Rethinking Plastics and Circularity at Every Stage
As Co-Founder & CEO of CIRT, Katherine Shayne leads the development of a proprietary AI and geospatial data platform that helps companies navigate product recovery, EPR compliance and sustainable procurement.
Before founding CIRT, Katherine partnered with organizations like Parley for the Oceans, Think Beyond Plastic, and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. She was also a World Economic Forum Top Innovator and OneYoungWorld Lead2030 Awardee.
Dr. Jenna Jambeck is the Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor in Environmental Engineering at the University of Georgia, a MacArthur Fellow, Founder of the Circularity Informatics Lab and a National Geographic Explorer.
Her research on solid waste issues and marine debris/plastic pollution has been translated into policy discussions by the High-Level Panel for the Ocean, testimony to Congress, in G7 and G20 Declarations, and the UN Environment program.
Rishi is the head of the SmartLabel program at the Consumer Brands Association, the leading digital disclosure platform connecting consumers to product data that goes beyond the on pack label.
Prior to CBA, Rishi led food safety regulatory and industry affairs at Amazon, communications and knowledge mobilization for EatSafe at GAIN and public affairs for the Global Food Safety Initiative.
Dr. Julie Willoughby is a seasoned chemical and biomolecular engineer, polymer scientist and entrepreneur. Currently, she serves as Chief Technology Officer for TerraSafe Materials, Inc and founder of Blue Hummingbird LLC., is an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Longleaf Studios and advises early-stage startups.
Previously, Julie was the Chief Scientific and Commercialization Officer at Circ, Inc., and held roles at Nike, North Carolina State University and Dow Corning.
Andrew Dagnan serves as the Director of Safety and Sustainability at Wicked Weed Brewing, where he champions environmental initiatives. Under his leadership, the brewery achieved a 99.3% waste diversion rate, earning GOLD certification under the TRUE rating system in 2024.
Previously, Dagnan managed Environmental, Health and Safety for Breckenridge Brewery and Craft Brew Alliance.
A cross-sector panel of experts—Katherine Shayne of CIRT, Jenna Jambeck of the University of Georgia, Rishi Banerjee of the Consumer Brands Association, Dr. Julie Willoughby of TerraSafe Materials and Andrew Dagnan of Wicked Weed Brewing—explored the structural, cultural and scientific barriers that stand in the way of building a truly circular economy. Their discussion revealed that circularity must be redefined, re-communicated and reimagined across the entire value chain.
Circularity Begins with Design, Not Disposal
A key theme was the widespread misunderstanding of circularity as being solely about recycling. The panelists emphasized that both the public and many policymakers still equate circular systems with end-of-life strategies, ignoring the importance of upstream decisions. Designing out waste—through material minimization, reusable formats, or regenerative product lifecycles—is essential. The panel called for a shift away from reactive solutions toward proactive systems thinking that prioritizes resource efficiency and avoids waste before it’s created.
From Lab Bench to Shelf: Overcoming Market Barriers for Sustainable Materials
One speaker discussed how developing sustainable, bio-based materials is not just a scientific challenge but a communications one. While safer and more environmentally friendly alternatives exist, skepticism over cost, durability, and familiarity remains a barrier. New materials must overcome decades of entrenched norms, especially in sectors like packaging and consumer goods.
The panelists noted that building acceptance requires patience and storytelling that connects scientific innovation to consumer values and real-life experiences.
Like traditional plastics, which took over a century to reach industrial scale, circular alternatives need both time and sustained cultural support to gain traction.
Culture and Collaboration Are Catalysts for Corporate Transformation
Internal culture emerged as a critical factor in achieving real progress. One speaker shared that change at a company didn’t start with top-down mandates but with grassroots momentum. Employees began to challenge unsustainable habits—like the use of Styrofoam plates—signaling a shift in company values. The panelists agreed that embedding sustainability into the organizational culture leads to more resilient and self-sustaining circularity practices. However, extending this change beyond single companies requires broader coalition-building. Another speaker pointed to industry consortiums and shared commitments as effective tools for influencing suppliers and establishing new norms in difficult-to-move sectors like agriculture and textiles.
Innovation Alone Isn’t Enough: System Infrastructure Must Support Change
The conversation returned frequently to the gap between innovation and implementation. Even when better packaging and recyclable materials are available, lack of public infrastructure and poor user experiences slow adoption. The panelists noted that inconsistent waste collection, confusing labels and limited community facilities undermine consumer engagement. One speaker suggested that cities and communities need to design shared spaces that integrate circular practices—places where people can work, shop and responsibly handle materials. These spaces could normalize circular behavior and create social incentives for sustainable practices, making them a routine part of everyday life.
One speaker raised alarm over the growing crisis of microplastics, pointing to studies showing their presence in human tissues. This data signals a turning point in public health and environmental discourse. The panelists warned that simply making plastics degrade faster is not a solution—many “biodegradable” products merely break into smaller, more pervasive particles. Instead, circular solutions must design materials that fully reintegrate into natural systems without toxicity. Another speaker stressed the importance of cradle-to-cradle design principles that mimic nature rather than rely on partial fixes.
Rethinking the Loop—From Circular Talk to Circular Action
The panel made one thing clear: a truly circular economy cannot be bolted onto a linear one. It requires reprogramming our assumptions, redesigning our systems and rebuilding our shared infrastructure. From the lab bench to the loading dock, from material scientists to marketing teams, every link in the value chain has a role to play—and a responsibility to challenge business-as-usual. This is why the success of a circular economy depends not just on innovation, but on our collective ability to embed circular economy principles deeply into culture, commerce and community. Circularity is not just about closing the loop; it’s about rethinking the loop altogether. The future won’t be shaped by innovation alone, but by our collective ability to align culture, commerce and community toward a regenerative vision that’s both practical and bold.
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