Brittany Onslow, Conference Producer, Smithers 

The global discourse on plastics, often portrayed as a war, has persisted for nearly a decade without a definitive breakthrough. Despite numerous initiatives, why do plastics remain vilified as public enemy number one?
In this keynote, I will provide a comprehensive overview of global efforts, highlighting initiatives from regions such as Europe and select U.S. states aimed at combatting plastic pollution. I will talk about design for recyclability, innovations in chemical recycling, and the concept of mass balance. These elements are pivotal for a holistic understanding of our current predicament.
I will offer insights into what may be missing across the supply chain and propose avenues for improvement. By examining lessons from international experiences, I will underscore Latin America's potential to emerge as a catalyst for sustainable change in plastic packaging. and explore how the region can leverage these insights to spearhead real progress towards sustainable plastic solutions. I am convinced Latin America can redefine the narrative surrounding plastics and pave the way for a more sustainable future.
 
Carlos Ludlow-Palafox | CTO, Greenback Recycling Technologies

In this session, the economic outlook of Latin America will be explained, stressing out the main economic forecasts for the region, as well as some highlights for the larger Latin-American countries.
Daniel Zaga Szenker | Chief Economist, Deloitte

Mechanical recycling is the dominant and least energy and resource intensive recycling technology and must be further improved upon. One of the main areas of improvement for this technology is the low PCR quality obtained, due to non-uniform input streams and contaminants like food and packaging components such as inks. During this conference we'll review how selection of heat stable inks components and/or deinking chemistry can allow improving recyclability.
 
Hector Martinez | Sustainability Change Agent, Siegwerk

Eastman is a global specialty materials company committed to helping solve the world’s plastic waste crisis. A pioneer in molecular recycling, Eastman is now operating the world’s largest material-to-material recycling facility in Kingsport, TN, with a capacity of over 120,000 tons annually. Eastman’s polyester renewal technology sources hard-to-recycle polyester materials and breaks them down to their molecular building blocks, which are used to create high-performance virgin quality materials. Because they source waste not suitable for mechanical recycling, Eastman’s molecular recycling technologies keep more materials out of landfills or from incineration. Eastman has also announced two additional plants to be built in Normandy, France and Longview, Texas. Eastman is investing approximately $2.25 billion in the three facilities, which will recycle more than 300,000 tons annually of hard-to-recycle plastic waste
 
Alejandro Astorga Gurza | North America Business Development Manager, Eastman Chemical Company

Dedicated to making a significant impact and establishing Mexico as an international benchmark in compostability, the Mexican Bioplastics Association reveals how its collaboration with the converting industry and government aims to unlock the full potential of compostable technology. This session will also include the Brazilian Biopolymer Association and discuss their work in Brazil. 

Additional Presenters: 

• Esteban Guzmán, Vice presidente, AMB
• Kim Fabri, CEO, ERT

Gisela Galicia | Presidenta, AMB

Alberto Contardo-Sfeir | Co-Founder and CEO, Empaque Sustentable

• Walmart targets for Private Brands Packaging
• Our strategy to meet our goals.
• What we have already achieved.

Luiza Adelita de Andrade | Packaging Manager - Private Brands, Walmart de Mexico

In this session, Grupo Boticário will present a case study regarding perfume in-store refill. Despite the regulatory restrictions from the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (Anvisa) prohibiting the refill of cosmetic products in Brazilian stores, looking to the future, Grupo Boticário, one of the largest cosmetics companies in Latin America, has embarked on a fragrance refill project. The challenge was to find a technology enabling perfume bottle refilling without removing the snap-on pump. Alongside a global survey of existing technologies, and a creative challenge launched for designers and engineers, the best solutions underwent qualitative research for consumer evaluation, involving 83 individuals aged 18 to 64. Feedback revealed that over 80% of respondents expressed willingness to purchase refilled perfume in-store, provided it was priced up to 30% lower than the regular packaged perfume. Building upon the qualitative research findings, Grupo Boticário is spearheading a revolution in perfume purchasing, with a pilot project with a pioneer solution in Latin America. Until May 2024, it is possible to purchase the Floratta Blue fragrance in bulk at Barra Shopping, in Rio de Janeiro. This initiative not only slashes costs but also contributes to reducing our socio-environmental footprint. This pilot serves as a barometer for evaluating Brazilian consumer response to sustainable options in perfumery, empowering Grupo Boticário to make informed decisions for the future. 
Franciele Saorin | Research & Innovation Packaging Specialist, Boticario Group

Sustainability is the way forward. Brands and producers are making changes and rethinking their product packaging to introduce more innovative, sustainable packaging for consumer goods products according to local market needs. With a common goal of protecting human health and the environment, the value chain is shifting to a circular economy, even when regulation is not providing a clear path forward. As we move toward this goal, varying, and often contradictory asks are being made of sustainable packaging, related to weight, material choice, shelf life, recyclability, biodegradability, and more. How can we address these? While, on the surface, adhesives may appear to play a small role, they are crucial for fulfilling numerous functions in the overall packaging.
Elizabeth Staab | Global Packaging Sustainability Manager, H.B. Fuller

Brands striving towards more sustainable packaging – design, supply chain, R&D.

Moderator: Ernesto Hanhausen, Investment Partner, Circulate Capital

Panelists include:

• Julian Lara Miranda, Packaging Manager, Perfetti Van Melle
• Tarcisio Camlofski, Packaging Specialist, Grupo Boticário
• Adriana Rueda, Packaging Sr. Manager LATAM - Head Mexico R&D, L’Oreal

Inks, coatings and adhesives deliver color, brand differentiation and critical properties to packaging. In this presentation, their vital role in also enabling sustainability will be discussed, showing how design and selection of these components can lower carbon footprint and increase circularity of packaging.
Dr. Nikola Juhasz | Global Technical Director, Sustainability, Sun Chemical

Plastic pollution is a global problem that cannot be solved by one country or one company, it requires a global collaborative and aligned effort. The Global Plastic Pact network has been working on this since 2018, a model that has proved effective and replicable and its helping countries around the world to tackle this global problem. This presentation will mainly focus in the three plastic pacts in the LATAM region, their progress, achievements, challenges and connection to the global network and why government and businesses needs to be part of it in the lights of an upcoming UN Global Plastic Treaty. 
Carolina Fernandez | International Partnerships, WRAP

En esta presentación se analiza el progreso para implementar la visión de la Fundación para establecer una economía circular para los plásticos, una visión que ha logrado alinear a más de 1000 organizaciones y gobiernos en todo el mundo. A cinco años del lanzamiento de dos de nuestros principales programas, el Compromiso Global y la red de Pactos de Plásticos, tomamos un momento para reflexionar sobre su avance hacia sus objetivos establecidos. También exploraremos el papel de estos programas para influenciar las conversaciones globales sobre el Tratado de Plásticos y su posición estratégica para facilitar su implementación.
Andrea Cantú Garza, PhD | Project Manager, Ellen MacArthur Foundation

We will talk about the perception of biodegradable packaging by consumers in Mexico, their concerns, preferences, daily problems and their expectations regarding the role of companies in caring for the environment. In which categories does packaging play a more relevant role than in others? What do consumers think of the other materials that are being used to replace traditional plastic? This data is from a study carried out by BioElements in February 2024 consumers in 2024.    
Ignacio Parada da Fonseca | CEO and Co-Founder, BioElements Group