Crazy About Packaging: Conversations with the C.A.P. Pack

📦 In this episode of Crazy About Packaging, the C.A.P. Pack — Natalie, Mike, and Jonathan — kick off Season 4 with a big question: will the packaging material you choose today still make sense five or ten years from now?
From changing regulations and recycling infrastructure to plant closures and material supply, packaging teams have more to consider than ever. This episode looks at how companies can plan ahead, spot signs of change, and make material decisions that work today without limiting their options tomorrow.
🔍 Tune in to explore:
Why packaging material planning has become more complex than performance, availability, and cost
How supply changes, regulations, and recycling infrastructure can signal a material’s long-term viability
Why flexible equipment and production options can reduce supply chain risk
How sustainability and cost have become part of the same packaging conversation
Why packaging teams should be thinking in 12-month, 3-year, 5-year, and 10-year plans
🎯 If you’re evaluating packaging materials, preparing for new regulations, or wondering whether your current structure is built for the long term, this episode will help you identify the factors worth planning for now.
🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or our website. Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram, and send us your questions at icpg@impactgroup.co. Subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next — we’ll see you in the next episode!

🥫 In this episode of Crazy About Packaging, the C.A.P. Pack — Natalie, Mike, and Jonathan — break down what high barrier food packaging actually does and why the right structure looks different for every product.
From yogurt and coffee pods to ground beef and salsa, every food has its own needs for oxygen, moisture, light, sealing, and shelf life. This episode looks at how packaging teams balance those needs with cost and recyclability — without losing sight of the package’s most important job: protecting the product.
🔍 Tune in to explore:
What “barrier” actually means in food packaging and what it protects against

Why barrier needs can vary so much between different foods and filling processes

How materials like polypropylene, PET, polystyrene, and polyethylene handle oxygen and moisture

Why barrier and shelf life aren’t the same thing — and how testing helps determine the right structure

How added barrier layers can affect recyclability and why simpler isn’t always better

🎯 If you're working toward longer shelf life, fewer materials, or more recyclable food packaging, this episode shows why those goals have to start with the product and its specific needs.
🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or our website. Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram, and send us your questions at icpg@impactgroup.co. Subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next — we’ll see you in the next episode!

💰 In this episode of Crazy About Packaging, the C.A.P. Pack — Natalie, Mike, and Jonathan — take a closer look at one of the biggest questions in packaging: what does a package actually cost?
Material price is often where the conversation starts, but it’s far from the whole story. From yield and lightweighting to freight, processing efficiency, and line performance, this episode explores the factors that have the biggest impact on total packaging cost.

🔍 Tune in to explore:
Why price per pound is only one piece of the packaging cost equation

How material yield can lower costs without changing the price tag

When lightweighting creates savings — and when it creates new problems

Why processing efficiency can have a bigger impact than material cost alone

The hidden costs and opportunities that come with changing packaging materials

🎯 If you're evaluating a new packaging material or trying to balance cost, performance, and sustainability, this episode will help you look beyond the numbers and see the full picture.
🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or our website. Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram, and send us your questions at icpg@impactgroup.co. Subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next — we’ll see you in the next episode!

🛒 In this episode of Crazy About Packaging, the C.A.P. Pack explores a question that influences nearly every purchase decision: what makes packaging feel sustainable?
From glass jars and aluminum bottles to paper wraps and earthy colors, consumers make quick judgments about packaging every day. But do those first impressions actually match the environmental impact of the package? This episode takes a closer look at the psychology behind sustainable packaging and the gap between perception and reality.
🔍 Tune in to explore:
Why consumers often view certain materials as more sustainable before reading a single label

The visual cues that influence purchasing decisions, from colors and textures to package design

How packaging can appear more sustainable without improving environmental performance

Why life cycle impacts are often overlooked in favor of familiar sustainability signals

The challenge of communicating complex sustainability data in a few square inches of packaging space

🎯 If you've ever wondered why consumers gravitate toward one package over another — or how brands can balance sustainability, performance, and perception — this episode offers a fascinating look at what drives packaging decisions.
🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or our website. Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram, and send us your questions at icpg@impactgroup.co. Subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next — we’ll see you in the next episode!

🤖 In this episode of Crazy About Packaging, the C.A.P. Pack — Natalie, Mike, and Jonathan — are joined by Joe Castagneri, Director of Software at AMP, to break down how AI is changing the way recycling systems work.
From computer vision to robotic sortation, this episode looks at what actually happens inside a recycling facility and how smarter systems can recover more material without relying on perfect consumer behavior.
🔍 Tune in to explore:
How AI-powered sortation identifies and separates materials in real time

Why recycling is not just a system, it’s a business with real constraints

The difference between AI used for recycling and the tools most people know today

How better sorting improves bale quality and makes materials more valuable

What happens when AI is used to recover recyclables before they reach landfills

🎯 If you’ve ever questioned whether recycling really works (or what it takes to make it work better) this episode gives you a clear look inside the system.
🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or our website. Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram, and send us your questions at icpg@impactgroup.co. Subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next — we’ll see you in the next episode!