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Kelly Murosky, Sustainable Packaging Manager, Unilever

Kelly Murosky shares her experiences from product development to her current role at Unilever, driving the "less plastics" agenda and discusses how she overcame challenges, embraced confidence, and carved a path for women in sustainable packaging.

Kelly Murosky

Tell us about your background and how you got into the packaging industry.

I was first introduced to the world of packaging when studying at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. I have a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mechanical engineering with a minor in packaging science. It was during my studies, and during a product development engineering internship at Fisher-Price, when I discovered just how integral packaging innovation can be to our daily product interactions. I thought packaging was an interesting subset of product development engineering, so I decided to minor in the field. I worked in packaging development at Kellogg’s and Keurig Dr. Pepper before I joined Unilever. I spent over seven years working brand-side at Seventh Generation, where I developed new packaging for a variety of home care products. My time at Seventh Generation helped me foster my expertise in the sustainable packaging space and prepared me well for my current role within Unilever’s global packaging R&D team. Now, as a sustainable packaging manager, I lead the “less plastics” and renewable feedstocks agenda across our diverse portfolio of products, supporting Unilever’s commitment to reduce its use of virgin plastic. 

What is the most rewarding part of your job today?

From my time working on the Seventh Generation brand, to my current role in Unilever’s global packaging R&D team, I love that my work directly contributes to Unilever’s waste-free world vision and helps to reduce our environmental impact. For example, helping to roll out 100% PCR (post-consumer recycled) content in our plastic bottles, which involves a huge amount of technical work and innovation. Being on the front lines of the sustainable packaging movement allows me to actively contribute to protecting the planet and create a more sustainable future — something I personally find incredibly rewarding.

What are some of the challenges that you have faced as a woman in a male-dominated industry? 

In the early days of my career as a young, female engineer, I sometimes felt that my ideas were overlooked or not taken seriously, as though I was less capable or knowledgeable when in fact I had significant expertise.  These experiences simply taught me to be more vocal and, most importantly, have confidence in yourself. If you have confidence in your ideas, others will be more likely to trust in your expertise.

What are the unique opportunities for women in this industry?

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