FREE Webinar - The Impacts of Food Residue on Food Packaging Recovery

Written By Amanda Moore

Food Residue and Recycling: Are We Rethinking the Narrative?

Join the WEBINAR Monday, June 8 at 12 Pm ET

Food residue has long been viewed as one of the biggest barriers to food packaging recycling. From greasy pizza boxes to peanut butter jars and beverage cups, questions about contamination continue to shape public perception and influence recovery practices across the recycling system. But as recycling technologies and processing systems evolve, it may be time to revisit some of those assumptions.

As the industry continues to pursue circularity goals and increase packaging recovery, understanding the actual impacts of food residue — rather than relying on assumptions — will be critical to developing practical, effective solutions.

 

Webinar Details

On June 8, RRS will join the Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI) and industry leaders from across the packaging value chain for a webinar exploring the real-world impacts of food residue on food packaging recovery. The discussion will examine what actually happens to materials once they enter the recycling stream, how processors manage residue today, and whether advances in sorting and processing technologies are changing the conversation.

The webinar will feature perspectives from material recovery, plastics processing, paper packaging, and sustainability organizations, including representatives from KW Plastics, SPC, Graphic Packaging International, FPI, and RRS.

Topics will include:

  • How food residue affects material recovery facilities and downstream processors

  • The realities of contamination versus perception

  • Current capabilities of paper mills and plastics reclaimers

  • How evolving technologies may mitigate impacts once considered major barriers

  • Opportunities to improve communication and align recovery expectations across the system

 

Monday, June 8, 2026 • 12 PM ET

Register Free

Panelists

  • Ashley Elzinga, FPI

  • Stephanie Baker, KW Plastics

  • Brad Kurzynowski, SPC

  • Katy Ricchi, RRS

  • Ed Tucciarone, Graphic Packaging Int'l

 
Amanda Moore
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