PODCAST: Packaging Waste Needs a Seat at the Policy Table | Jackie Hope Glass

Episode Title: Packaging Waste Needs a Seat at the Policy Table | Jackie Hope Glass

Guest: Delegate Jackie Hope Glass, Virginia House of Delegates, 93rd District (Norfolk, VA)

Summary:

In this episode, Cory Connors sits down with Delegate Jackie Hope Glass of the Virginia House of Delegates to talk about the road that led her from community organizing to the statehouse, and what that experience has taught her about building real partnerships between policymakers and the packaging industry. Jackie shares how a habit of “minding other people’s business” turned into a grassroots homework program for neighborhood kids, then a school board run, and eventually a seat in the General Assembly. She and Cory also dig into their shared experience at See Change Sessions in Vermont, the case for a national Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework, and why she believes industry has a bigger role to play at the policymaking table than most people realize.

Key Topics Discussed:

•  Jackie’s path from Navy veteran and community organizer to Virginia state legislator
• The origin story of her neighborhood “homework house” and how it led to public service
• Reflections on See Change Sessions in Vermont and why the event felt different from a typical industry conference
• How packaging and sustainability professionals can build real relationships with state legislators
• California’s SB 54 and the challenges of getting states aligned on Extended Producer Responsibility
• Why Jackie sees packaging waste as a design and systems issue, not a moral one
• Jackie’s “6 Cs” framework for guiding her legislative focus (creative, circular, coastal resilience, crime aversion, care, and cyber)
• CitizenU, Jackie’s summer civic education program and policy pitch contest for constituents of all ages
• The realities of serving as a citizen legislator in Virginia’s part-time General Assembly

Resources Mentioned:

• Delegate Jackie Hope Glass, Virginia House of Delegates, 93rd District
• See Change Sessions, Burlington, Vermont
• Packaging Matters at See Change Sessions

Contact:

Listeners interested in connecting with Delegate Glass’s office about legislation, community programs, or CitizenU can reach out through her official Virginia House of Delegates page.

Closing Thoughts:

Cory and Delegate Glass agree that solving the packaging waste challenge will take sustained collaboration between industry, policymakers, and communities, one relationship and one conversation at a time. Both remain optimistic that with enough of those “crucial conversations,” meaningful action on packaging policy is within reach.

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

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