being a privately held company in driving aggressive sustainability decisions
• How the Burton–Atlantic Packaging/New Earth Project partnership formed organically through a chance connection with Don Meek in Vermont
• The "We Do This Together" philosophy and open-source approach to sustainability collaboration across brands and suppliers
• Julia Marsh of Sway and the role of inspired, passionate individuals in driving the sustainable packaging movement
• FiberStrap and its application with Ibis Cycles as an example of cross-brand sustainability innovation
• The See Change Sessions event in Vermont — its growth, unique format blending wellness with industry collaboration, and impact on attendees
• Burton's progress from ~6% to ~90% elimination of single-use plastics in retail consumer-facing packaging
• Challenges of building global, omnichannel packaging while navigating evolving EPR regulations across the US, Europe, and beyond
• The Digital Product Passport (DPP) initiative from the EU and what supply chain transparency will mean for brands
• FSC certification, recycled content targets, and managing packaging development 24 months ahead of product launch
• Ongoing challenges with snowboard shrink wrap and the search for viable, scalable alternatives

Resources Mentioned:

• Burton Snowboards
• New Earth Project
• See Change Sessions
• Sway
• FibreStrap
• Ibis Cycles
• Bluesign Certification
• California EPR Packaging Program

Contact:

Listeners interested in learning more about Burton's sustainability initiatives can visit burton.com. For information about the New Earth Project and Atlantic Packaging, reach out through atlanticpkg.com.

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Connect with Cory

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I'm here to help you make your packaging more sustainable! Reach out today and I'll get back to you asap. 

This podcast is an independent production and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2022.

 In this special live episode recorded at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee during the Sustainable Packaging Coalition Impact Event, Cory Connors shares the stage with Olga Kachook to present the Third Annual Sustainable Packaging Trends Report for 2025–2026. Olga walks through the four key trends shaping the industry and dives deeper into each one in conversation with Cory, covering everything from EPR maturity to innovation in healthcare packaging.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Regions defining recyclability — Canada, the UK, and the EU leading the way and what that means for the US
• Innovation breakthroughs in OTC and healthcare packaging, including paper prescription bottles
• EPR turning five — progress made and challenges that remain
• Shared data driving recyclability clarity, including the upgrade of polypropylene cold cups under the How to Recycle program
• Designing for EPR — setting your own certainty in the face of regulatory uncertainty
• The "magic wand" thought experiment: how would you design your packaging portfolio if starting fresh today?
• Coated paper and molded fiber as focus areas for the SPC's paper recyclability collaborative
• The role of AI sorting technology in generating better recycling data
• Reusable e-commerce as an emerging opportunity — FedEx and Returnity's B2B partnership
• Predictions for the 2027 Trends Report, including consumer education and infrastructure expansion in EPR states
• Cabinet Health's refillable OTC packaging model, available at Target and Amazon

Resources Mentioned:

• Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) 
• SPC Paper Recyclability Collaborative
• How to Recycle Program
• Cabinet Health — refillable OTC packaging
• NextGen Consortium
• Returnity Reusable Shipping

Contact: For more information on the SPC Trends Report, scan the QR code mentioned in the episode or visit sustainablepackaging.org.

Thank you for tuning in to Sustainable Packaging with Cory Connors, presented by Atlantic Packaging!

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Connect with Cory on LinkedIn here: 
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I'm here to help you make your packaging more sustainable! Reach out today and I'll get back to you asap. 

This podcast is an independent production and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2022.

In this episode, Cory Connors welcomes Dana Voges to discuss her remarkable journey from growing up visiting landfills on Take Your Kid to Work Day in Colorado, to leading reusable packaging innovation in Germany. Dana shares how SEA ME and their open pool system Zerooo are building a scalable, brand-agnostic reuse infrastructure for cosmetics and personal care — and what the rest of the world can learn from Germany's deposit return system.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Dana's unique background: from Superfund site field trips and trash fashion shows to circular economy research at the Technical University of Berlin
• Germany's deposit return system (DRS) and why it works — and why the US lags behind
• What SEA ME is and how their reusable packaging model works for cosmetics and personal care products
• The Zerooo open pool system: a pay-per-use model that handles reverse logistics, washing, and redeployment for participating brands
• The origin of the Zerooo name and its triple infinity loop logo
• Consumer behavior as the hardest challenge in reuse systems — and how pre-fill models reduce friction
• The "chicken and egg" problem between retailers and brands, and how SEA ME is bringing both to the table
• The roller coaster analogy: why reuse systems require coordinating infrastructure, legislation, incentives, and behavior simultaneously
• How parallel revenue from the SEA ME brand funded the system during early-stage high costs
• Economies of scale: how wash costs for 10,000 bottles are nearly the same as for 1,000
• Aesthetics and wear: clever bottle design to prevent scuffing and maintain brand appearance across cycles
• Why metal containers present challenges for reuse: keepability, high upfront carbon footprint, visual inspection limitations, and consumer familiarity
• Why glass and PET are the preferred materials for SEA ME's system
• The importance of integrating reuse systems with existing consumer habits (e.g., reusable bags, existing return infrastructure)
• SEA ME's current footprint: ~900 sale and return locations in Germany, with major European retail expansion underway

Resources Mentioned:

• SEA ME
• Zerooo
• Ellen MacArthur Foundation 
• Cradle to Cradle by Michael Braungart

Contact:

Brands selling personal care, home care, wellness, or beauty products in PET bottles interested in joining the European Zerooo system can reach out to Dana Voges and the SEA ME team directly.

Thank you for tuning in to Sustainable Packaging with Cory Connors!

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I'm here to help you make your packaging more sustainable! Reach out today and I'll get back to you asap. 

This podcast is an independent production and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2022.

In this episode, Cory Connors sits down with Sydney Grier, Packaging Lead at Mill, to explore how the company is tackling one of the most overlooked environmental problems: household food waste. Sydney shares her journey from studying environmental management at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to becoming a packaging engineer, and how she ended up joining Mill — then operating in stealth mode as Chewy Labs. Together, Cory and Sydney discuss how Mill's food recycler works, why composting beats landfilling, the innovative all-paper packaging Sydney designed for a 60-pound device, and what the future holds for commercial expansion into places like Whole Foods.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Sydney's path from environmental management to packaging engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
• How Mill originated from a desire to tackle food waste at the household level
• What Mill does: drying, grinding, and dehydrating food scraps to reduce volume by ~80%
• Challenges of composting access across the U.S. and how Mill fills the gap
• Mill's commercial expansion: launching nationwide in Whole Foods in 2027 at 10x home capacity
• Designing paper-based protective packaging for a 60-pound device — without styrofoam
• The value of involving a packaging engineer early in the product design cycle
• How Mill's bin is rated to withstand 200 g's of peak acceleration (equivalent to a car hitting a wall at 440 mph)
• Output options for Mill food grounds: garden spreading, local compost drop-offs, backyard chickens, or Mill's chicken feed send-back program

Resources Mentioned:

• Mill — food recycler for the home and commercial kitchens
• Whole Foods Market — Mill's first commercial partner (launching 2027)
• Mill's chicken feed program 

Contact:

• Mill
• LinkedIn: Sydney Grier 

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I'm here to help you make your packaging more sustainable! Reach out today and I'll get back to you asap. 

This podcast is an independent production and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2022.

In this episode, Cory Connors welcomes Kyle Pischel and Jake Wyns to discuss the Atlantic Packaging Solutions Center — what it is, how it came to be, and the innovative work happening inside it every day. Kyle shares his background in packaging, from studying at Michigan State to working on Coca-Cola's packaging innovations team before joining Atlantic. Jake recounts his decade at Atlantic, beginning with a deep dive into stretch film and evolving into unit load stability and e-commerce packaging. Together, they walk through the science of load containment, the design program, and the future of sustainable packaging materials.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Kyle's career path from Michigan State and Coca-Cola to Atlantic Packaging and the MUST monitoring system
• Jake's background in stretch film performance testing and the fingerprinting of film properties
• The origin story of the Solution Center: from Stretch University to a full technical hub in Charlotte, NC
• How the MUST monitoring system tracks stretch film application and maintains standards set in the Solution Center
• The science of unit load containment — weight, coefficient of friction, stacking patterns, and pyramidal wrap profiles
• Over 15,000 horizontal impact tests and 5,000+ hours of vibration testing conducted at the facility
• Atlantic's holistic approach to packaging: removing strapping, corner boards, and downgauging corrugated alongside stretch film optimization
• The in-house design program led by designer Mary Ashland, focused on sustainable material substitution and end-of-life strategy
• Post-consumer recycled (PCR) content in stretch film — finding the right percentage for performance and sustainability
• The shift toward fiber-based packaging solutions and coated paper technologies for flow-wrap applications
• Atlantic's investment in Remo recycling equipment to process stretch film bales into PCR resin
• EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) legislation as a driver of reduced virgin plastic usage

Resources Mentioned:

• Atlantic Packaging Solution Center 
• MUST Monitoring System
• Landsmont multi-axis vibration equipment
• Closed Loop System for Stretch Film

Contact:
Listeners interested in a Solution Center visit or packaging consultation can reach out through Atlantic Packaging's website or connect with Kyle Pischel and Jake Wyns directly.

Thank you for tuning in to Sustainable Packaging with Cory Connors!

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I'm here to help you make your packaging more sustainable! Reach out today and I'll get back to you asap. 

This podcast is an independent production and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2022.