2025 Sustainability Fellowship: Extended Producer Responsibility Policy Analysis & Packaging Innovation
Extended Producer Responsibility Policy Analysis & Packaging Innovation
ProAmpac
Cincinnati, Ohio
Position is fully remote
About the Sustainability Fellows Program:
UNH Sustainability Fellowships pair exceptional students from UNH and across the U.S. with municipal, educational, corporate, and non-profit partners to work on transformative sustainability initiatives each summer. Sustainability Fellows undertake challenging projects that are designed to create an immediate impact, offer a quality learning experience, and foster meaningful collaboration. Fellows work on-site (or online) with their mentors at partner organizations during the summer, supported by a network of Fellows, partners, alumni, and the UNH Team.
A detailed description of one Fellowship follows. To learn more about the other Fellowships offered this year, and for application instructions, click here.
Eligibility:
Students and recent graduates who will have earned an undergraduate degree from ANY accredited college or university by May 2025 (current seniors, recent graduates, and graduate/PhD students).
About the Host Organization:
ProAmpac is a global manufacturer of flexible film, foil, and fiber packaging solutions built on material science. Through strategic growth, our network has spread across the globe. We have more than 6,500 collaborative and self-motivated employees working in 51 manufacturing centers of excellence and supported by 10 award-winning graphic design centers. ProAmpac serves more than 5,000 customers in 90 countries.
We are moving flexible packaging forward by redefining innovation through collaboration —not just within our teams but also with our customers and suppliers. ProAmpac brings brand owners and packaging experts together to generate fresh thinking, accelerate advanced technology and increase speed-to-market, package customization and consumer differentiation. We are guided in our work by five core values that are the basis for our success: Integrity, Intensity, Innovation, Involvement, and Impact.
For more information, please check out our website and 2024 IMPACT Report.
About the Fellowship – Project Description:
In recent years, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws have gained significant momentum at the state level. The aim of EPR legislation is to shift the responsibility for managing the environmental impact of packaging from local governments and taxpayers to the producers. EPR laws are designed to incentivize manufacturers to reduce waste, design more sustainable products, and fund the collection, recycling, and proper disposal of their materials. The proliferation of diverse EPR regulations presents challenges and opportunities for the packaging industry. However, it also provides a fantastic opportunity to gain experience at the crossroads of environmental policy and business strategy.
Our Fellow will work to create a comprehensive policy analysis of state-level EPR laws, determine the applicability of these laws to ProAmpac, and quantify the scope of their impact on the business. To support this work, the Fellow will have access to our portal on the Producer Responsibility Organization’s (PRO)—Circular Action Alliance (CAA)—website, where they can read reports, review guidance documents, and view webinars. Further, they will have access to support, documents, and data from members of our product development, sales, and analyst teams.
Then, based on their analysis and further research, the Fellow will develop a proposal for how ProAmpac can alter current packaging structures to enhance sustainability in compliance with EPR laws. The Fellow’s findings have the potential to kick off a cascade of innovation across our product offerings, thereby helping our over 5,000 customers achieve their sustainability goals, simplifying the end-of-life management process for municipalities, and reducing the industry’s impact on the environment.
Outcomes
- A comprehensive report detailing key EPR policies across various jurisdictions and their applicability to ProAmpac, as well as the individual and cumulative scope of impact on ProAmpac’s product offerings in the short, medium, and long term.
- A detailed strategic response proposal with actionable recommendations to enhance the sustainability of our product offerings and ensure compliance with EPR laws.
- A presentation summarizing findings and recommendations, designed for a general business audience.
Desired Qualifications:
We are looking for candidates with a degree in one of the following: Environmental Policy, Engineering, Materials Science, Sustainability, or related. Experience in or knowledge of flexible packaging, EPR, and circular economy concepts is preferred. However, all candidates who fit the following criteria are encouraged to apply:
- Intellectually curious.
- Critical thinker with an eye on systems level interactions.
- Self-motivated with the ability to work independently and collaboratively.
- Effective communicator, including distilling complex regulatory and technical information for diverse audiences.
- Microsoft Office suite proficiency (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, etc.).
- Strong research and technical writing skills.
Location: ProAmpac,12025 Tricon Road, Cincinnati, OH.
Work will be performed Fully Remote.
Mentors: Ian Moore, Corporate Sustainability Specialist, ProAmpac.
Compensation:
$8,000
(taxable and distributed on a two-week payroll cycle over the course of the fellowship)
Expectations:
Fellows are expected to be primarily dedicated to their assigned projects throughout the summer, and also participate in a variety of networking activities, professional development opportunities, and presentations coordinated by UNHSI. Specifically, Fellows are expected to:
Attend a mandatory virtual orientation prior to the start of the Fellowship term, May 27 & 28, 2025.
Work full-time for the partner organization, May 27 - August 15, 2025
Complete 400 hours of work, including project work with host organization as well as UNHSI activities, between May 27 - August 15, 2025.
Complete a Fellowship project according to the work plan.
Participate in weekly webinars and advisory group meetings.
Present work at in person launch event on June 17 and 18, 2025 and virtual final presentation on August 7.
Engage in additional professional development, networking, and advisory activities as offered.
Provide and receive feedback at the end of the Fellowship.
Apply by February 9 at
https://www.unh.edu/sustainability/sustainability-fellowships