Recycling feels simple on the surface: put items in the bin. Set it at the curb. Done.

The reality is far more complex.

In this episode of the Packaging Simplified podcast, we sat down with Dale Gubbels, founder of Firstar Recycling, to talk about what really happens after the truck drives away. Dale shared what he sees every day on the tip floor of one of the largest recycling facilities in Nebraska. His insights challenge common assumptions about recycling, packaging design, and shared responsibility.

This conversation offers a rare look inside a modern Materials Recovery Facility, or MRF (pronounced “murf”), and what it will take to build a true circular economy.

Recommended Resources and Further Reading

Check out these resources for more info:

• Firstar Recycling

• Firstar Plastic Lumber

• APR Design Guide for Recyclability

• U.S. Plastics Pact

• Hefty Renew Orange Bag Recycling Program

• EPA Recycling and Materials Management Resources

• Recycling Infrastructure Challenges Under EPR

In this episode of Packaging Simplified, Joe and Marcos are diving deep into sustainable packaging design with Rebecca Mick, Program Director of Film and Packaging Innovation at the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR).

• Show Notes

  • Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR): https://plasticsrecycling.org/
  • Rebecca Mick LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-mick-ph-d-b5993180/
  • APR Design Guide: https://plasticsrecycling.org/apr-design-hub/apr-design-guide-overview/
  • California EPR legislation Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (SB 54): https://calrecycle.ca.gov/packaging/packaging-epr/
  • Press Release on Degradable Additives Render a Package Non-Recyclable: https://plasticsrecycling.org/resources/press-release-apr-updates-formal-position-and-recyclability-category-for-degradable-additives/

• Related reading from the Paramount Global Knowledge Blog

  • What is PCR Plastic in Packaging?
  • What is Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
  • NIR Plastic Sorting & Its Impact on Packaging
  • Recycle Numbers: Is Your Package Recyclable

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Lisa Huett from Pretium Packaging to discuss sustainability in the packaging industry for episode two of the Packaging Simplified Podcast.

Learn more about Paramount Global at ⁠https://www.paramountglobal.com/⁠

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Show Notes:

Surveys with sustainable packaging data referenced in the episode:

• Global Data: ESG in Packaging or Sustainable Packaging Market (by country)

• Boston Consulting: Are Consumers Willing to Pay More for Net Zero Production

• World Economic Forum: Accelerating reuse models to achieve a world free of plastic waste or Why brands must make reusable packaging a commercial priority

Organizations referenced in the episode:

• Ameripen

• US Plastic Pact

• Science Based Target Initiative (SBTI)

• Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR)

• Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC): EPR Guide

Additional related reading from the Paramount Global Knowledge Blog

• What is PCR Plastic in Packaging?

• What is Ocean-Bound Plastic (OBP)?

• NIR Plastic Sorting & Its Impact on Packaging

• Mechanical vs Chemical Post Consumer Recycled Resin

• Recycle Numbers: Is Your Package Recyclable