Karen Hagerman

Director, How2Recycle

Karen Hagerman is the Director of How2Recycle. In this role, she leads the growth and development of the How2Recycle team and program, working with companies to further the adoption of clear and consistent on-package recyclability labeling. She brings a passion for engaging stakeholders across disciplines to work towards changing the way we interact with the environment. Her work at GreenBlue has included developing, launching, and facilitating SPC Collaboratives and building out work on policy and Extended Producer Responsibility. After a nine-year career in operations and program management as a CH-53E Helicopter Pilot in the Marine Corps, Karen shifted her energy towards addressing plastic pollution and responsible resource usage. She earned her MS in Sustainable Engineering from Villanova University, with a focus on circular and resilient systems. Karen holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering from the United States Naval Academy. Always looking for ways to improve herself and her surroundings, Karen is a trained yoga teacher, avid trail runner, and committed trash-picker-upper.

What is your why?

Throughout my time in the Marine Corps, I lived on 5 different beaches. Always in love with the outdoors, living near the ocean raised my awareness of waste, climate change, and ecosystem destruction. Feeling drawn to be part of the solution, I left my former career to address these large-scale challenges and accelerate change towards a just and compassionate society that values our natural world and all its inhabitants. The vision of that possible future is what drives me.