What if we could recycle just half of the plastic currently going to landfills?

The answer: 173,000 new jobs, nearly $50 billion in economic output, and a stronger American manufacturing base.

In this episode of Sustainably Speaking, host Mia Quinn welcomes back Ross Eisenberg, president of America’s Plastic Makers, for a wide-ranging conversation on why recycling is no longer just an environmental issue—it’s an economic and manufacturing opportunity hiding in plain sight.

Ross highlights what’s actually working in recycling today, from large-scale facilities turning plastic into new products to advanced technologies that can recover materials once thought to be unrecyclable. He explains why the idea that “recycling doesn’t work” is one of the biggest myths holding back progress.

The conversation also tackles the policy choices shaping the future of recycling, including:

• Why flexible, technology-neutral policies matter more than one-size-fits-all mandates
• How mass balance works (and why it’s similar to Fair Trade coffee)
• What states are getting right—and wrong—on Extended Producer Responsibility
• Why a federal definition of advanced recycling as manufacturing could unlock investment nationwide

Looking ahead, Ross shares what success could look like, from scaling U.S. recycling infrastructure to reaching a global plastics agreement that expands access to waste management for billions of people worldwide.

And yes, there’s some fun along the way…from K-pop playlists to shark diving and guilty-pleasure reality TV.

Biodegradable water-soluble films. Recycling that reuses molecules over and over. AI that can develop more sustainable polymers. In this conversation, Sustainably Speaking host Mia Quinn sits down with Anne Kolton, Chief Sustainability Officer at SK Capital Partners, to explore the next wave of innovation in manufacturing and materials. Anne shares how her team invests in companies developing breakthrough products, how U.S. manufacturing can launch smarter, more efficient processes, and why engineering and AI will transform the materials we all use every day.

What if your car was easier to recycle? Hyundai’s Amanda Nummy is helping make it happen. In Episode 52 of Sustainably Speaking, we explore how biomimicry, recycled plastics, and smart design choices are helping the auto industry tackle its waste footprint — and what that means for the next generation of our cars and trucks.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How Hyundai’s goal is to use 20% recycled plastics by weight in vehicles by 2030

• Why designing for disassembly is key to making cars easier to recycle

• What we can learn from beetles and tree bark about sustainable design

• How advanced recycling could reshape the auto supply chain