Plastics Pact leader aims to build momentum

“Nova Chemicals is where I ultimately got my first exposure to sustainability in multiple ways—from being a part of the team that developed a fully recyclable standup barrier pouch, to launching the first of many postconsumer-recycled-content resins,” he says. 

Earlier roles at Zip-Pak, COESIA and Multisorb Technologies provided Quinn with commercial experience in the packaging industry. 

In addition to these corporate roles, Quinn says he has contributed to industry organizations where he has fostered collaboration and driven systemic change, including founding and serving as co-chair of the Flexible Packaging Association’s Emerging Leadership Council and serving on its Chairperson’s Advisory Council.  

“Plastics recycling has made real progress in recent years, especially in areas like material sortation, bale quality and the ability to incorporate recycled content into new products,” he says. “We’re seeing more sophisticated systems, better design-for-recyclability and stronger alignment across the value chain.” 

Despite this progress, Quinn acknowledges there still is work to be done. 

“There’s work ahead to expand collection of all recyclable materials, improve consistency across regions and better define and grow end markets,” he says. “I’m encouraged by the momentum, but we can’t take our foot off the gas. Getting to a truly circular system will take innovation, investment and collaboration at every level.” 

In the following interview, Quinn shares more about the challenges ahead in achieving circularity for plastics. 

Q: What lessons have you learned about the industry that have helped you throughout the years? 

A: If you think something is easy in this industry, think again. Nothing about transforming a system as complex as plastics is simple, but that’s exactly what makes it worth doing. The challenges push us to think bigger, collaborate better and stay relentlessly focused on solutions. Real change takes grit, and I’ve learned to lean into that. 

Q: What do you find most invigorating about your role with the U.S. Plastics Pact? What do you find most daunting? 

What invigorates me most is the sense of possibility. Every day, I get to work alongside innovators and problem-solvers who are passionate about transforming the system. The U.S. Plastics Pact is a unique platform—we’re not just talking about change, we’re building the road map and holding ourselves accountable to real, measurable outcomes. 

The most daunting part is probably the pace of change required to meet the moment. The clock is ticking, and while we’ve made progress, the systemwide shifts we’re aiming for in everything from infrastructure to public policy to consumer behavior are massive. So, that is a little daunting, but it is also very motivating. 

Q: What did you find to be the most enlightening data from your “2023-24 Impact Report,” and what does that information tell you about your activators’ successes and failures? 

A: What stood out most to me in the “2023-24 Impact Report” was the clear momentum on both sides of the recycling equation. Our activators aren’t just designing packaging to be more recyclable; they’re also significantly increasing the use of recycled content. More than 50 percent of reported packaging now falls into the “recyclable” or “potentially recyclable” categories, showing that brands are embracing upstream change. 

At the same time, we saw the average use of postconsumer recycled or responsibly sourced biobased content rise from 9.4 percent to 11 percent. The progress is incremental, but in a system this complex, it signals real commitment—and real change. 

Q: How important is collaboration in achieving the goals of the U.S. Plastics Pact? 

A: Collaboration is everything. My belief in the importance of collaboration is what drew me to the U.S. Plastics Pact—and it’s what motivates my work every single day. Achieving circularity for plastic packaging isn’t something any one company, sector or government can do alone. It requires alignment, trust and shared accountability across the entire value chain. 

That includes shared risk. We believe consumers want packaging made from recycled content, but delivering on that demand means confronting higher costs, infrastructure gaps and market volatility—and we need to take that on together. That’s why the Pact was built to bring all the right players to the same table—from resin producers and packaging designers to brands, retailers, recyclers and policymakers. When we collaborate, we can move faster, go further and build a system that actually works. 

Q: Where do you see upcoming opportunities for plastics recycling? What about challenges? 

A: Opportunities in plastics recycling are driven by end-use demand. When brands, manufacturers and retailers commit to using recycled content, the entire system moves. We’re seeing real momentum behind that shift, and the growing alignment between voluntary action and supportive policy is opening new pathways forward. 

A recent U.S. Plastics Pact report, “Overcoming Barriers to Increasing the Use of PCR in the U.S.,” highlights the importance of this dual approach and outlines how industry leadership and smart policy solutions like recycled content mandates, extended producer responsibility programs and deposit return systems can work together to scale PCR use effectively. 

Of course, challenges remain. The report also makes clear that infrastructure gaps, market volatility and cost disparities between virgin and recycled materials continue to slow progress. Overcoming those hurdles will require coordinated, systemwide investment and long-term market signals. But I believe the opportunity outweighs the challenge. With the right alignment across the value chain, we can create a recycling system that’s not just functional but foundational to a more sustainable future. 

Q: What role will innovation play in addressing hard-to-recycle plastics? What form is this innovation most likely to take? 

A: Innovation is the engine driving our transition to a circular economy, especially when it comes to hard-to-recycle plastics. One important thing to remember is that innovation isn’t just about new materials or technologies. Rather, it’s about rethinking how we collaborate across the entire packaging ecosystem. 

Take, for example, the newly launched Packaging Recyclability Advancement Task Force. The U.S. Plastics Pact is participating in this initiative alongside other leaders from across the value chain: GreenBlue, TRP [The Recycling Partnershop], ReMA [Recycled Materials Association], SWANA [Solid Waste Association of North America] and APR [Association of Plastic Recyclers]. The goal is to tackle real-world barriers to recyclability. We are starting with PE [polyethylene] squeeze tubes and PET [polyethylene terephthalate] thermoforms, which are technically recyclable but often fall short due to challenges in collection, sortation or end-market demand. 

The task force is a great example of what I mean by innovation needing to be collaborative and systemic. It’s about creating clear, actionable guidance that goes beyond design to address the full spectrum of recyclability—applicable laws, collection infrastructure, sortation capabilities, reprocessing technologies and market availability. By aligning efforts across these areas, we can transform packaging formats that are currently labeled “Not Yet Recyclable” or “Check Locally” into ones that are widely accepted and effectively recycled. 

Q: What is one of your proudest professional accomplishments? 

A: One of my proudest professional accomplishments is founding the Emerging Leadership Council at the Flexible Packaging Association. It was important to me to create a space where the next generation of industry leaders could come together to learn and to connect. I think that when people forge relationships early in their careers, they can build the trust and shared understanding necessary for candid conversations. In a field as complex as packaging, progress really only happens when people can speak honestly and tackle challenges head-on. 

Q: What misperceptions about plastics recycling do you wish you could debunk? What is the most effective way the industry can debunk these myths? 

A: The biggest myth I want to debunk is that recycling doesn’t work. Recycling works. When packaging is designed for recyclability, when it’s properly collected and sorted and when there’s a market for the material, recycling absolutely delivers. The problem isn’t that recycling is broken, it’s that the system isn’t fully aligned yet. The most effective way to debunk that myth is for the whole industry to be transparent about what’s working and where we’re improving. I believe that honest, measurable progress speaks louder than any promises. 

Q: How have equipment suppliers to the industry helped to advance plastics recycling? 

A: Equipment suppliers play a critical role in advancing plastics recycling because; without the right technology, circularity simply doesn’t scale. From sortation systems that can identify and separate materials with incredible precision, to extrusion and reprocessing equipment that can handle a wider range of feedstocks, these innovations are enabling recyclers to do more with what they collect. At the end of the day, we cannot produce plastic packaging without the extrusion or molding equipment that enables recycled content’s incorporation or recyclability. This is an area of the value chain that we need to hear from more and push what was once thought to be impossible to become possible.