# 278 - Packaging Today with special guest Brian Davis and new intro made by AJ Peek!

- Show: [People of Packaging](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging)
- Published: 2024-08-12
- Length: 33m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2024-08-12-278-packaging-today-with-special-guest-brian-davis-and-new-intro-made-by-aj-peek
- Listen: https://encase.substack.com/p/278-packaging-today-with-special

## Summary

Brian Davis, a packaging engineer with 20 years of experience transitioning from foam packaging to aerospace components, joins the hosts to discuss the complexities of sustainable packaging. The conversation highlights the logistical and economic challenges of replacing expanded polystyrene (EPS) with alternatives like molded pulp and mycelium, noting that many major brands, including Mars and Unilever, are struggling to meet their 2025 sustainability targets. Davis shares a specific case study of transitioning from single-use wooden crates to reusable plastic crates, illustrating how regional adoption and supplier willingness impact the success of such initiatives.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2024-08-12-278-packaging-today-with-special-guest-brian-davis-and-new-intro-made-by-aj-peek#t=0) Introduction: Brian Davis and Podcast Banter
- [6:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2024-08-12-278-packaging-today-with-special-guest-brian-davis-and-new-intro-made-by-aj-peek#t=389) Brian Davis: Career in Foam and Aerospace Packaging
- [10:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2024-08-12-278-packaging-today-with-special-guest-brian-davis-and-new-intro-made-by-aj-peek#t=604) EPS vs. Molded Pulp: Recycling Logistics and Alternatives
- [13:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2024-08-12-278-packaging-today-with-special-guest-brian-davis-and-new-intro-made-by-aj-peek#t=839) Restaurant Industry Trends: EPR Laws and Styrofoam Bans
- [17:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2024-08-12-278-packaging-today-with-special-guest-brian-davis-and-new-intro-made-by-aj-peek#t=1075) Composting Realities: Landfill Degradation and Infrastructure
- [20:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2024-08-12-278-packaging-today-with-special-guest-brian-davis-and-new-intro-made-by-aj-peek#t=1227) Mars and Unilever: Missing 2025 Sustainability Targets
- [23:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2024-08-12-278-packaging-today-with-special-guest-brian-davis-and-new-intro-made-by-aj-peek#t=1395) Case Study: Wooden Crates to Reusable Plastic Crates

## Topics

- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Sustainability & circular products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sustainability-and-circularity)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Specright (tool)
- Trayak (tool)
- Mars (company)
- Unilever (company)
- Chick-fil-A (company)
- McDonald's (company)
- OrangePKG (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [40: Agglomerated Cork](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2018-08-03-40-agglomerated-cork) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [Ep. 30 - Avoiding Packaging Mistakes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2024-10-10-ep-30-avoiding-packaging-mistakes) (Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast)
- [The Race to Replace Plastic: 2026 SF Climate Week](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-06-04-the-race-to-replace-plastic-2026-sf-climate-week) (Hardware to Save a Planet)
- [100: Embodied Energy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2023-07-02-100-embodied-energy) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [Re-imagining the Future of Packaging with Insiya Jafferjee, Co-founder & CEO at Shellworks](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2022-09-29-re-imagining-the-future-of-packaging-with-insiya-jafferjee-co-founder-ceo-at-she) (Hardware to Save a Planet)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2024-08-12-278-packaging-today-with-special-guest-brian-davis-and-new-intro-made-by-aj-peek. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to People of Packaging.