Justin Riney, Founder,

Podcast Host

I am an “accidental” plastic professional, and currently work for a major polymer producer driving sustainability in the Americas. My first steps in the industry were with a large packaging company that gave me the opportunity to manage procurement of polymers and additives around 10 years ago, and when I accepted this role, I had no prior knowledge of what the different polymers were or why they were so important to modern life. In that role, I was exposed to all the benefits of plastics, and I've been hooked on the industry ever since.

I am passionate about sustainability, the plastics circular economy, and growing the recycling of plastics in the Americas. I want to ensure that I leave this world better than I found it. Sustainability means different things to different people, but to me, it's about balance. I would like to find an ecological balance in that the end-of-life issues of our products are important, but the rest of the product's life cycle and overall impact is just as important.

The Plastics industry has been largely reactive to date in its messaging. If “the industry” truly wants consumers to know the ecological benefits of the products it makes, it needs to engage with them directly. However, there is a lack of public trust with the plastics industry. We must prove to the public that "Recycling is Real." If we want folks in North America to recycle, we have to show them that it works. Only 43% of Americans with access to curbside recycling, participate in the system because of the belief that recycling is a lie or fraud.

This is why I started the Redefining Plastics podcast. To provide a platform for the people that are making recycling and the circularity of plastics a reality. Real people that are making a real difference! To reframe the conversation around [greenhouse gas] emissions and the advantage that plastics have over competitive materials. We can't ignore end-of-life concerns with plastics, but we do need to include these other important points to view the issue holistically.

People choose plastics because of convenience, but we need them to choose our products because they are a better option for the environment. Success in all these areas will "redefine plastics" in the eyes of consumers.