Bonjour and Hello,

In this episode, Cory Connors interviews two standout winners of the Paris Packaging Week Future Leaders Program—Danielle Goad and Nicole Toole—to explore their journeys, innovations, and perspectives on the future of sustainable packaging. Danielle shares how discovering packaging at Cal Poly led to a global leadership role at SpecRight and her upcoming move to London as she builds the EMEA region. Nicole recounts founding ECGO as a college project and transforming it into an AI‑powered recycling education and behavior‑change platform used by students, universities, and brands.
Both leaders reflect on being recognized among the top ten emerging leaders worldwide and discuss the importance of global collaboration, consumer behavior insights, regulatory preparedness (PPWR & EPR), and inspiration from younger generations. They share what they're most looking forward to at Paris Packaging Week—from innovation zones to reuse concepts to the energy of an international community passionate about packaging.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Danielle’s path from student to global leader and her work scaling SpecRight internationally
• Nicole’s founding of ECGO and the role of AI, incentives, and data insights in improving recycling behaviors
• The significance and impact of being named Future Leaders by Paris Packaging Week
• Evolving sustainability messaging and the shift toward value‑driven, consumer‑relevant communication
• The rapid pace of regulatory change and the industry’s need for continual education (PPWR, EPR)
• Cross‑industry collaboration and the packaging sector’s tight‑knit, globally connected nature
• Excitement about innovations in reuse, sustainability tech, and meeting global peers at Paris Packaging Week

Resources Mentioned:

• SpecRight – Specification management platform
• ECGO – AI‑powered consumer education and recycling platform
• Paris Packaging Week Future Leaders Program

Contact:

Danielle Goad:

LinkedIn: Danielle Goad
Email: danielle@specright.com
Visit SpecRight at their stand in the PCD space during Paris Packaging Week

Nicole Toole:

Website: ecgo.co
LinkedIn: Nicole Toole

Closing Thoughts:

Cory, Danielle, and Nicole highlight the tremendous momentum building within sustainable packaging—driven by young leaders, new technologies, data‑driven insights, and global collaboration. They emphasize that meaningful industry change requires education, curiosity, and fresh thinking from every generation. Both guests hope their recognition as Future Leaders inspires other emerging professionals to share ideas boldly, challenge the status quo, and pursue innovative solutions that reduce waste and improve the planet.

Thank you for tuning in to Sustainable Packaging with Cory Connors!

https://anewearthproject.com/collections/new-earth-approved

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cory-connors/

I'm here to help you make your packaging more sustainable! Reach out today and I'll get back to you asap.

This podcast is an independent production and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2022.

In this episode, Cory talks with James Merrill, founder of Stoked Plastics and Opolis Optics, about transforming ocean‑bound and landfill‑bound plastic into high‑performance sunglasses and goggles. James shares how his experience working in vulnerable communities overseas led him to create a patented recycled‑plastic technology that boosts recycled content up to 75%. They also discuss Opolis’ growth, supply‑chain transparency, and the major setback of a $20,000 theft during an REI fulfillment—followed by strong community support.

Key Topics Discussed:

• How global counter‑extremism work revealed the link between plastic pollution, poverty, and instability.
• Development of Stoked Plastic, enabling products with 75% recycled content, far above typical levels.
• Launch of Opolis Optics to prove market demand, leading to retail partnerships with REI, L.L. Bean, and Paragon Sports.
• Transparent supply-chain partnerships with Ocean Material and #tide, supporting local cleanup communities.
• Product impact: ~10 bottles per pair of goggles; ~2 bottles per pair of sunglasses.
• The major inventory theft, financial impact, and the outdoor community rallying to help
• Upcoming product innovations: coolers, surfboard bags, knives, and building‑material applications.

Resources Mentioned:

• Stoked Plastics
• Opolis Optics
• Ocean Material (supply‑chain partner)
• #tide (ocean‑bound plastic recovery partner)

Contact:

Instagram: Opolis Optics & Stoked Plastics
LinkedIn: James Merrill

Closing Thoughts:

James and Cory highlight how innovation + community impact can create powerful change in the fight against plastic pollution. Even small actions—like purchasing sustainably made products—help fund cleanup efforts and support vulnerable communities around the world. The episode reinforces that great products can also be great for the planet, and that long‑form storytelling plays a key role in inspiring meaningful action.

Thank you for tuning in to Sustainable Packaging with Cory Connors!

https://anewearthproject.com/collections/new-earth-approved

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cory-connors/

I'm here to help you make your packaging more sustainable! Reach out today and I'll get back to you asap.

This podcast is an independent production and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2022.

In this episode, Cory Connors welcomes his longtime friend and sustainability leader Robert Little to discuss Google’s sustainability mission—particularly its global work in circularity, recycling accessibility, packaging innovation, and the role of AI in modern waste systems. Robert shares his nonlinear career path, the principles that shaped his sustainability mindset, and how Google is leveraging its massive product ecosystem to scale sustainability solutions for billions of users worldwide.

The conversation explores Google Maps’ recycling drop‑off locator, Google Trends as a tool for understanding consumer sustainability needs, Google’s plastic‑free packaging design journey, and innovations like CircularNet and Materra, X’s emerging AI‑powered materials identification technology.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Robert’s Journey Into Sustainability
• Robert’s Role at Google
• Google’s Sustainability Mission & Circularity Goals
• Packaging Innovation at Google
• Google Maps Recycling Drop‑Off Search
• AI & Machine Learning for Waste Systems
• Materra (formerly “Project X”): Advanced Material Identification
• Advice for Consumer Brands
• A Call for Optimism & Sharing Good Sustainability Stories

Resources Mentioned:

• Google Trends – trends.google.com
• Google Maps Recycling Attributes
• Google’s Plastic‑Free Packaging Design Guide
• CircularNet (open‑source machine learning model)
• Materra by X (The Moonshot Factory)

Contact:

Connect with Robert Little on LinkedIn.

Closing Thoughts:

Cory and Robert emphasize the need for optimism, collaboration, and smarter infrastructure in global sustainability. Robert highlights the immense potential for AI, transparency, and ecosystem‑level innovation to keep materials “in play” and reduce reliance on new resource extraction.

They encourage listeners to stay curious, share good sustainability news, and use the tools available—many of them free—to design better packaging systems and reduce waste globally.

Thank you for tuning in to Sustainable Packaging with Cory Connors!

https://anewearthproject.com/collections/new-earth-approved

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cory-connors/

I'm here to help you make your packaging more sustainable! Reach out today and I'll get back to you asap.

This podcast is an independent production and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2022.