To the loyal Letters From the Earth readers: we have some news for you. Calvin Frost is stepping down from editorializing after 25 years. Some of you will miss his direct commentary and the way he challenged our industry to be better, do more, and step up. Others may find some relief in this announcement. He certainly didn’t pull punches. 

Calvin has always been big on legacy. He built Channeled Resources Group from a one-person recycling business to the 175-person (and growing) manufacturing entity it is today. He could have sold it many years ago and sailed off into the sunset, sipping Boodles on the beach at his favorite retreat in the Turks and Caicos. 

Instead, he passed the torch to his three daughters and has remained chairman of the Board for the last 10 years. It certainly wasn’t the dream retirement scenario he could have created for himself. But, if you’ve gleaned anything from Calvin over the last quarter-century of columns, it’s that his integrity and desire to leave this world (and our family) better than he found it is of far greater importance than any grand payday. 

I could rave about my grandfather’s qualities for the entirety of this column, but I’ll get to the point: Alex Hoffman and I have the honor of taking over Letters From the Earth from Calvin. Out of his eight grandchildren, Alex and I are the only ones brave (or foolish) enough to ingrain ourselves in the family business. Alex manages our Label and PS Materials portfolio, while I focus on all things Release Liner. 

You can expect our voices to differ, certainly from Calvin’s and likely from each other’s. Our goal in taking over this column is to continue the focus that Calvin placed on sustainability, although neither of us possesses the expertise that Calvin does when it comes to this topic. Hence, the name change to “Letters To the Earth.” Calvin has the authority to write on behalf of the earth. Alex and I are more students. We will use this column to reflect on our learnings – informed by the release liner, label, and PS markets, recycling challenges, and the evolving needs of the industry.

Reflecting on Calvin’s contributions through Letters From the Earth has me feeling particularly sentimental (or maybe it’s the hormones in my eighth month of pregnancy). Either way, I’d like to focus the rest of this column on legacy. As I wrap up my fifth year of working for the family business and reflect on all the changes in my life, including motherhood, I feel the impact of Calvin’s legacy more than ever. One of the (many) reasons he never sold the business and why the Frost family has no plans to sell is because it keeps our family close. We have regular business meetings where all first, second, and third generations (18 of us and counting) get together in person to discuss the current state of the business. I’ve learned just how special it is that we have the excuse to do this, because it means I know my cousins better than some people know their own siblings. Calvin has cultivated a family culture of togetherness and support that I have seen in few other extended families. It’s a critical component to his legacy and what he wants to leave behind. 

It impresses upon me the importance of thinking through this with my own husband and kids. What are we implementing today that we want to stick around in the future? How are we spending our time, our money, and our energy to leave this family/community/earth better than how we found it? My husband and I often discuss how we want to emulate Calvin’s generosity and epic party-throwing abilities. I dream of future CRG business meetings where my children and my siblings/cousins’ children pepper us with questions about CRG’s profitability, investment, and environmental decisions. 

Legacy for Calvin starts with his family, but as evidenced by his significant industry contributions over the years, it doesn’t stop there. He’s been focused on making labels and non-recyclable materials “greener” for the entirety of his career. I can’t help but feel pressure in my chest every time I think about what we’re doing as an industry. We’re making progress – but we’ve been making progress for decades. The real question is, are we making enough progress? 

I’m not convinced. Our customers are demanding FSC-certified materials and sustainable product options so they can check boxes with their customers – but they’re not willing to pay more for it or undergo the testing required to vet a new product. As an industry, we like being comfortable. We talk a big game, have the right committees at all the trade associations, and ask the right questions of our suppliers – but are we actually doing enough to move the needle? Are we willing to do enough to move the needle? 

Let’s take it a step further and look at the track record of the current administration. If that isn’t an indication of our priorities as a country, I don’t know what is. In my opinion, their track record is abysmal, and makes the pressure in my chest even heavier when I think about legacy and what I’m leaving my children. 

Take a look at some of the changes the current administration has implemented in the last few months alone: 

1. December 2025: The Department of the Interior (DOI) paused leases for five large-scale offshore wind projects under construction along the East Coast. 

2. November 2025: The DOI  moved to allow new oil and gas drilling across nearly 1.3 billion acres of US coastal waters.

3. November 2025:  The DOI announced changes to the Endangered Species Act, eliminating automatic protections for “threatened” species and making it more difficult to designate critical habitats. 

4. November 2025: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new scopes to the Clean Water Act, stripping federal protections from millions of acres of wetlands and streams.  

5. October 2025: The Department of Energy (DOE) announced $100 million in funding to refurbish and modernize coal power plants and expanded project eligibility for fossil fuel infrastructure.

6. October 2025: The DOI announced that it would reopen 1.56 million acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil and
gas leasing.

7. October 2025: DOE announced the termination of 321 financial awards for 223 energy projects, claiming to have saved taxpayers $7.56 billion.

8. September 2025: DOE announced a $625 million investment in the American coal industry, with the stated intent to increase energy production and support coal producers.

The very person chosen to lead the Environmental Protection Agency is more committed to rolling back any progress the US has made around climate efforts than he is to the EPA’s core mission: “To protect human health and the environment.” In March, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a litany of actions rolling back regulations that had been put in place by previous administrations, stating that, “Today is the greatest day of deregulation our nation has seen. We are driving a dagger straight into the heart of the climate change religion to drive down cost of living for American families, unleash American energy, bring auto jobs back to the US, and more.”

If the EPA isn’t prioritizing the environment, who is? I encourage you to review the full list of climate change regulations that have been changed since the current administration took office (pulling out of the Paris Agreement being one of the most egregious actions). The Climate Backtracker, presented by Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center, is a great place to start. 

In future articles, Alex and I will dive into some of these initiatives as they relate to our industry and our learnings as “students of the earth.” For now, I’ll leave you with the questions I’ve been wrestling with as I think about legacies, motherhood, stewardship, and all the things that new year’s reflections plus pregnancy hormones bring to mind: 

What’s your legacy? Are you proud of your contributions to your family, your work, your earth? If you were laying down the pen after a 25-year column, would you be proud of what you were leaving behind? I think I have some work to do.

Ginnie Gandy leads the Release Liner division at Channeled Resources Group. She is passionate about the liner, label, and packaging industries. She chairs TLMI’s Label Leaders of Tomorrow group and is a regular presenter at industry events. Outside of work, Ginnie can usually be found chasing after her two young kids with her husband, exploring new hiking trails, and searching for the best oak milk latte in town.

Alex Hoffman is a third-generation family member at Channeled Resources Group, where he serves as Market Manager. Alex is currently pursuing his MBA from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. In his spare time, he enjoys playing squash, reading, and arguing.