Inside America’s Rush to Ditch Plastic

Genera, TemperPack, and Cruz Foam fuel a surge in sustainable innovation

27 Oct 2025

The U.S. packaging industry is in the midst of a quiet revolution. What once seemed like a fringe movement of eco-idealists has become a race among major players to ditch plastics and design cleaner, smarter materials. From food trays to shipping boxes, sustainability is now a competitive advantage.

In Tennessee, Genera just wrapped up a $340 million expansion of its Vonore facility, boosting output to more than 30,000 tons of molded fiber each year. That’s over two billion pieces destined for food, retail, and consumer goods customers. It is one of the biggest sustainable packaging investments in American history and proof that green manufacturing can scale.

Meanwhile in Virginia, TemperPack landed a $10 million loan from Closed Loop Partners to expand its curbside-recyclable thermal packaging, a greener alternative to the foam coolers being banned across several states. Together, these milestones show how profitability and sustainability are starting to align.

The momentum isn’t accidental. Stricter state laws, shifting investor priorities, and growing consumer awareness are reshaping the market. “Companies that invest in safe, sustainable materials today are the ones that will stay competitive tomorrow,” said a spokesperson from the Sustainable Packaging Coalition.

Partnerships are adding fuel. Cruz Foam teamed with Atlantic Packaging in 2023 to bring its compostable protective materials to national retailers, while Emerald Ecovations launched more than fifty new compostable product lines for restaurants and cafeterias looking to break up with single-use plastics.

Obstacles still exist, from costly production to weak recycling infrastructure. But optimism is winning out as innovation and collaboration accelerate. Across the country, sustainability is not a side project anymore; it is the new definition of smart business.

The message is clear: the future of packaging isn’t just greener, it’s more resilient. And America’s manufacturers are betting that what’s good for the planet is finally good for the bottom line.