Ameripen Leads The Packaging Industry in the USA with Dan Felton

Ameripen is the acronym for American Institute for Packaging in the Environment. They were a US-based trade association that primarily served as an advocacy and lobbying organization. They represent the packaging industry in the United States. Ameripen represents the whole packaging value chain, which means they include material suppliers, package manufacturers, brand owners who utilize that packaging, recyclers, and other end-of-life materials managers among their members. They have a number of product-specific and materials-specific trades as members, and Ameripen works with them to lobby for them on issues and to learn about the specifics of different industries and types of packaging. Ameripen's main focus is on federal and state work.

On this episode, we'll talk about:

• How long has he been working in this field?
• When there is more discussion about sustainability and sustainable packaging now than there has been in the past. Has he noticed this or is it just a passing fad or trend?
• What kind of legislation does he expect the new sustainability committee to pass? Where is it coming from? What is his perspective on it?
• What does packaging producer responsibility mean for the packaging producers around the country?
• Is there a sense that there should be more federal law or guidance on how recycling works or is it really up to the individual states to exercise?
• What does he have to say to those who question the US manufacturing industry's ability to compete globally? The extra fees and charges will only make bringing manufacturing back to the United States more difficult.
• When it comes to the recycled content mandates, what are the core materials that are being focused on? is it mostly plastic or are there other kinds of materials that are being considered as well?
• The impact he believes these mandates will have on the packaging value chain?
• What legislation is currently kind of being looked at or has been passed recently that deals with the beauty industry?
• We manufacture a lot of plastic and glass molds, and many of them, both locally and internationally, have the chasing arrows symbols on the bottom with the resin identification code. If legislation were to pass, would molds have to be changed as well?
• What are the dangers of toxic chemicals?

Dan Felton is executive director of AMERIPEN, an organization that leads the packaging industry through advocacy based on science and enhances understanding of the role packaging plays in a more sustainable society, economy, and environment. A well-known leader in the state government affairs arena for nearly 20 years.  A graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, Dan has lived in the Washington, DC, area for nearly 30 years.

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Find out more about Dan on his website and connect with her on LinkedIn.

Website: https://www.ameripen.org/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dan-felton-398a505

The views and opinions expressed on the "Packaging Brothers" podcast are solely those of the author and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. T