Recycling has never been more urgent or more complex. Across the U.S., local programs follow different rules, infrastructure gaps remain, and packaging formats are changing faster than recovery systems can adapt. At the 2025 Packaging Recycling Summit, produced by Packaging World magazine and held in Dallas in June, the focus was on how to make it all work through innovation and collaboration.
Over three days, brand owners, recyclers, NGOs, and solution providers shared how they’re navigating this fragmented landscape. The discussions centered on practical solutions, not sweeping promises. From policy and packaging design to collection systems and material recovery, the emphasis was on building systems that can deliver results.
A roster of more than 30 distinguished speakers talked about navigating EPR reporting, making packaging more recyclable, changing consumer behavior, and using AI to improve sortation. While each one brought a different perspective, many described a similar path forward shaped by continuous improvement, shared responsibility, and better alignment across the value chain.
Many speakers emphasized that meaningful progress often starts with incremental improvements—replacing one material, refining one label, updating one data system—and that those changes, when replicated across supply chains, can have measurable impact.
The sessions highlighted work already in motion and explored what still needs to happen to move recycling from intention to impact. “We are in a watershed moment. In the 30-plus years that I’ve been doing this, I’ve never seen as much change happen,” said Paul Nowak of GreenBlue, signaling that real momentum is building toward a more circular future.
Following is coverage of the Summit presentations and panels:
From Registration to Reporting: EPR Gets Real
State-level reporting has begun, and many producers are unprepared. Brands need to centralize packaging data, engage suppliers, and make EPR a continuous process, not a one-time scramble.
Closing the Loop: Molecular Recycling’s Role in Sustainable Packaging
Mechanical recycling alone cannot close the loop. Molecular solutions offer a critical pathway for recovering complex materials and meeting recycled content goals.
Material Innovations Seek to Close the Loop
Consumers love paper, but it must be engineered for function and recovery. Coatings and adhesives are evolving to meet barrier and recyclability needs.
Behavioral Science Meets the Blue Bin
Behavioral science shows people are more likely to recycle when it feels easy, socially reinforced, and tied to personal identity.
MRFs, Markets, and the Business of Bales
Sorting facilities cannot solve system issues alone. Packaging must be compatible with recovery, and downstream buyers must be ready to accept what gets captured.
AI Unlocks New Value in the Waste Stream
Smart systems at MRFs can now detect packaging formats, contamination, and capture rates in real time, helping inform upstream design decisions.
Policy and Partnerships Drive Can and Bottle Recovery Efforts
Efforts to improve collection—from deposit return systems to hybrid models—require brands, MRFs, NGOs, and policymakers to work together on shared infrastructure and messaging.
FFRA Tackles the Flexible Film Recycling Challenge
Projects like Chicago’s secondary sort pilot show promise, but scalability hinges on clearer consumer guidance and stronger demand for recovered film.
Danone’s Holistic Approach to Packaging Innovation
Danone’s step-by-step packaging improvements are guided by testing, functionality, and feedback. The focus is not on sweeping overhauls, but on steady forward motion.
Tums Switches to Bio-based Bottle
Haleon’s switch to a bio-based Tums bottle cut carbon by 70% with no changes to tooling, design, or consumer use, showing how collaboration can drive low-disruption impact.
Baby Food Brand Tests Flexible Pouch Mail-Back Program
Mail-back and rural recovery programs can help brands reach households outside traditional collection routes while reinforcing brand values and sustainability commitments.
New Research Hub C3PS Tackles Packaging Challenges
C3PS offers brand owners a chance to co-develop solutions with leading universities, from PFAS-free coatings to improved PCR performance. PW
