StoryEQ™

Founder

flynnkristina media, inc.

with over 17 years of building story-driven brands and communities for exceptional individuals—from NBA All-Stars to venture capitalists and renowned artists—my approach combines traditional storytelling with the latest in tech and AI. giving you a transformative perspective and uncovering new dimensions in your personal and professional journey.

how can you work with me?

• 1:1 guided personal story discovery 
• story articulation, content strategy and market positioning
• personal story playbooks, knowledge bases, and custom GPTs

accomplishments:

- transformative brand and operational advancements to over 20 award-winning artists, Ivy League PhDs, industry-leading CEOs, Gates Scholar recipients, and multi-million dollar bootstrapped startup Founders.

- built my personal brand to 20,000 followers + subscribers across platforms and a “Top Personal Branding Voice” recognition by LinkedIn in 2 years.

- created "StoryEngine", an AI-powered platform enhancing personal branding and professional growth among influential women and non-binary leaders; 90% approval rating from all BETA participants.

- led the development of a sold-out, first-of-its-kind, 1,000-piece generative art collection on the Ethereum blockchain that generated over $250,000 for award-winning musician, Ed Balloon, in 72 hours.

- engineered Kyle Lowry's pioneering Genesis NFT Collection, marking a significant intersection of technology and sports on blockchain technology.

- enhanced operational efficiencies and cross-functional team communication by over 25% in less than a year and advised and acted as a thought partnership to the CEO for the #1 training program for underrepresented tech founders in the US, Founder Gym.

Personal Brand + Story Strategist

Rug Radio

content focused on all things web3 (culture, community, creators, tech et. al.). platform and format agnostic.

host of weekly podcast, Web3 Queeroes.

Freelance Content Creator

elected, founding, member leading the establishment of the governance framework of pioneering decentralized autonomous organization in the media sector, underpinned by 1000 ETH ($5 million) and a community of over 1,000 co-owners.

Council + Founding Member

Marigold Capital

advisor to one of North America's first and top impact investment funds.

Advisor

jiiWA

- escalated and bootstrapped the startup to over $500,000 in revenue in less than 3 years through strategic development and oversight of all core business units.

- led JIIWA to successful B Corp Certification, acknowledging stakeholder governance policies and company procedures that embody the values of community investment and sustainable business practices.

- facilitated close to 3 years of industry research and customer discovery, collecting over 800,000 data points from over 10,000 end users across multi-year, enterprise clients in North America.

Co-Founder & CEO

GuardLab

- orchestrated the development of operational systems and digital platforms, including a DTC Website, Shopify backend, iOS and Android apps, leading to significantly enhancing efficiency and team and stakeholder engagement.

- established pivotal partnerships with Fortune 500 companies and major sports franchises across the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, UFC, and NCAA.

- acted as a strategic advisor and thought partner to the CEO and Board of Directors on industry trends and consumer behaviours that informed critical business decisions.

Vice President, Operations

The 519

- spearheaded the execution of a groundbreaking $100 million capital project of the world’s first inclusive sport and recreation facility, led by one of Canada’s wealthiest families. 

- acted as the primary liaison and strategic council between a major philanthropic donor and critical project stakeholders, including Federal, Provincial, and Municipal elected officials.

- directed the development, presentation, and administration of the project’s annual $1.5 million budget.

- facilitated a comprehensive community engagement process for over 2,500 residents of Moss Park, leading both the planning and execution phases.

Senior Project Consultant, The Moss Park Project

Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment

- promoted 3 times in under 6 years beginning as Intern, and ending as Manager, Community and Player Engagement.

- led a team of 4 in the strategy and execution of all business and personal initiatives and charitable investments for 90+ professional athletes, coaches and executives annually. 

- generated $1.7M through event management, sales and operations for major MLSE Foundation events through innovative sponsorship and donor engagement strategies. 

- launched MLSE’s educational platform, coordinating cross-functional teams to create a comprehensive resource for community health and wellness that served over 100,000 teachers across Canadian school boards.

- spearheaded MLSE’s first-ever Pride Night and Pride March.

Manager, Community & Player Engagement (Toronto Raptors | Toronto FC | MLSE Foundation)

Coordinator, Community and Player Programming (Toronto Raptors)

Coordinator, NBA Programming (NBA 3on3)

Community/Basketball Development Intern

Fasken Martineau DuMoulin

- Acted as liaison between Toronto and Ottawa legal offices in the acquisition of Johnson and Buchan LLP. Included software and systems training of 15 Ottawa personnel. 

- Created and maintained corporate manual on department policies, procedures and guidelines.
	
- Delivered training seminars to legal secretariat assistant groups and conducted departmental orientations for new legal professionals.

- Assisted with special projects by researching new resources and testing new products and software.

- Provided support to the Records Management team as required.

Analyst/Coordinator, Records Management

make your personal story a profitable brand | i help high-potential women understand & share their stories to effortlessly sell themselves & their work | +15 years building brands for NBA All-Stars, founders, VCs | ADHD

aren’t you sick of playing small?

maybe you’re:

• feeling overlooked while you watch others rise
• unsure how to own your story & show up confidently
• ready to finally get paid for what makes you unique

🟦 short 🟦

for 18 years, i built personal brands for NBA All-Stars, Olympians, and VCs. now, i help mid-to-late career founders + pros use StoryEQ™—my AI-driven, neuroscience-backed approach—to discover, articulate, and own their story so they can GET PAID for their expertise.

tired of staying safe? go to my “featured” section to book a discovery call.

🟦 long 🟦

if you’re here, you’re feeling it. the frustration of not fully knowing (or owning) who you are or how to communicate what makes you valuable.

you’re wondering:

• how do i explain what i do in a way that feels like me?
• how am i different and why should people care?
• who the f*ck am i to call myself an expert?

you’ve tried to "figure it out"… journaling, courses, reading. but it never feels complete.

but you’re still stuck:

• holding back
• doubting your worth
• feeling invisible in rooms you belong

the reality is you don’t feel like you because you haven’t fully discovered who you are.

but, here’s what i know from 18 years with top talent:

• you’re not alone in feeling this way
• it can 100% be fixed (in way less time than you think)

if you want to show up with confidence, get paid for your unique expertise, and build a personal brand that "feels like you" AND deeply connects with your audience, it starts with two things:

1) getting clear on your personal story and why it matters
2) learning to share it authentically—in a way that connects with any audience

that’s what i help you do with StoryEQ™. 

this AI + EQ framework makes self-reflection accessible, storytelling strategic (without the trauma-spilling), and your personal brand your greatest professional asset.

ready to enter your no f*cks era? book a discovery call in my FEATURED section.

---

real results from leaders who’ve used StoryEQ™ to step into their No F*cks Era™:

🔸 “i built a multi million dollar company in 18 months, and if i'd had StoryEQ™ early on, my team and i could’ve done it in 9. it is so impactful that we now send all of our consulting clients through the process with Kristina.” — Amanda Northcutt (Founder and CEO @ Level Up Creators)

🔸 “kristina is kindness and warmth personified. she creates a safe space to dig into the nitty-gritty parts of your life and analyze them in a way that gives them deep meaning.” — Erica Schneider (Founder + Creator @ Cut The Fluff + Full Stack Solo)

kristina flynn

walking into a room of 100 accomplished women is my nightmare. last week i not only walked in - i got on stage…


the first thing i asked?


"how many of you looked around today and thought… i must be in the wrong room?"


90% raised their hands.

90% of the top creators. journalists. executives. entrepreneurs. from Spotify, CNN, Forbes, Vanity Fair, iHeartRadio…

90% felt like imposters who got "lucky."


we'd all been telling ourselves the same lie.

that everyone else belonged.
that we were the only ones who didn’t. 

it was wild. 

and a perfect intro to my talk, The Science of Trust in the Creator Economy. 

because the best news is that we can rewire this sh*t. we can engineer self-trust. 

by understanding when we're performing instead of being ourselves.
by proving to ourselves - one terrifying moment at a time - that we can handle it.

micro moments. big shifts. 


standing on that stage, my body screamed RUN. 

(a yell that started over 72 hours earlier)

turns out, I didn't need to be fearless.
those women didn't need me to be fearless. 

they needed me to be real. 

to be terrified and do it anyway. 

because self-trust doesn't come from never feeling fear.

it comes from feeling like you’re gonna puke and still taking the mic. 
feeling like you don't belong and still sharing your story.


rooms of all women have rarely felt safe to me. 

as a mom who didn't birth my kids, i'm often seen more like a "Dad" — never quite fitting the mold.

but by refusing to “perform professionalism” last week at Amy Sterner Nelson’s The Gathering in DC 

I gave others in the room permission to do the same. 

and from the moment i walked off stage, I felt supported, welcomed, seen. 

turns out the wrong room was exactly where we ALL needed to be.

90% of us, learning we weren't alone in feeling alone.


real talk 💬 does walking into a room of all women feel safe to you?


—

hey hey, i'm kristina with a 'k' and i help overthinking high-achievers turn their personal stories into personal brands (that feel like them and make shittons of money).

• follow me here: kristina flynn  
• subscribe to my newsletter (relaunching soon!)

you don’t know why you’re valuable. I fix that | 18 yrs w/ NBA All-Stars, Olympians + VCs | founder, StoryEQ™ — helping overthinking high-achievers see, own, and get paid for what makes you unique | ADHD

No alternative text description for this image

42 years old. moving back in with my parents. and finally okay with it.


labour day weekend. kids are set to go back to school. 

text from our landlords: 
"are you around to chat?"

f*ck.

wifey and i have been renting for over a decade. 
we knew what that meant.

no worries though. they were just listing the house, that didn't mean it would actually sell.

fast forward 2.5 months and we move out Saturday.

5 days on market. 
sold over ask. 
60 days to get out.

(still don't get how a single dude is given the same amount of notice when evicted as a family of four. wild.)

out of over 15 places we went to see, 
2 were in our price range.

both applications were rejected.

my parents offered their place.
"just a few months while you figure it out."

the voice in my head (whom i call Regina George) got real loud:

• they're offering out of obligation.
• your wife doesn't want to live with in-laws.
• you're 42. how are you moving back home?
• what if the kids break shit? what if the dog pisses somewhere?

so we kept searching.
kept applying.
kept getting rejected.

then i looked at wifey:

"i know this sounds silly but it feels like the universe is telling us to go be with my parents."

"i feel the same," she said.

when we stopped resisting, things got way less stressful:

• the kids get more time w/ nana + poppa
• we get rare time as adults w/ my aging parents
• the financial breathing room to find the RIGHT place
• my parents get to be needed (they f*cking love that)

when i read (heard) this line in The Surrender Experiment last week, i felt a crazy energy run throughout my entire body: 

"challenging situations create the force needed for change. the problem is - we (often) use that energy to resist change."

the Author, Michael Singer learned: 

"if i could handle the winds of the current storm, it would end up blowing in some great gift."

overthinking high-achievers: we're so busy performing "having it together" that sometimes we miss the gifts wrapped in the storm.

that thing stealing your sleep?
that "failure" you're hiding?

what if it's not happening TO you?
what if it's happening FOR you?

you'll never know unless you take a moment to stop, assess the chaos, and listen long enough for what the universe is trying to show you. 

this is the reframe i'm bringing with me as we pack up the truck this weekend. 

surrendering to reality
instead of resisting b/c of preference. 


real talk 💬 is resistance a new topic for you (it is for me)?

—

hey hey, i'm kristina with a 'k' and i help overthinking high-achievers like you turn your personal stories and wild careers into personal brands (that feel like you and make sh*ttons of money).

if you liked this (and don't hate Queer people)

follow me here: kristina flynn

my therapist says i need "consistency." so here's 12,000 thoughts from this morning.



(welcome to #overthinkinginpublic — my brain dump series happening every Wednesday)


the avg person has 4000 thoughts/day. 

overthinkers like me? we're *at least* triple that. 


here are some of mine:
(that literally no one asked for)


• whoever said Allan Keys are the best invention has never actually used a f*cking Allan Key

• we have tech that lets rockets take off, come back and land…Apple, can you really not build an AirPod case that stays closed when it drops???

• i don't care how much of a Millennial it makes me. i'm not booking no flight on a f*cking phone. 

• 🎵"i'm just a teenage dirtbag, baby"🎵 

• are we "officially old" when a car peels around the corner and we respond with "well, that was unnecessary."

• as a kid i collected keychains. now i collect domains. welcome to the family, performingprofessionalism(.)com

• i resent Gen Z bringing back the tramp stamp. how are people supposed to know my age now? 

• were "The Jones'" a marketing campaign just like "Betty Crocker"?

• are we the last generation to say things like "2 shakes of a lamb's tail"? (yes i actually say this)

• what asshole decided that women needed to shave their entire bodies to be desirable?



real talk 💬 how many thoughts do you think you have daily?



—

hey hey, i'm kristina with a 'k' and i help overthinking high-achievers like you turn your personal stories and wild careers into personal brands (that feel like you and make sh*ttons of money).

if you liked this (and don't hate Queer people):

follow me here: kristina flynn

i crushed the talk. but felt nothing. like watching someone else’s success through a window. 



last week i shared that 90% of women in a room of 100 raised their hands when i asked who felt like they didn’t belong.

today i'm still thinking about why.


"imposter syndrome" doesn't capture it. 
at least not for me.

i don't feel like an imposter. 
i know logically i'm “good at what i do”.

for me, it feels more like disconnect.

my brain can list the facts:

• brought value
• crushed the talk
• people connected
• asks to work together

but my body? feels nothing.


and if 90% of the women in that room of 'heavy hitters' (barf) raised their hands? 

this isn’t just a “me” problem of knowing my achievements but being unable to feel them.


so, here's what i'm #overthinkinginpublic today (maybe you can help me figure this out):


what if the way we're taught to “succeed” actually breaks our ability to experience it when we do?

think about it.

• every time we push through exhaustion for a deadline
• every time we smile in meetings when we want to scream
• every time we ignore our gut to be "professional"

we’re doing what i call “performing professionalism” 


teaching our nervous system its signals don't matter.

teaching ourselves that success means overriding what we feel.

that to “win” we need to disconnect from ourselves.



so when we "make it" - we literally can't feel it. because we've trained ourselves out of it.


i don’t have any answers yet 
but naming it feels like the first step

and i can’t ignore the pattern.


if 90% of a room of ridiculously accomplished women feel like they don’t belong… 

that's not individual failure.
that's something bigger.

and if we wanna fix it… we’re gonna have to admit it’s a big f*cking problem in the first place. 


real talk 💬 have you ever experienced this?


—

hey hey, i'm kristina with a 'k' and i help overthinking high-achievers turn their personal stories and wild careers into personal brands (that feel like them and make sh*ttons of money).

if you liked this (and don’t hate Queer people):

follow me here: kristina flynn

my therapist says i need "consistency." so here's 12,000 thoughts from this morning (pt.2)


(welcome to #overthinkinginpublic — my brain dump series happening every Wednesday)

the avg person has 4000 thoughts/day.
overthinkers like me? gotta be at least triple that.

here are some of mine:
(that literally no one asked for)

• do 2 narcissists ever end up together?
• are crawfish actually just baby lobsters?
• do Blue Jays know that they're the Brad Pitt of birds?
• Pamela Anderson might be the best comeback story since the QR code
• “this is our daughter, Dottie, and this is our other daughter…Dottie’s sister”
• why are ears and noses the only things on our bodies that continue to grow as we age?
• if an item you washed is damp but you really want to wear it, do you put it on anyways? (i 100% do)
• i’m still working on a definition of peri-menopause but so far I’ve got: 3 days of existential crises monthly
• is my house actually a disaster or is it just a disaster compared to the house i grew up in (where you only played in your room and basement)?
• 🎵doooooo yooouurrr ears hang low. do they wobble to and frow. can you tie them in a knot. can you tie them in a bow. 🎵


real talk 💬 are you an overthinker?

—

hey hey, i'm kristina with a 'k' and i help overthinking high-achievers like you turn your personal stories and wild careers into personal brands (that feel like you and make sh*ttons of money).

if you liked this (and don't hate Queer people)

follow me here: kristina flynn

my 6 y/o discovered the $6.2 million banana. what i realized next won't leave my brain.

she doesn't overthink.


my daughter is an Artist. 
she started claiming that label at 3. 
 
wifey and i encourage it. 

i'm an Artist, 
but couldn't claim it until my late 30s. 

last week she burst through the door after school:
"Mommy, this guy's art was taping a banana to a wall!"

i said, "wild right, it's called 'Comedian.'"

her eyes went huge. "you KNOW that story?!"

and we were off. 
(i'd bet my right arm she has my brain)

30 minutes deep diving into Maurizio Cattelan. 
the concept. the sales. the controversy.

about 15 mins in, she grabbed my sharpie.

didn't ask permission.
didn't worry about getting it wrong.
didn't wonder if she was artistic enough.

just...started drawing.

couple minutes later (with some spelling help from me) her interpretation was done. 

it was like i got to watch myself create before the world got to me.

before i worried "what will they think?"
before i wondered "am i qualified?"
before i felt wrong claiming Artist. 

she wanted to make something. so she did.

no overthinking to the point of paralysis.
no overriding voice in her head.
no second guessing.

just: idea → action.

this is what we lose, isn't it?

not our creativity.
not our ability.
not our ideas.

we lose the permission to just do.

overthinking high-achievers get this. 

1000s of ideas sitting in your notes app.
frameworks dying in your Notion instance.
stories you're "perfecting" instead of posting.

maybe it's time to pick up the sharpie again.

stop asking if you're ready.
stop waiting for permission.
stop overthinking it without action.

your 6-year-old self would've just done it by now.


real talk 💬 what did you want to be when you grew up?


—

hey hey, i'm kristina with a 'k' and i help overthinking high-achievers turn their personal stories and wild careers into profitable personal brands (that actually feel like them).

if you dig this (and aren't afraid of Queer people):

• follow me here: kristina flynn

Elevate Packaging, Inc.

ELEVATE PACKAGING is a Leader in Circular Compostable Packaging systems, enabling companies of every size seeking Zero-Waste, plastic-free solutions to meet their sustainability goals and reduce their carbon footprint.

We make sustainability easy and simple.

Visit ElevatePackaging.com to find the widest range of compostable products (bags, pouches, labels, shipping supplies, food service supplies) shipped within 24 hours, with No Minimums!
Get fully custom and full color printed compostable solutions with speedy expert service.

Elevate enables your sustainability success with a frictionless on-ramp to sustainability leadership.
For 25 years, we're the #1 trusted expert and leading source for circular compostable packaging solutions for natural, organic, and sustainable brands.

President and Founder

US Composting Council

Collaborating with stakeholders to accelerate composting infrastructure.  Believing that compost manufacturing and compost utilization are central to creating healthy soils, clean air and water, a stable climate, and a sustainable society.

Founding Member, Corporate Compost Leadership Council 

UL Solutions

SaaS sustainability data management solutions for global businesses. Architected efficient and effective process workflows to manage and analyze sustainable business operations in centralized cloud database. UL purchased CR360 in 2016.

Senior Business Development Manager

Artelys

Fully responsible for all business functions, business development and strategy.  Developed growth within domestic and international markets and built new markets for KNITRO software, a world-class non-linear mathematical optimization algorithm for advanced optimization software programs. Ziena was purchased by Artelys.

Director

University of Illinois Chicago

Lectured on International Strategic Planning.  This program was focused toward professional in global organizations and was a joint collaboration with Bradley University.

Adjunct Instructor

Precision Software

Led teams at mid-sized client sites to customize, integrate and implement Global Trade Management Software within Client's ERP supply chain and logistics system.  Improved existing international supply chain processes to create seamless and efficient exports and imports for our global business clients.

Senior Project Manager

Loyola University Chicago

Lecturer on JAVA Programming to undergraduate students.

W.W. Grainger, Inc.

► International strategic planning (China and Latin American markets)
► Corporate strategy development with key executives of the company's business units
► Competitive research and analysis for C-level decision making
► Developed innovative technologies applications using emerging technologies  (mobile e-commerce network design, RFID, network architecture, genetic algorithms, neural networks).
► Managed concurrent projects and initiatives
► Business process design, documentation, and implementation
► Technology Innovation and Conceptual Modeling

Strategy and Business Development Manager

► Managed an application development team to support company's systems for this $50M business
► Re-organized technology group and a $1M+ technology budget to strategically retool business for next generation technology capabilities.
► Led team to design, implement and train IT department on ISO9000 quality processes to improve efficiencies.

Technology Manager, PCA

Northern Trust Bank

► Software Applications Programmer using COBOL, PL/1, JCL, IMS, VSAM, FOCUS Relational Database for CRM application.

Programmer

🌎 On a Mission to Eliminate 1 BILLION Pounds of Plastic Annually! 👉 Let’s connect today!

I'm dedicated to eliminating BILLIONS of pounds of plastic by making circular compostable packaging a reality for every brand.  We've made circular compostable packaging solutions easily accessible, and help brands get them effectively composted, powering sustainability impact to drive brand value and financial success.

With 25 years at the helm of Elevate Packaging, I have pioneered and led the charge in providing world leading, reliable, high-quality compostable packaging solutions for the leading sustainable brands.

Our mission is to make it easy for your business to seamlessly move beyond traditional plastics to circular compostable packaging, making sustainability an easy choice and a big win for your business.

Leveraging my deep expertise in strategy, technology, and business innovation, I've identified and developed market leading solutions to reduce packaging waste, introducing industry-first compostable products and enabling circular packaging systems.

As a speaker, investor, and a key contributor to sustainability councils, I strive to lead by example in both my professional and personal life and promoting a healthier planet for future generations.

Let's make a difference together!

Rich Cohen

This is a #funny image! 🤣 

But seriously, current #EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) frameworks are at risk of backfiring.
Many policies are being written through a recycling-centric lens, unintentionally penalizing compostable packaging, the very solutions designed to eliminate plastic and #microplastics at the source.

By failing to differentiate between circular compostable systems and conventional recycling, EPR regulations are slowing innovation and retarding the adoption of the next generation of truly sustainable materials.
This will soon prove shortsighted.
It's quite likely EPR as we know it today will be short-lived in its current form due these gross shortcomings.

Growing scientific evidence shows that microplastics are hazardous to human health, not just the planet.  As this becomes undeniable in just the next few years, the demand for compostable, plastic-free solutions will surge.

At Elevate Packaging, we’ve created an EPR-compliant pathway for compostable packaging, enabling producers and brands to even stay compliant today while preparing for a future that prioritizes human and planetary health.

If EPR is to succeed in its intended mission, it must evolve to include compostables as a recognized recovery pathway, rather than forcing all packaging into a recycling model.

The future of packaging isn’t recyclable plastic.
The future remains compostable, regenerative materials that safely return to the soil and restore balance to our ecosystems. 🌎

Business Development | Circularity Solutions | Sustainability Intrapreneur

While I try to be positive over the wave of EPR laws I keep seeing too many unintended consequences and a lack of focus on areas of impact.

First lets just say as I have elsewhere that the grocery store aisles should all look like the beverage aisle if we want  to promote recycling - standard materials and limiting colors to easily removable labels would make recycling more retail packaging easier. That is all great and EPR will nudge us in this direction - but that isn't what we need most today.

Plastic recycling is not feedstock limited it is demand limited. Making more formats easier to recycle is all well and good but those nice packages will still end up in landfill until there is a demand driver from brands to use it at a price point that makes economic sense for conversion. That is a bigger topic for another day.

The unintended consequences though are also disappointing. Recycling is a great end of life option for many products if not most products. Applying one size fits all fees though will drive counterproductive decisions to try and make products 'recyclable' in cases where a non-recyclable option may be better. We are pigeonholing all packaging into PET or HDPE (and a lesser degree PP) while demonizing flexible packaging and biodegradable solutions. Some products have a use case or food content that will always make them very unlikely to be recycled (looking at you coffee pods!). As long as the easier path to lower fees is to just stick everything in HDPE the market for any new or innovative material is dead.

RIP PHA we hardly got to know you, and any new materials making their way through academia and universities are dead on arrival. 

Am I being too negative or do new materials or compostable solutions have a realistic path to market in the face of 4-5X EPR fees and a non-recyclable label?

#plastics #sustainability #recycling #EPR

This statement rings so true:
➡️“An economy built on plastic is an economy built on financial risk.”

The debate isn’t whether we CAN recycle disposable #plastics.
Decades of data show we have failed to date and still unable to recycle all plastics reliably at scale without incurring massive downstream costs.

Plastic is a liability.⚠️

Plastic drives expenses at every stage: waste management, contamination, EPR fees, regulatory risk, and long-term environmental harm. 
#Microplastics as a serious human health issue is likely the next significant costly liability for plastics.

👍🏽Compostable, circular materials turn waste into value.
🚫Plastic turns waste into cost.

The choice isn’t plastic vs. compostable.
It’s liability vs. circular value.

#businessstrategy #plasticpollution

Europe is fighting over cheap plastic imports when the real crisis sits at the heart of the material itself.

INEOS has warned that “time is running out” for Europe’s chemical industry. Brussels is drowning in anti-dumping cases. Politicians are scrambling to protect an industry crushed by high energy costs, collapsing demand and a wave of cheaper plastics from abroad.

Noise that masks a deep systemic failure. An economy that depends on plastic is an economy built on financial risk. 

Investors know this already. In 2025, the chemicals sector has become one of the most downgraded globally, with credit agencies flagging weak demand, overcapacity and collapsing margins. Ineos is just one example: its debt has swollen to nearly €12 billion, and ratings agencies have pushed it deeper into junk territory as bond values fall.

And the litigation risk hovering over the entire plastics value chain is only accelerating. Independent analysts project more than 20 billion dollars in plastic-related liabilities this decade, with no sign of the curve slowing.
 
So while we point fingers at “cheap imports”, the real story is a material whose economics no longer stack up. 
Plastic carries rising financial risk, rising legal exposure and rising harm to the people who bear its pollution. Almost 80 percent of the global population now live in areas where plastic waste has exceeded their waste management capacity.

We keep treating this as a trade problem. It feels more like a reality check. 

Maybe this is the moment to shift the conversation. Europe can protect its future by cutting its dependence on a material that drags down our health and our economy. Or we can keep giving in to Big Plastic’s propaganda that puts every one of our futures at risk.

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