PureCycle, Churchill Container awarded by US Plastics Pact

PureCycle Technologies Inc., an advanced recycler based in Orlando, Florida, and partner Churchill Container, have won the 2025 U.S. Plastics Pact Sustainable Packaging Innovation Award in the Postconsumer Recycled (PCR) Content category. The award recognizes Churchill’s Run It Back product line made from PureCycle’s PureFive resin.

The Run It Back line of cups and containers was unveiled in February and includes up to 100 percent recycled content from PureCycle. The recycler notes the Cleveland Browns became the first sports team to use the Run It Back product line at their stadium for a souvenir player line of cups for the 2025 season.

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“This award represents years of collaboration between PureCycle and Churchill Container and is a signal of where the industry is headed,” PureCycle CEO Dustin Olson says. “Together, we have proven that a dissolution recycling process can help provide a circular solution for food-contact applications like the cups from Churchill. We believe this is just the beginning and look forward to continuing our work together.”

PureCycle says all winners of the Walpole, New Hampshire-based Pact’s awards were chosen based on the environmental impact of the product submitted, the likelihood of commercial viability and the potential to move the industry toward circularity.

“We’re seeing consumers’ desire for sustainably made goods accelerate,” Pact President and CEO Jonathan Quinn says. “The U.S. Plastics Pact is excited to see new innovations being made to fit this need. I’m a big sports fan myself, so seeing that this product is actively being used by a professional sports team is encouraging for the future of sustainability in sports venues and beyond.”

Churchill expects to see continued interest in the Run It Back line of cups from organizations that have committed to sustainability.

“The power of sports to inspire change is truly unique, and when it comes to recycling, engaging fans in the process is critical to success,” Churchill Product Director Erik Johnson says. “By purchasing a 100-percent-upcycled Run It Back collectible cup, fans play an active role in the circular supply chain. It’s a tangible reminder that recycling works and that the challenge of plastic waste can be overcome through technological innovation.”