Recycled Content

Association of Plastic Recyclers
  • 5.0 (13)
  • SCIENCE
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Where is plastics recycling really headed? Recycled Content, brought to you by the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), goes beyond the headlines to unpack what's driving progress in plastics recycling. Each month, we sit down with industry leaders across the value chain, including brand owners, recyclers, policymakers, and innovators, to discuss the breakthroughs, roadblocks, and market shifts reshaping sustainable packaging. From design for recyclability to EPR laws and emerging technologies, this podcast offers real-world insights and honest conversations for anyone working to close the loop. New episodes drop monthly. Subscribe to stay informed and stay in the loop. Visit plasticsrecycling.org for more information.

  1. Ep. 53: Unlocking Textile Recovery in a Data-Driven System w/ Jennifer Wang, & Traci Kinden

    2D AGO

    Ep. 53: Unlocking Textile Recovery in a Data-Driven System w/ Jennifer Wang, & Traci Kinden

    In this episode of Recycled Content, host Kara Pochiro hands hosting duties over to Marisa Adler, a leader at the intersection of textile recovery systems, data, and policy and the lead for the Textile Recovery Summit taking place alongside the Plastics Recycling Conference and Resource Recycling Conference this February. Marisa is joined by Traci Kinden of TexRoad and Jennifer Wang of Full Cycle Resources to unpack what "data" really means in textile recovery, where today's information comes from, and why gaps in end-market and operational data can create real risk for policy, investment, and system design. They also dig into the realities of collecting data in informal markets, why trust and incentives matter, and what it will take to build better measurement and accountability across the textile value chain.   Many of these themes will continue at the Textile Recovery Summit, February 23–25 in San Diego. For more information, visit: https://www.textilerecoverysummit.com/.

    34 min
  2. Ep. 52: Inside the Conversations Shaping Plastics Recycling w/ Michael Westerfield & Nicole Janssen

    4D AGO

    Ep. 52: Inside the Conversations Shaping Plastics Recycling w/ Michael Westerfield & Nicole Janssen

    In the first episode of 2026, Recycled Content host Kara Pochiro hands hosting duties over to Maite Quinn-Richards, President of Resource Recycling. Maite is joined by APR Board members Michael Westerfield of Dart Container Corporation and Nicole Janssen of Denton Plastics for a preview of the key issues shaping the future of plastics recycling, which will be explored at the 2026 Plastics Recycling Conference (PRC) this February in San Diego. Drawing on perspectives from both brand manufacturing and recycling, the conversation explores current market pressures, recycled content demand, design for recyclability, and the growing role of EPR legislation. The episode also highlights PRC being held alongside the Resource Recycling Conference and the Textile Recovery Summit this year, and why policy, market development, and technical recycling conversations must happen together as the industry heads into 2026.   For more information about PRC visit plasticsrecycling.com.

    19 min
  3. Ep. 51: Plastic Recycling in Transition: Challenges, Opportunities, and What's Next w/ Steve Alexander, President & CEO of APR

    12/17/2025

    Ep. 51: Plastic Recycling in Transition: Challenges, Opportunities, and What's Next w/ Steve Alexander, President & CEO of APR

    APR President and CEO Steve Alexander returns to the Recycled Content podcast to dig deeper into what is really holding the American recycling system back and the ongoing fight against misinformation surrounding plastic recycling. In this episode, Steve and host Kara Pochiro unpack misleading recycling rate statistics, push back on the false claim that plastics placed in household recycling bins do not get recycled, and clarify why today's challenge is not capacity, but market demand and material supply. The two dive into how APR is working to close these gaps through policy leadership, design guidance, and market-building programs. The conversation also previews key issues that will take center stage at the Plastics Recycling Conference this February in Chula Vista, California, and looks ahead to APR's priorities as the industry heads into 2026.

    32 min
  4. Ep. 50: Inside the APR Recycling Demand Champions Program w/ Kate Eagles and Emily Tipaldo

    11/19/2025

    Ep. 50: Inside the APR Recycling Demand Champions Program w/ Kate Eagles and Emily Tipaldo

    This month, Recycled Content host Kara Pochiro is joined by the Association of Plastic Recyclers' (APR) Kate Eagles, Program Director of Policy & Markets, and Emily Tipaldo, Program Manager for the Market Development Committee. Together, they break down the APR Recycling Demand Champions Program, an initiative supported by The Recycling Partnership, that recognizes companies committed to the long-term use of North American post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic. They also discuss how this year's recognized champions, Amcor, Charter Next Generation, Kraft Heinz, Novolex, and Triton Group, demonstrated strong commitments to purchasing or manufacturing products with recycled plastics and expanding PCR use.   Kate and Emily discuss current market pressures facing the plastics recycling industry, including low-cost virgin plastic and rising imports, and explain why strong, reliable demand for PCR is essential to maintaining and scaling a circular plastics economy. Tune in to learn how the APR Recycling Demand Champions Program drives investment in high-quality PCR, keeps recyclable materials in the value chain, and helps strengthen the circular economy for plastics.   This episode is sponsored by MCC Label, visit iml.mcclabel.com to learn more.

    31 min
  5. Ep. 49: Inside Colgate-Palmolive's Journey to a Recyclable Toothpaste Tube w/ Dr. Jun Wang

    10/08/2025

    Ep. 49: Inside Colgate-Palmolive's Journey to a Recyclable Toothpaste Tube w/ Dr. Jun Wang

    In Recycled Content's fourth episode spotlighting APR's Recycling Leadership Award winners, host Kara Pochiro sits down with Dr. Jun Wang, Director of Packing Innovation at Colgate-Palmolive, winner of the Design Innovation Award. Together, they explore how Dr. Wang led the team behind Colgate-Palmolive's innovative mono-material toothpaste tube, which earned APR Design® Recognition and helped shift an entire product category toward recyclability. The two discuss how Colgate turned a long-standing non-recyclable package into one compatible with existing recycling systems, the importance of collaboration across the value chain, and why Colgate chose to share its design publicly to accelerate industry adoption. Interested to hear about what sustainable packaging innovations are coming next for Colgate-Palmolive? Then tune in!

    33 min
  6. Ep. 48: FDA Insights on Recycled Plastics for Food Packaging w/ FDA Regulatory Review Scientist Sean Fischer

    09/10/2025

    Ep. 48: FDA Insights on Recycled Plastics for Food Packaging w/ FDA Regulatory Review Scientist Sean Fischer

    In this episode of Recycled Content, APR Technical Director Scott Trenor takes over hosting duties to explore the FDA's role in ensuring recycled plastics are safe for use in food packaging with guest Sean Fischer, an FDA Regulatory Review Scientist within the Division of Food Contact Substances. The two dive into the evaluation process, and critical need behind the FDA's No Objection Letters (NOL), an official statement from the FDA signaling that the agency has reviewed a recycling process and has no concerns about its ability to produce material suitable for food-contact use. The conversation also tackles common misconceptions, international alignment with Europe's EFSA, and how recyclers can better navigate regulatory pathways. Tune in to hear how recycled plastics move from curbside collection to safe, food-contact applications, and what it means for the future of circular packaging.

    31 min
  7. Ep. 47: Painting a New Future for PCR Utilization w/ Darren Scholl, Chief of Operations at KW Container

    08/19/2025

    Ep. 47: Painting a New Future for PCR Utilization w/ Darren Scholl, Chief of Operations at KW Container

    In the third episode of our series highlighting APR's Recycling Leadership Award winners, host Kara Pochiro is joined by Darren Scholl, the Chief of Operations at KW Container, winner of the PCR Utilization Award. The two highlight KW Container's work transforming the paint-and-coatings industry by creating fully recyclable paint cans made with recycled plastics and driving demand by consuming over 1 billion pounds of curbside-collected polypropylene in the last 14 years. With more than 30 years of experience in plastics, Darren offers a behind-the-scenes look at KW's latest innovations, the challenges of scaling recycled content, and what it takes to overcome existing hurdles to create a new design. Tune in to hear how KW Container is proving that recycled plastics don't just compete with traditional products, they can set a new standard for performance and sustainability.

    22 min
  8. Ep. 46: Transforming Post-Consumer Plastics and Textiles into Sustainable Fiber and Resin w/ Meredith Boyd of Unifi

    07/09/2025

    Ep. 46: Transforming Post-Consumer Plastics and Textiles into Sustainable Fiber and Resin w/ Meredith Boyd of Unifi

    In this episode of Recycled Content, host Kara Pochiro is joined by Meredith Boyd, Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer at Unifi, to discuss the innovation behind REPREVE®, which received the APR Recycling Technology Innovation Award. Together, they explore how REPREVE® has transformed textile recycling by leveraging multiple sources into different sustainable fibers. Meredith shares insights on the importance of transparency, sustainability, and market diversity in building a true circular economy, as well as why textile recycling is about longevity, rather than "downcycling." The conversation highlights how policy and mindset shifts drive change, the challenges of the recycling industry, and offers insights into what the future holds for textile recycling. Tune in!

    22 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Where is plastics recycling really headed? Recycled Content, brought to you by the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), goes beyond the headlines to unpack what's driving progress in plastics recycling. Each month, we sit down with industry leaders across the value chain, including brand owners, recyclers, policymakers, and innovators, to discuss the breakthroughs, roadblocks, and market shifts reshaping sustainable packaging. From design for recyclability to EPR laws and emerging technologies, this podcast offers real-world insights and honest conversations for anyone working to close the loop. New episodes drop monthly. Subscribe to stay informed and stay in the loop. Visit plasticsrecycling.org for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Association of Plastic Recyclers
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    53
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Association of Plastic Recyclers 2020
  • Show Website
    Recycled Content