Paper or Plastic?

It feels like one of those environmental debates we settled a long time ago. Paper comes from trees, breaks down, and feels natural. Plastic comes from fossil fuels and represents pollution. So if we're trying to make the environmentally responsible choice, paper seems like the obvious answer. Except the closer you look, the less obvious it gets. Depending on the conditions, paper can require more material, water, and energy to produce than plastic. Plastic can perform better in some lifecycle assessments, while also creating challenges around recycling, microplastics, and environmental impact. In this episode of We Fixed It, Christine Yeager joins the conversation to unpack the complicated reality behind one of the most familiar sustainability questions. Christine spent more than 11 years at Coca-Cola, eventually leading its North American Sustainability Project Management Office. She also worked with Circular Action Alliance to help move Extended Producer Responsibility programs from policy into implementation. Today, she helps producers and service providers navigate EPR. The conversation explores packaging choices, lifecycle assessments, recycling infrastructure, consumer behavior, corporate sustainability, and the economics behind Extended Producer Responsibility. Because the real question isn't simply paper or plastic? It's: What happens to that material across its entire lifecycle? What You Will Learn Why paper isn't automatically more sustainable than plastic Why plastic can perform better in some lifecycle assessments How lifecycle assessments influence packaging decisions Why packaging weight matters How energy sources can change the environmental impact of paper Why recyclability doesn't guarantee actual recycling What Extended Producer Responsibility means How EPR changes the economics of packaging Why EPR primarily incentivizes recyclability Why recycling is heavily influenced by geography Why the same packaging can have different outcomes in different locations Why local infrastructure matters Why consumers respond strongly to “recyclable” and “compostable” Why compostable packaging can still create infrastructure challenges What companies can learn from McDonald's paper straw experience What Coca-Cola learned from changing Sprite's packaging Why some sustainability work is invisible to consumers Why recycling needs functioning end markets Why recycled material can be more expensive than virgin material How EPR could change corporate packaging decisions About the Guest Christine Yeager is an environmental sustainability professional, consultant, and founder of CSY Impact Consulting. Christine spent more than 11 years at Coca-Cola and eventually led its North American Sustainability Project Management Office. She later worked with Circular Action Alliance, helping move Extended Producer Responsibility programs from policy toward implementation. Today, Christine helps producers and service providers navigate EPR and sustainability challenges, with a focus on the systems, economics, and practical realities behind environmental impact. Christine also hosts the Change Cycle podcast.