PAPER VS. PLASTICS

Choosing the Right Packaging Substrate

Cory Connors

Sustainable Packaging Sales, Atlantic Packaging

Host of the Sustainable Packaging Podcast

• Independently owned for over 75 years
• $1 billion in sales
• $60 million in packaging equipment sales
• Nationwide equipment support with 40+ field service technicians
• Core Competencies – critical applications packaging, automation, paperboard & corrugated converting, printing & graphics
• State-of-the-art film lab w/ polymer chemist & food scientist
• 2000+ employees
• 35+ U.S. & international shipping locations
• Major stocking programs w/ JIT delivery
• Leader in consultative & technical solutions for packaging problems

KEY FACTS

ATLANTIC PACKAGING

Customers:

Largest Brands in the World

SOM:

Hundreds of billions dollars

$MM

W/O�NEV

$ Billions

With�NEV

SOLVING THE PROBLEM

Innovation in packaging requires assistance, assets, and capital.

Start-up technologies need to bridge the gap between their initial development and wide scale adoption. That’s where New Earth Ventures steps in. We help to achieve scale, consistency, and cost parity. Once scaled, Atlantic’s customers become the startups’ customers.

Idea R&D

Minimum Viable Product �and Development

Scale-Up �(Economies of Scale & Consistency)

Wide Market Availability�and Production

Series A

Startup

Seed

Startup

A New Earth Project is Atlantic Packaging values in action — a movement to eliminate plastic pollution, accelerate regenerative innovation, and protect the well-being of people and planet for generations to come.

To help build a regenerative future where business, people, and nature thrive together.

OUR MISSION

OUR VISION

IF YOU CURRENTLY USE THIS…

…MAKE THE SWITCH TO THIS!

Poly &

Bubble Mailers

Bubble

Wrap, Foam,

& Air Pillows

Plastic

Cable Ties

EPS Foam Cooler

Plastic Blister Package

Plastic

Poly Bags

Paperform

Fishbone

Carriers

Plastic Beverage Carriers

Shrink Wrap

Paper & Padded Paper Mailers

Ranpak

Fiber-Based Cushioning & Void Fill

FibreStrap

Cruz Cool® Cold Chain Cooler

Sway

Poly Bags

Canopy™ Wrap

In 2024, Wild Idea Buffalo worked with the Atlantic Packaging and A New Earth Project team to address a critical component of their sustainability journey: their cold-chain packaging.

WILD IDEA BUFFALO

CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY

• Transitioned from their traditional expanded polystyrene (EPS) coolers to our innovative Cruz Cool technology
• Made from 70% upcycled material, Cruz Cool boxes exceed Wild Idea Buffalo’s high standards for appearance, durability, sustainability, & temperature control
• Greatly reduces their overall emissions, as the cooler’s highly insulative properties allow the use of ground shipping instead of two-day air
• Compostability reduces waste sent to landfill

In 2025, Cherrystone Aqua Farms partnered with Atlantic Packaging and A New Earth Project team to address several key challenges in their e-commerce packaging.

CHERRYSTONE

AQUA FARMS

CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY

• Cherrystone ships live clams and oysters, requiring a shipping method that could keep the product between 40° – 45°F during transit for 24 – 48 hours, while also avoiding the negative environmental impact of traditional EPS coolers.
• Implemented Cruz Cool after extensive environmental testing done at the Atlantic Packaging Solution Center
• Cruz Cool aligns with their sustainability goals without compromising thermal effectiveness or design
• Also resulted in substantial cost savings through material efficiency and streamlined design

• Transitioned from traditional plastic bubble cushioning & plastic air pillows to Ranpak fiber-based, curbside recyclable cushioning & void fill
• Involved significant testing, cost analysis of sustainable alternatives, installation of Ranpak units, & hands-on training with workers
• Transition reduced Williams-Sonoma, Inc.’s plastic usage annually by eliminating millions of air pillows & millions of feet of inflatable bubble film. This equates to a reduction of over 300,000 pounds of plastic each year.

WILLIAMS-SONOMA

CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY

Long-time customer Williams-Sonoma began working with Atlantic e-commerce & sustainability specialists in early 2023 to dramatically reduce single-use plastics in their e-commerce division.

At the beginning of 2024, Atlantic Packaging partnered with Pregis to assist Darn Tough Socks in their transition to a paper-based e-commerce packaging solution that aligned with their sustainability commitments and met their growing demand.

DARN TOUGH SOCKS

CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY

• Transitioned from plastic non-padded mailers to Pregis EverTec Non-Cushioned Mailer, which supports custom branding, is easily recyclable, and meets fulfillment demands
• Atlantic and Darn Tough conducted ship testing and confirmed the paper-based mailer met Darn Tough’s standards for durability and reliability.
• Due to its recyclability, Darn Tough Socks and Atlantic Packaging are proud to say this packaging solution has the potential to divert up to 6,250 lbs of waste from landfills each year.

• Reduce Packaging with a Sustainable Method: Audit, Test, Optimize, Monitor
• Achieve Repeatable Results
• Maintain Optimal Standards

THE COMPLETE STRETCH WRAP MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

AUDIT

TEST

OPTIMIZE

MONITOR

• Stay Aware of Equipment Performance
• Increase Productivity by Reducing Break, Damage & Loss of Product

2024 SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT

• Reduced stretch film usage for Atlantic customers in 2024 by 37,000,000 LBS
• 210,000,000 LBS in last 10 years
• Reduced carbon footprint for Atlantic customers in 2024 by 119 Million LBS of CO2
• 11 Billion Gallons of Water Saved in 2024
• Reduced annual stretch film spend for Atlantic customers by $70 Million in 2024
• 1,100 active lines under management
• 70 Million loads managed in 2024
• Currently managing over 190,000 loads per day

Our Stretch Film Recycling Program was pioneered in collaboration with Coca-Cola Consolidated in a collective effort to create a more circular economy and a closed loop for stretch film.

MATERIAL REDUCTION & CIRCULARITY

COCA-COLA CONSOLIDATED CASE STUDY

MATERIAL REDUCTION:

• The MUST Stretch Film Management System implements and maintains the optimal stretch film wrap pattern for your unique pallet of products for maximum containment, while minimizing material usage, unnecessary costs, and product damage.

CIRCULARITY:

• Recapturing containment-free performance stretch film ensures high-quality PCR resin pellets for future use.
• Our partnership with Coca-Cola Consolidated has improved material reduction and circularity standards in packaging, paving the way for new, innovative developments and other organizations to follow suit.

Learn More at

atlanticpkg.com

@atlanticpkg | @anewearthproject

15

Oregon State Charter Conference

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Future-Proofing Oregon Charter Schools: Governance, Sustainability, Growth and Grounded Innovation

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16

Sustainability Isn’t a Destination-It’s a Daily Practice

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• Cory Connors
• Director of Sustainable Packaging, Atlanta Packaging. Host of The Sustainable Packaging Podcast
• c.connors@chpcs.org

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• Kristin Macy
• Director-Cascade Heights Public Charter School
• k.macy@chpcs.org

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• Brian Sien
• Principal-Clackamas Middle College
• sienb@nclack.k12.or.us

​

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17

Future-Proofing Oregon Charter Schools: Governance, Sustainability, Growth and Grounded Innovation

Goal: Provide relevant, practical, and inspiring content across all core areas of sustainability, with a strong Oregon-specific lens.

Elements of School Sustainability

1. Effective Governance
2. High Quality Academic Programs
3. Community Engagement
4. Challenges and Innovation
5. Sustainable Practices
6. Financial Stability

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18

Framework for Charter Sustainability

ORS 338

19

Framework for Charter Sustainability

Board Development and Effective Governance

ORS 338

20

Framework for Charter Sustainability

Financial

Sustainability

Infrastructure

ORS 338

Data Collection

& Analysis

Board Development and Effective Governance

21

Framework for Charter Sustainability

Financial

Sustainability

Infrastructure

Organizational/Community Partnerships

Data Collection

& Analysis

ORS 338

Board Development and Effective Governance

22

Framework for Charter Sustainability

Financial

Sustainability

Infrastructure

Organizational/Community Partnerships

Communication

Sustainable Practices

ORS 338

& Analysis

Data Collection

Board Development and Effective Governance

23

Framework for Charter Sustainability

Financial

Sustainability

Infrastructure

Organizational/Community Partnerships

Communication

Sustainable Practices

ORS 338

Data Collection

& Analysis

Standards and Expectations

Instructional Best Practices

Observation/Evaluation

Protocols

Board Development and Effective Governance

24

Framework for Charter Sustainability

Financial

Sustainability

Infrastructure

Organizational/Community Partnerships

Communication

Sustainable Practices

ORS 338

Data Collection

& Analysis

Standards and Expectations

Instructional Best Practices

Observation/Evaluation

Protocols

Board Development and Effective Governance

Student Activities

Student Supports

25

Individual/Table Reflection

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• Sustainability Snapshot
• Which area (structural/academic/behavioral development) of the framework is working in your school right now?
• Which needs the most attention?

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• What’s one idea you heard today that could be applied in your context?

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• How can we use our autonomy more strategically?

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Charter School Sustainability Support/Feedback

27

Audience Share-Out

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• Sustainability Snapshot
• What are some common themes/trends mentioned in the session?

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• Action Plan
• What step(s) will you take, this month/school year, to strengthen your school for the future?

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