DiscoverPackaging Today ShowDesigning for the Death of Recycling
Designing for the Death of Recycling

Designing for the Death of Recycling

Update: 2025-09-26
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Recycling is collapsing in real time. In this episode, Evelio Mattos, Cory Connors, and Adam Peek break down the shocking closure of rPlanet Earth, California’s $100M vertically integrated PET recycler. Why are domestic recyclers shutting down while brands claim to be “sustainable”?We dive deep into the real economics of plastic recycling, the softening PET markets, and why chemical recycling isn’t living up to the hype. Then what everybody is asking: is paper packaging the only viable path forward?Don’t make 2025 packaging decisions based on yesterday’s news.

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Designing for the Death of Recycling

Designing for the Death of Recycling

The Packaging Today Show