Jorge Reynoso is the Co-Founder and CEO of Pack2Zero (formally E6PR), a Water Unite Impact investee. He has 20+ years of advisory, principal investing and business building engagements including two former CEO positions and board membership in six private companies. Now as the CEO of Pack2Zero, he is developing a zero waste, high-standard packaging solution. He joined the co-founders in 2017 to establish the company, develop the product, and ultimately, in 2018, launch their first product to the market.
What inspired your journey into sustainable packaging and motivated you to launch Pack2Zero, despite the risks and uncertainties of entrepreneurship?
The product emerged from a shared need and frustration among the founders regarding single-use plastic packaging. In various discussions, we repeatedly returned to the pervasive nature of this material after its intended use. Not only is it frequent in everyday items and packaging, but its use is also growing. If you examine trends in plastics, they're not stabilising; they’re growing and are projected to continue growing even more.
So we knew this was something we needed to act on. We needed to take some action and develop alternatives that at least opened the path to replacing a portion of the vast amount of plastics.
To that end, we identified can holders as a clear and defined product that we could tackle. We explored various technologies and believed we could develop a holder made from natural fibres. The technology to use fibres in packaging existed, but it was not necessarily suited for something that required this level of mechanical challenge. And that was our goal: it took us 18 months of iterations to develop a product strong enough to bring to market.
In developing the concept, we recognised the need for something truly sustainable. This meant that our products contained no additives or binding materials derived from oil. Interestingly, we see many products in the market that are a blend of natural materials with a layer of bioplastic, or even just plain plastic. However, we truly wanted a material that broke down naturally and harmlessly in any environment. Something compostable, recyclable if needed, but that didn’t depend on the infrastructure in place in any given market.
For us, that was the most significant part of the goal. If we’re going to replace plastic, let’s not do it in a way that requires specific technology to break it down or recycle it because then it’ll only work in specific geographies. This solution must be adaptable worldwide.
We recognised that can holders were a significant enough problem to tackle directly. Once we have a solution that not only holds the cans effectively but also works for both retailers and consumers, and, crucially, can be industrialised and scaled, that will open the door to developing adjacent products. Items like bottle holders and other types of food and beverage packaging could naturally follow, using the same kind of materials. That’s something we're actively exploring.
How does plastic packaging intersect with ongoing water pollution issues in emerging markets and beyond?
Plastic packaging significantly contributes to water pollution, mainly due to its durability and widespread improper disposal. This is especially true in emerging markets, where there are often insufficient facilities to manage or properly treat all this waste. So from the very beginning, we said: how do we design something that breaks down naturally? Let’s not rely on infrastructure to catch or recycle all this waste. We need to face the fact some of it will end up in waterways and oceans.
Entering emerging markets sustainably is particularly challenging without first scaling operations and reducing costs. As a result, Pack2Zero has chosen to begin product development and market testing in North America and Europe. Once costs are lowered and sustainable solutions are refined, the goal is to expand responsibly into emerging markets with greater impact and scalability.
How do you see the role of impact investing and blended finance in scaling circular economy solutions like Pack2Zero’s?
For Pack2Zero, the role of funders like Water Unite is significant because capital is crucial. These types of solutions are capital-intensive because you need to build substantial production capacity and test many different applications over a long period before they’re truly ready for the market. That requires a significant amount of funding.
In the very early stages of our company, we had to rely on various types of capital, not necessarily venture funds, but often individual investors who believed in the solution and were willing to take on the risk to move from concept to product, to early market adoption, and validation.
Now, as we transition into the scaling phase, we need support like what Water Unite provides. Their impact goes beyond just capital. Coming from an investor background myself, I value the kind of framework they bring into how we think and operate.
We’ve always been focused on making our product and solution sustainable, but how strictly do we measure every part of the process? How do we operate internally? How aligned are our processes with our mission? As founders, we always want to address these things, but with so many moving parts, it’s easy to put them on the back burner.
That’s why bringing in a funder like Water Unite was a core goal in this funding round. We’re already seeing the benefits. Their entry came with a plan to develop a long-term ESG strategy, helping us measure and track key metrics across our operations. That kind of guidance is essential. We’ll be the ones executing it, of course, but having their expertise to help design and shape that process will be key for us moving forward.
What legacy, including social & environmental impact, do you hope Pack2Zero will leave in 5-10 years’ time?
A few years ago, many corporations started making pledges to eliminate plastic from their packaging and across their production lines. They set aggressive sustainability goals, but upon examining the technologies available at the time, a considerable gap was evident. And that gap often proved insurmountable.
What we believe and continue to do is develop solutions that make those goals achievable. Why were companies making these pledges in the first place? Because their consumers were demanding it. And when enough consumers demand something, it eventually becomes regulation. Ideally, companies shouldn't act only because they're being forced to; they should want to do the right thing: reduce pollution, replace plastic, lower emissions, and work toward long-term sustainability targets.
But without the right technologies, even the best intentions can't be fulfilled. If packaging solutions don't exist, companies simply can't meet those goals. So, we decided to focus and start with one product line that's real, solid, and capable of closing that gap.
Legacy, for us, is about putting a visible, tangible solution into the world. When you walk into a supermarket and pick up a six-pack that uses our holder, it stands out. You can see that it's sustainable just by looking at it. Even if it simply says "plant-based," it conveys something more significant. It signals to the consumer, whether consciously or unconsciously, that change is happening. That there are solutions out there and that someone is working to replace plastic.
When consumers start to notice, retailers begin to respond. They want to clean up their shelves. Then producers follow, wanting to shift away from plastic. That kind of chain reaction, driven by visible action, is how we want to build a legacy.
We've always said that this solution won't come from a single company, a single material, or even a single technology. It will take many companies and many innovations working together. If Pack2Zero can be one of the contributors that helps move the industry and consumers in that direction, that's the legacy we hope to leave.