AMERIPEN Member Spotlight – NatureWorks

AMERIPEN Member Spotlight – NatureWorks

Shannon Pinc

Senior Circular Economy Manager 

Interviewed by Rob Keith, Membership & Policy Director at AMERIPEN.

Rob: Tell me a little bit about your background. Where do you live? Where did you go to school?

Shannon: I was born and raised in the Twin Cities metro area of Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN and still reside here. This is also where NatureWorks’ headquarters are located. I completed both my degrees in Minnesota, a BA in Biology at the University of St Catherine’s, and a MS in Bioproducts Biosystems Engineering at the University of Minnesota.

Rob: Was your first job out of college in sustainability? Were packaging and recycling issues on your radar?

Shannon: My first real job after getting my undergraduate degree was working as a consultant for very large manufacturing clients all over North America focusing on environmental, health and safety regulations compliance, and advising them on process or material changes to reduce or eliminate unnecessary waste streams to save them money, lower their risk, and improve their environmental footprint. There weren’t “sustainability” titles yet! Packaging was not a focus for me at that time, but recycling was.

Rob: Tell me about your current role and work at NatureWorks.

Shannon: I am primarily focused on policy issues that affect our industry and adjacent industries. Much of this work is focused on the compostable packaging value chain. I also manage topics and issues that are related to our business, such as biobased or safer chemicals. Additionally, I serve as Board Member for the Plant Based Products Council (PBPC) and the BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute). 

Rob: What gets you excited about the work you are doing?

Shannon: I get excited when I see momentum happening around topics like waste and organics diversion or biobased materials. I get even more excited when I see more collaboration occurring in this space. I feel motivated when I see that I can make a positive impact through consensus building.

Rob: What are some of the unique issues and/or challenges surrounding biobased materials?

Shannon: The bioplastics industry is still relatively young compared to the petrochemical plastics industry and there is quite a lot of opportunity for implementing bioplastic packaging solutions. In the future, we expect to see continued growth in packaging applications that take advantage of the unique performance and sustainability attributes only found in biopolymers made with renewable carbon. For example, compostability in food packaging is a critical attribute for addressing both plastic waste and greenhouse gas emissions. 

Compostable applications like rigid food packaging, paper coatings, bin liners, flexible packaging, tea bags, or coffee capsules make it easy for consumers to direct their food scraps to compost where they become valuable nutrients. This also keeps food scraps out of incinerators or landfills where that food generates methane as it degrades. Globally, landfills are the 3rd-largest source of human-related methane emissions. Therefore, from a climate perspective, it’s critically important to use tools like compostable packaging or food serviceware that help divert more food away from landfills to compost. 

Educating stakeholders, brands, and consumers on how biobased materials and compostability have cumulative benefits for reducing climate impact and not just packaging waste remains a challenge. However, we have seen some bright spots where we see biobased products prioritized like with the Bold Goals announced by the White House setting the target at replacing 90% of plastics with biobased materials. We have also seen increases in funding for growing industrial composting infrastructure at the federal level via the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. 

Rob: What do you see as the top priority in the packaging space and what role do you see AMERIPEN playing?

Shannon: I believe we need to get Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) designed well, taking into consideration what will work here in the United States. While some states have already passed EPR legislation, I believe we have not yet seen the best model. AMERIPEN is well-positioned to lead the conversation, taking the best ideas of what others have done, and using that to guide other states or a national program that stakeholders can agree to.

Thank you, Shannon, for being a valued AMERIPEN member!