Washington, September 30, 2022 – The Sustainable Food Policy Alliance (SFPA) hosted a Congressional briefing on September 30 titled, “Putting More Recycled Materials Into the Circular Economy: A Discussion on the Technical Challenges and Policy Solutions to Increase Recycled Content in Packaging.” The briefing brought together experts from Unilever, Revolution, Eastman Chemical, Closed Loop Partners and Mars, Incorporated to discuss how to collectively increase recycled content in packaging. The group acknowledged that while a lot of focus has been on the supply of recycled materials, one of the key aspects of using recycled content in food packaging is ensuring the highest standards of safety. Across the board, the panelists acknowledged that to meet any proposed recycled content goals or requirements there needs to be significant shifts in the nation’s current waste management and recycling systems to help collect, sort and process materials.

The panel discussion, moderated by Rachel Goldstein, North America Policy Director for Mars, Incorporated, featured the following speakers:

• Melissa Craig, Senior Manager for Packaging Sustainability, Unilever  
  • Craig focused on Unilever’s packaging goals to reduce virgin materials, collect and process more packaging than they sell, and ensure all packaging is recyclable, reusable or compostable. The company has a series of ongoing initiatives to design packaging that includes post-consumer recycled materials. Craig said that the “goal at Unilever is to keep plastic in the loop and to continuously fuel the circular economy,” noting there is no better time to do so than now.
• Cherish Changala, Vice President, Sustainability & Public Affairs, Revolution  
  • Changala walked through Revolution’s circular approach as a manufacturer and recycler of film including developing food-safe, post-consumer recycled content. She highlighted the process with FDA to receive a no objection letter (NOL) for LDPE resin, which ensures recycled materials meet the highest standards, including for food safety. Changala noted that there is support from brands to invest in this process for additional capacity, which is highly specific.
• Holli Alexander, Strategic Initiatives Manager, Global Sustainability, Eastman Chemical   
  • Alexander detailed Eastman’s work as a producer of materials that are used in a variety of applications, including recycled materials. She explained that plastics may be recycled using mechanical or molecular recycling, but that Eastman’s focus is on how to create opportunities for materials that may not have good options via mechanical recycling. She described how molecular recycling generally will allow processors to work with a broader set of materials, manage contamination, and generate a variety of new products and applications. Alexander said as these technologies become more widespread, it will be important to ensure the inclusion of molecular recycling in principle-based definitions of recycling, alongside acknowledgement of environmental justice and environmental impact.
• Kate Krebs, Director, External Affairs, Closed Loop Partners  
  • Krebs discussed the work of Closed Loop Partners along with the public and private investments as well as the policy levers the organization believes will come together to bend the linear economy into a more circular direction. Krebs also highlighted the benefits of extended producer responsibility (EPR), which she believes will accelerate the infrastructure transition to meet plastic and waste reduction goals by featuring significant engagement by producers and communities in a solution that can grow over time.

As a coalition, SFPA values a collaborative approach to policy making and finding policy solutions that make packaging more recyclable and sustainable. As part of our advocacy efforts in this area, SFPA has developed a set of policy priorities that outline how we are approaching post-consumer recycled content (PCR), especially as we aim to meet our ambitious goals to integrate more PCR into our packaging.

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About the Sustainable Food Policy Alliance

The Sustainable Food Policy Alliance seeks to accelerate the pace of change in the food industry through individual company leadership and collective support for public policies that raise the bar and inspire further action in this critical journey. As some of the world’s best-known food companies, founding members Danone North America, Mars, Incorporated, Nestlé USA, and Unilever United States recognize our responsibility to drive positive change for the people who use our products, the people who supply them, and the planet on which we all rely. To learn more about the Sustainable Food Policy Alliance, visit www.foodpolicyalliance.org.