December 16, 2021
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – GreenBlue is pleased to announce the promotion of Karen Hagerman to the role of Director of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC). This strategic role has been dearly held by Nina Goodrich, during which time the SPC experienced exceptional growth from 125 members to over 580 members. Significant progress has been made embedding packaging sustainability through member initiatives.
Nina Goodrich will maintain her role as GreenBlue’s Executive Director and continue to focus on member participation and sustainability actions.
“I know I have found the right person to lead the SPC into the future. Karen is known to many of our SPC members for her role in re-inventing the SPC Collaboratives, for moderating a variety of sessions at SPC Impact, SPC Advance and SPC Engage and for creating the exceptional EPR resource. In her new role she will be responsible for developing and shaping the SPC strategy going forward to advance the future state of sustainable packaging through education, collaboration and action,” states Nina.
Karen will work closely with SPC’s Executive Committee, a member-elected body of advisors whose expertise helps shape SPC’s success. She will also provide thought leadership and member value by building on the legacy of the SPC that has created programs like How2Recycle, the Recycled Material Standard (RMS), Forests in Focus, and How2Compost. These valuable collaborations will allow Karen to continue to grow the organization and promote its mission.
Karen’s background includes work in operations, program management, and project and team leadership in the Marine Corps. Passionate about changing the way people interact with the environment, she transitioned careers to focus on addressing large-scale sustainability challenges. Karen joined GreenBlue after completing a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Engineering from Villanova University, where she conducted research on the recycling infrastructure and plastics value chain.
“I am thrilled and honored to take on this role and have the opportunity to work alongside our members as we accelerate the transition to a sustainable system for packaging,” Karen says. “I’m inspired by the fantastic work of our SPC team and the efforts of member organizations to drive change. I look forward to continuing our growth while providing value and guidance to our members, the industry, and the public.”
The Sustainable Packaging Coalition is a membership-based collaborative that brings together business, educational institutions, and government agencies to collectively broaden the understanding of packaging sustainability and develop meaningful improvements for packaging solutions. Our mission is to bring packaging sustainability stakeholders together to catalyze actionable improvements to packaging systems and lend an authoritative voice on issues related to packaging sustainability. The Sustainable Packaging Coalition is a trademark project of GreenBlue Org, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to the sustainable use of materials in society. We bring together key stakeholders to encourage innovation and best practices to promote the creation of a more sustainable materials economy. For more information, follow us on Twitter @SPCSpotlight or visit our website at https://sustainablepackaging.org. Companies interested in joining the Sustainable Packaging Coalition can visit https://sustainablepackaging.org/become-a-member/ or contact spcinfo@greenblue.org.
GreenBlue is an environmental nonprofit dedicated to the sustainable use of materials in society. Our mission is to promote the principles of sustainable materials management — use wisely, eliminate toxicity, and recover more. Through our projects, we achieve our goal by influencing the debate, enhancing supply chain collaboration, and creating action. GreenBlue is the parent nonprofit to The Sustainable Packaging Coalition, How2Recycle, CleanGredients, Forests in Focus, and other programs.
