PODCAST: What It Takes to Build a Better Recycling System with Jordan Fengel

Episode Title: What It Takes to Build a Better Recycling System | Jordan Fengel

Guest: Jordan Fengel, President of the Carton Council

Summary:

In this episode of Sustainable Packaging with Cory Connors, Jordan Fengel, President of the Carton Council, joins Cory to discuss the progress and ongoing challenges in expanding food and beverage carton recycling across North America.

Jordan shares insights from the Carton Council’s work to increase household access to recycling, its recent progress around California’s SB 343 recyclability criteria, and the role of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) funding in improving recycling infrastructure. He also explains why consistent national standards for recyclability claims matter, how misinformation can undermine progress, and why packaging must protect products and prevent food waste while supporting circularity.

From visiting material recovery facilities (MRFs) to advocating for better recycling policy, Jordan emphasizes that no single organization can solve these challenges alone. The path forward depends on collaboration among brands, manufacturers, recyclers, policymakers, communities, and consumers.

Resources Mentioned

The Recycling Partnership (TRP)
Resource Recycling Systems (RRS)
Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI)
Poly Coated Paper Alliance
Michigan State University

Contact:

Listeners interested in connecting with Jordan Fengel are encouraged to reach out via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanfengel/

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