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When Plastic Ingenuity formally started its sustainability function, leadership thought of Zach Muscato for the role because of his background in engineering, material development and sales.
"Like many of my colleagues in sustainability, I did not have a background or formal education in sustainability when I started in the role. … I jumped at the opportunity to build this function out, but there was so much to learn — and I'm still learning every day," Muscato said. "We realized quickly that to truly ingrain sustainability in our company, we had to build it into our processes and systems. The most rewarding part of my job is when someone in our company comes to me with an idea or suggestion on how we can get better."
Muscato graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and DeVry University's Keller Graduate School of Management with an MBA. He previously was a product development engineer at Berry Global Group Inc. as well as a package support engineer and product development engineering manager at Spartech Corp./PolyOne.
"My first plastics job was as a product development engineer for Berry Global in Alsip, Ill. Up until that point in my life, packaging and plastics were something that I didn't give much thought to," he said. "I remember being blown away by the technology and scale of operation when I toured the plant for the first time. I was completely hooked and became a plastics lifer when I managed my first project, overseeing the implementation of a very large-tonnage machine and injection molded tool for a high-volume dairy container."
It was during his time at Berry when Muscato experienced his biggest failure — but also an important lesson.
"I think back to the first months of my career at Berry. I was managing a project to create a new container for a very large brand owner. The packaging system involved a new injection molded container to go along with a stock overcap lid. I focused all of my energy on making sure the tooling for the container was done on time and good parts were made for an important line trial at the customer's facility. I was very proud when we ran the parts; they passed quality inspection and shipped early to the customer for the trial.
"The feeling of pride quickly faded when our customer called two days before the trial to say they got the containers but couldn't find the lids. Then it hit me: I was so focused on the container that I forgot to arrange for the stock lids to be sent along as well. Thankfully, an amazing customer service rep and our plant were able to erase my error by expediting the lids in time for the trial. To this day, when planning for a big event, I say to myself, 'Don't forget about the lids.' Also, be grateful for your teammates that will pick you up when you need them to and be sure to return the favor for good karma," he added.
Muscato joined Cross Plains, Wis.-based custom thermoformer Plastic Ingenuity in 2017 as a technical sales engineer and became corporate sustainability manager in 2021.
"I believe that plastics play an essential and irreplaceable role in our everyday lives. My work has focused on the packaging industry, where plastics protect the food we serve our families at night and protect the medical devices and pharmaceuticals trusted to ensure health.
"Given their lightweight nature, relatively low energy it takes to make them and superior product protection performance, plastic is often the most sustainable material choice for packaging. However, too much plastic packaging goes to waste. We need to do a better job as an industry working with stakeholders to reduce waste and improve circularity so that we can continue reaping the many benefits plastics provide.
"My role as sustainability manager at Plastic Ingenuity is focused on helping brand owners achieve their sustainability goals, chartering a sustainable path our company and collaborating with industry stakeholders to address systemic issues in need of improvement," he said.