At SPC Advance 2025, sustainable packaging leaders made one thing clear: the industry isn’t waiting for change — it’s driving it.
“Our industry has changed more in the past two years than in the past 32 that I’ve worked in packaging,” said Paul Nowak, Executive Director of GreenBlue.
Over three days of sessions and workshops, participants explored how to turn today’s momentum into long-term impact through inclusion, sound policy, and innovation.
Perspective and Policy
Speakers urged the sector to learn from global experience and act with urgency. Dr. Jonathan Foley of Project Drawdown reminded attendees that sustainability begins with prevention: “If your tub is overflowing, you wouldn’t start by grabbing a sponge — you’d turn off the tap.”
Policy discussions underscored that extended producer responsibility (EPR) is reshaping packaging. CalRecycle’s Karen Kayfetz described the agency’s transparent, data-driven approach, while Circular Action Alliance’s Shane Buckingham emphasized harmonized fee structures to support recycling infrastructure.
Inclusion and Global Lessons
Diversity and equity emerged as core themes. Diandra Marizet Esparza (Intersectional Environmentalist) and Jessica Levine (The Recycling Partnership) stressed that inclusive, culturally relevant initiatives are essential to scaling real solutions. From Europe, Robbie Staniforth and James Piper highlighted how overly complex eco-modulation systems can hinder EPR success.
Innovation as Catalyst
SPC Director Olga Kachook urged companies to view EPR not as a burden but as an innovation catalyst. Savings from sustainable design, she said, could fund R&D and consumer education. Real-world examples reinforced the message: Marks’ Jose Padilla detailed recyclable packaging at CVS Health, while Google’s Rey Banatao showcased the AI-powered Mattera platform for advanced sorting.
“It’s not easy work,” Kachook said, “but together, it’s inevitable that we’ll get there.”
As SPC Advance 2025 wrapped up, the message was simple yet powerful: the packaging industry is mobilized — and momentum, guided by smart policy and innovation, can make lasting change possible.
The Sustainable Packaging Coalition is a membership-based collaborative that believes in the power of industry to make packaging more sustainable. As the leading voice on sustainable packaging, SPC brings stakeholders together to drive actionable improvements to packaging systems and promote solutions that are good for both people and the environment.
