In this episode, Cory Connors welcomes Danielle Goad to discuss her journey at Specright, her recent move to London to lead the EMEA division, and the growing importance of packaging data management in the age of PPWR. Danielle shares how Specright helps companies build a foundational data infrastructure to navigate complex regulations, reduce reporting burdens, and drive sustainable innovation. She and Cory also reflect on the Sustainable Packaging Summit in Utrecht and what to expect at this year's expanded three-day event in November.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Danielle's eight-year journey at Specright, from intern to Director of EMEA
• Her relocation to London and experience building a new team abroad
• What Specright does as an AI-powered specification and data management platform
• The difference between EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) and PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation)
• Why PPWR is a long-term data foundation challenge, not just a one-time reporting exercise
• Key PPWR milestones, including the August 2026 deadline around PFAS and declaration of conformity
• How having accurate data helps companies avoid over-reporting and potential fines
• The maturity scale from static/chaotic data to a standardized, confident data foundation
• Specright's role in helping companies evaluate portfolios and model the impact of material changes (e.g., adding PCR content)
• The value of the Sustainable Packaging Summit in Utrecht — quality speakers, collaborative atmosphere, and industry depth
• Specright's upcoming workshop at this year's Summit focused on PPWR and spec management transformation
• The partnership between Specright and Lorax EPI as complementary best-in-breed solutions

Resources Mentioned:

• Specright

Contact:
Listeners can connect with Danielle Goad on LinkedIn or reach her directly at danielle@specright.com.

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Connect with Cory

Connect with Cory on LinkedIn here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cory-connors/

I'm here to help you make your packaging more sustainable! Reach out today and I'll get back to you asap.

This podcast is an independent production and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2022.

In this episode, Cory Connors reconnects with his friend Mitch Rovito from Burton Snowboards following a tour of Burton's Vermont facility. Mitch shares his unique origin story — writing a mock cover letter to Burton as an 18-year-old packaging student at RIT — and how that dream became reality. The conversation explores Burton's deep-rooted culture of curiosity and sustainability under founder Jake Burton's legacy and current owner Donna Carpenter, the organic partnership between Burton and Atlantic Packaging's New Earth Project, and the innovative strides Burton is making toward eliminating single-use plastics from its packaging.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Mitch's early passion for both snowboarding and packaging science, and how he discovered packaging through a chance visit to RIT in ninth grade
• Burton's culture of curiosity and innovation, rooted in founder Jake Burton's legacy and sustained by owner Donna Carpenter
• The advantages of being a privately held company in driving aggressive sustainability decisions
• How the Burton–Atlantic Packaging/New Earth Project partnership formed organically through a chance connection with Don Meek in Vermont
• The "We Do This Together" philosophy and open-source approach to sustainability collaboration across brands and suppliers
• Julia Marsh of Sway and the role of inspired, passionate individuals in driving the sustainable packaging movement
• FiberStrap and its application with Ibis Cycles as an example of cross-brand sustainability innovation
• The See Change Sessions event in Vermont — its growth, unique format blending wellness with industry collaboration, and impact on attendees
• Burton's progress from ~6% to ~90% elimination of single-use plastics in retail consumer-facing packaging
• Challenges of building global, omnichannel packaging while navigating evolving EPR regulations across the US, Europe, and beyond
• The Digital Product Passport (DPP) initiative from the EU and what supply chain transparency will mean for brands
• FSC certification, recycled content targets, and managing packaging development 24 months ahead of product launch
• Ongoing challenges with snowboard shrink wrap and the search for viable, scalable alternatives

Resources Mentioned:

• Burton Snowboards
• New Earth Project
• See Change Sessions
• Sway
• FibreStrap
• Ibis Cycles
• Bluesign Certification
• California EPR Packaging Program

Contact:

Listeners interested in learning more about Burton's sustainability initiatives can visit burton.com. For information about the New Earth Project and Atlantic Packaging, reach out through atlanticpkg.com.

Support our Sponsors

Learn more here:

- 3M

- Specright

- Forest

Connect with Cory

Connect with Cory on LinkedIn here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cory-connors/

I'm here to help you make your packaging more sustainable! Reach out today and I'll get back to you asap.

This podcast is an independent production and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2022.

In this special live episode recorded at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee during the Sustainable Packaging Coalition Impact Event, Cory Connors shares the stage with Olga Kachook to present the Third Annual Sustainable Packaging Trends Report for 2025–2026. Olga walks through the four key trends shaping the industry and dives deeper into each one in conversation with Cory, covering everything from EPR maturity to innovation in healthcare packaging.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Regions defining recyclability — Canada, the UK, and the EU leading the way and what that means for the US
• Innovation breakthroughs in OTC and healthcare packaging, including paper prescription bottles
• EPR turning five — progress made and challenges that remain
• Shared data driving recyclability clarity, including the upgrade of polypropylene cold cups under the How to Recycle program
• Designing for EPR — setting your own certainty in the face of regulatory uncertainty
• The "magic wand" thought experiment: how would you design your packaging portfolio if starting fresh today?
• Coated paper and molded fiber as focus areas for the SPC's paper recyclability collaborative
• The role of AI sorting technology in generating better recycling data
• Reusable e-commerce as an emerging opportunity — FedEx and Returnity's B2B partnership
• Predictions for the 2027 Trends Report, including consumer education and infrastructure expansion in EPR states
• Cabinet Health's refillable OTC packaging model, available at Target and Amazon

Resources Mentioned:

• Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC)
• SPC Paper Recyclability Collaborative
• How to Recycle Program
• Cabinet Health — refillable OTC packaging
• NextGen Consortium
• Returnity Reusable Shipping

Contact: For more information on the SPC Trends Report, scan the QR code mentioned in the episode or visit sustainablepackaging.org.

Thank you for tuning in to Sustainable Packaging with Cory Connors, presented by Atlantic Packaging!

Support our Sponsors

Learn more here:

- 3M

- Specright

- Forest

Connect with Cory

Connect with Cory on LinkedIn here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cory-connors/

I'm here to help you make your packaging more sustainable! Reach out today and I'll get back to you asap.

This podcast is an independent production and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2022.