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Agenda

All times are in Singapore/Beijing time (UTC+8).
Registration
Opening Remarks
Session: Market overview and regulatory development on sustainable packaging
Packaging market outlook and trend
  • Marketing sizing of packaging
  • Regulation update and impact
  • Drivers of sustainable packaging

Ciaran Little | VP, Global Consulting, Information Division, Smithers
PPWR and its impact onto packaging industry in Asia
  • How PPWR will impact Asian raw materials suppliers and packaging converters?
  • How will Asian recyclers meet the 3rd country environmental standards in the PPWR?
  • How will local converters upgrade to most modern extrusion and lamination technologies to be able to meet anticipated mono-material requirements?

Speaker TBC
Networking tea break
Navigating Australia’s Evolving Packaging Regulations and APCO’s 2030 Strategy
Adapting to Change: What Brand Owners and Packaging Companies Supplying into Australia Need to Know
The Australian packaging landscape is undergoing significant regulatory reform. With the federal government driving new policy directions and regulatory changes, brand owners and packaging suppliers across Asia must prepare for new compliance requirements, shifting expectations, and increasing accountability. In this session, Chris Foley, CEO of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), will provide a comprehensive update on Australia’s regulatory reform process and the key milestones that businesses need to monitor. He will outline the government’s progress in reshaping the national packaging framework, including emerging policy signals, regulatory levers under consideration, and anticipated compliance obligations.
With these changes on the horizon, APCO is playing a crucial role in guiding industry through the transition. Chris will discuss APCO’s 2030 Strategy, detailing how APCO is working with industry and government to implement systemic change. A key focus will be the introduction of eco-modulated fees, a tool designed to incentivise better packaging outcomes by linking fees to recyclability, circularity, and sustainability criteria.
This session will explore:
  • The regulatory landscape in Australia, including the key developments that packaging producers and suppliers need to be prepared for.
  • The role of eco-modulated fees, their expected impact on businesses, and how companies can align their packaging strategies now.
  • How APCO is leading the transition through industry collaboration, data-driven solutions, and proactive policy engagement.

Chris Foley | CEO, Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation
Australia’s Proposed National Packaging Design Framework
The Australian Government is seeking to reform regulatory reform of Australia’s packaging landscape. As part of that reform, DCCEEW established a Design Standard Working Group to advise Government how best to design sustainable packaging that helps prevent waste, reduce emissions, and support the economy. The DSWG delivered Design for Kerbside Recyclability Grading Framework in December 2024. For this session, Ian Hayes (Packaging Consultant at PackPro Consulting and a member of DCCEEW’s DSWG) will provide an update on the proposed kerbside recyclability grading framework, reviewing how such a framework will deliver evidence-based, feasible, future proofed, and effective design of packaging in Australia. He will discuss the global benchmark examples used by the DSWG (including the UK, The Netherlands, Belgium systems). He will also outline how ongoing consultation with the packaging chain in Australia and internationally will continue to improve and validate the kerbside grading framework.
  • The grading framework’s evidence-based, feasible, future proofed, and effective Standard for the design of packaging available in Australia, in line with circular economy principles
  • Full evaluation of the scope of the framework and potential future state opportunities for the framework
  • How the team incorporated best practice international design standards and other relevant approaches to the safe, sustainable, and circular management of packaging through its life cycle and across the value chain. Implications for the Australian Packaging market
  • All packaging formats collected via kerbside systems should be part of the framework
  • This will include Australian made/converted packaging as well as packaging imported into Australia (as packaging materials as well as finished packaged products)

Ian Hayes | Packaging Technology Consultant, PackPro Consulting
What Singapore is undertaking in the realm of sustainable packaging
[Panel] Global Plastics Treaty
  • where we are at global plastics treaty?
  • What are the biggest barriers of reaching any agreement?
  • What is INC-5.2 version?
Panelists TBC 

Moderated by
Caitlin Nina Punzalan | Corporate and Government Affairs Lead, Mondelez International
Lunch break
Session: Technical advances on sustainable materials and solutions
How to use Gen AI to drive sustainable packaging
The paper and packaging industry has traditionally lagged other industries in adopting digital technologies like AI and machine learning. However, executives we surveyed see significant potential for generative AI and are willing to invest in it. While many leaders recognize AI’s importance, about 25% of organizations have started developing or deploying gen AI tools to drive business impact and gain a competitive edge. Our survey indicates that gen AI has the potential to drive significant value in paper and packaging companies from driving sustainable revenue growth through design optimization and commercial optimization to boosting margins by driving the next wave of productivity gains in supply chain, manufacturing, procurement, and support functions. As gen AI continues to evolve, its potential across the paper and packaging value chain will grow. To unlock this promise, organizations need to act now.
  • Review the current state of gen AI adoption in the packaging industry
  • Highlight the top use-cases for gen AI in sustainable packaging
  • Discuss how P&P companies can get started on their gen AI

Darshit Gandhi | Associate Partner, McKinsey & Company
Advancements in barrier and surface tension performance for polyolefin substrates in humid climates: insights into innovation
Improving the performance and processability of substrates in the context of sustainability is a multifaceted challenge that involves various techniques and approaches. Here’s an overview of key processes and methods that are currently being explored and implemented.
  • Working developments in high dyne level retention on Cast PolyPropylene and Biaxially Oriented PolyPropylene
  • Processing developments to improve barrier properties during vacuum metallization of polyolefin substrates.

Chris Cheetham | Regional Sales Director – Eastern Hemisphere, BOBST
The Label of the Future and Design for Recycling
This session explores the role of a small but important part of packaging – the label. PPWR but also other legislation worldwide will mandate design for recycling where the choice of the „right“ label will play a crucial role. In this presentation examples from brand owners around the world will be shown who opted to redesign their packaging so that it can and will be recycled and lower the carbon footprint at the same time. Also the latest innovations in labels and sleeves will be explored – showcasing that there is a lot of research and development is going on in product decoration.
 
Marika Knorr | Head of Sustainability and Communication, CCL Label
Sustainable packaging solutions
Abstract coming soon…

speaker TBC
Networking tea break
Igniting Sustainable Packaging
At the Sust Pack Asia 2025, Benicio Yang, Senior Manager at Dell Technologies, will present on "Igniting Sustainable Packaging: Future Proofing Innovation for a Green Tomorrow." The speech will highlight transformative innovation driven by the use of cutting-edge technologies, and the development of new packaging architectures. The presentation will also cover the integration of sustainability with supply chain optimization, resulting in significant cost savings and regulatory compliance. The emphasis will be on continuous improvement and the importance of innovative solutions for a sustainable future.
  • Transformative Innovation
  • Cutting Edge Technologies & Strategies
  • Case Studies and Results
  • Sustainability and Supply Chain Optimization

Benicio Yang | Senior Manager, Packaging Engineering, Dell Technologies
The role of open innovation and venture capital to drive sustainability in packaging
- Packaging consumption significantly growing over last decades, leading to huge packaging problem
- More and more sustainable packaging solutions (in areas of advanced materials & industrial IT) are being developed by startups - Corporates feel pressure from regulations & consumers, are however slow in acting -> need for collaboration with external parties to speed up conversion process into more sustainable direction (principle of "open innovation")
- VCs see importance of innovations developed by startups -> increasing amounts of VC funding into packaging sector
- Emerald: takes opportunity to not only make financial investment into startups for generating financial return, but to also acts as bridge and interpreter between agile startups and slow corporates to enable fruitful collaborations
 
Annina Winkler | Investment Manager - Food & Agriculture, Emerald Technology Ventures
[Panel] collaboration across borders for sustainability
  • Challenges of existing collaboration across the value chain
  • Where we can do better or differently
  • Future outlook of working across borders
Panelists
Richard Smith, Director Sustainability – Asia Pacific at Amcor Flexibles AFAP
Kwee-Lin Chan, General Manager, Asia Pacific Advanced Recycling and Sustainability at ExxonMobil
And more.

Moderated by
Omi Ma | Senior Manager of Global Innovation, Unilever
End of Day One
Session: Sustainability and Circular Economy in Packaging
Enabling Circular Economy in Packaging
  • What is Circular Economy in Packaging?
  • Why Enabling Circular Economy in Packaging is Key?
  • How each of us can contribute to a better environment with Circular Economy?
  • Packaging Recycling & Circularity
  • Perspectives from end users
  • Balancing Cost & Sustainability

Vinod Achuthan | Group Manager Packaging Engineering & Materials, Nestle R&D Switzerland
Sustainability priorities and strengths for the road ahead for CCEAP
Coca-Cola Europacific Aboitiz Philippines (CCEAP) – A new chapter in Coca-Coca bottling for the Philippines has started under the joint venture of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners and Aboitiz Equity Ventures. This session will share key highlights on the sustainability priorities and strengths for the road ahead for CCEAP.
  • Ensuring sustainability across all operations
  • Sustainability milestones and packaging innovations
  • The EPR Law of 2022 and current status in Philippines

Marc Cruz Cox | Director for Stakeholder Relations, Coca-Cola Europacific Aboitiz Philippines (CCEAP)
Cracking the Code: How the Paper Renaissance is Driving a Tipping Point in Sustainable packaging
Paper once dominated everyday packaging until plastic took center stage. Now, a wave of innovation is triggering a Paper Renaissance, offering barrier properties once thought exclusive to plastics. We share real-world examples, roadmap, and strategies for overcoming the challenges of adopting paper, revealing how we can move ourselves toward a tipping point in sustainable FMCG packaging.
  • Current Landscape
  • The Opportunity: Paper-based packaging is re-emerging (“the Paper Renaissance”) as a viable solution
  • “Cracking the Code” - barriers to switching to paper and how Amcor's paper-based innovation platform AmFiber addresses them
  • Technology & Trends: The Paper Renaissance in Action
  • Case Studies: 1 or 2 quick examples where paper-based packaging has successfully replaced plastic
  • Overcoming Common Challenges
  • Consumer Acceptance
  • The Tipping Point Vision – Incremental adoption by multiple brands can create a snowball effect
  • Practical Steps for Brand Owners
  • Future Outlook & Call to Action

Angela Huang | Commercial Strategy Director, Amcor
Networking tea break
Session: Advancing recycling technologies and partnership
Evolving European Recycling Standards and Implications for Asian Businesses
The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) will have a major impact on Asian businesses exporting to Europe, requiring compliance with stricter recyclability, reduction, and recycled content mandates. Drawing from direct engagement with regulatory bodies and operational insights via CIRCPACK, this session provides a practical perspective on how businesses can adapt to the existing paradigm of recycling rates.
Beyond compliance, we’ll explore design for recycling (DfR) best practices that ensure long-term market access and competitiveness by analyzing estimated recycling rates for different plastic types across Asia. By integrating material choices, eco-design, and closed-loop solutions, companies can align with global regulatory shifts while enhancing sustainability and cost efficiency.
 
Filipe Vieira De Castro | Manager Recycling Intelligence, CIRCPACK by Veolia
Navigating Traceability in Recycled Plastics Supply Chains
As consumers, businesses and investors increasingly focus their attention on ESG, traceability and transparency in supply chains have come to the fore. This presentation explores the importance of material traceability and transparency of environmental and social metrics in supply chains, the benefits to stakeholders, and the barriers to effective implementation, including data standardization and cost considerations. It will also provide an overview of available tools, case studies from Asia, and delve into the current financing landscape for these solutions.
  • Importance of traceability and transparency in recycled plastics supply chains
  • Barriers to implementing traceability effectively
  • Overview of traceability tools
  • Case studies from Asia of traceability tools
  • Financing landscape of traceability systems (i.e. deeper dive into traceability of plastics sub-archetype)

Juline Lew | Research Analyst, The Circulate Initiative
Pioneering enterprise in the field of high-tech recycling in Vietnam

High-tech recycling is revolutionizing waste management practices around the world, and Vietnam is playing a pioneering role in this transformation. The presentation delves into the innovation efforts of Vietnamese businesses, using DUYTAN Recycling as an example, introducing how to leverage advanced technologies to address the country's waste challenges and contribute to the global circular economy. High-tech recycling involves the use of advanced technologies to reclaim, process, and repurpose waste materials, promoting a circular economy by extending the lifecycle of products and materials. EPR is a policy approach where producers are given significant responsibility—financial and/or physical—for the treatment or disposal of post-consumer products. These two strategies are essential for addressing the growing waste management challenges in Vietnam.
  • Vietnamese Context
  • Packaging recycling and circularity in Vietnam
  • Bottle-to-bottle recycling model
  • EPR in Vietnam
  • Challenges and Opportunities: Implementing EPR in Vietnam

Anh Le | Sustainability Director, DUYTAN Recycling
[Panel] Advancing Recycling technologies and partnership
  • Current status
  • Gaps to fill
  • Collaboration needed
Panelists
Filipe Vieira de Castro, Manager Recycling Intelligence at CIRCPACK by Veolia
Suhas Dixit, CEO at AP Chemi
And more…

Moderated by
Ying Staton | Chief Sustainability Officer and Vice President, Asia, Plastic Energy
Lunch break
Session: Collaboration across borders and throughout value chain
Plastic Stewardship in Action: Turning Commitments into Real Impact
Southeast Asia is at the heart of a global plastic waste crisis. Brands have the power to drive change by funding verified projects that create measurable impact and advance a circular economy.
In this session, Caitlin Puzalan, Corporate Affairs Lead at Mondelez Philippines, and Rudi Ramin, Commercial Director at PCX Markets, discuss how their partnership on driving a plastic stewardship program is turning commitments into action. Their initiatives go beyond compliance—empowering communities, setting new sustainability benchmarks, and proving that businesses can be leaders in tackling plastic waste.

Rudi Ramin, Director at PCX Markets &  
Caitlin Nina Punzalan | Corporate and Government Affairs Lead, Mondelez International
Circularity in Label Design: Closing the Loop for Packaging Sustainability
Labels are crucial to packaging but often pose recycling challenges due to adhesives, materials, and inks. With increasing emphasis on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), Design for Recyclability (DfR), and eco-modulation in ASEAN, brand owners must adopt labeling solutions that enhance recyclability. This presentation explores how labels drive circularity, reduce waste, and lower environmental impact. The session will highlight Avery Dennison’s active role in shaping EPR regulations in ASEAN, advocating eco-modulation incentives, and enabling brand owners to leverage DfR for selecting recyclable labeling solutions for PET, HDPE, and glass bottles. A key focus is Avery Dennison’s breakthrough in HDPE label recycling. Previously, no labeling solution met full RecyClass compatibility for HDPE packaging. To address this, Avery Dennison partnered with the National Test Center for Circular Plastics (NTCP) for a semi-industrial trial assessing the recyclability of standard adhesion filmic labels in HDPE recycling. This presentation will share the findings and introduce a viable solution for FMCG brands to meet RecyClass guidelines.
 
Kejin Zhang | AMEA Sustainability Manager, Avery Dennison
Navigating the Future of Plastics: Green Materials and the Road to Sustainability
As industries strive to meet sustainability targets, the renewable polymers and recycling technologies sectors are rapidly evolving. This presentation will focus on the latest technological developments in green materials, such as bio-based plastics and chemical recycling, alongside the research / development progress by companies and challenges faced by the industry. We will also examine the current consumption, trends and market dynamics driving the adoption of these solutions, including regulatory pressures, consumer demand, and cost considerations. Through our consulting case studies, we will highlight key trends in how companies plan to meet sustainability goals, as well as the challenges they encounter when scaling these solutions. By leveraging our industry knowledge and technical expertise, we believe consultants can provide a comprehensive industry overview and valuable insights, setting the stage for a more detailed presentation by each industry player.
  • Overview of emerging technologies in green plastics (bio-based, biodegradable, recycled, etc.) and recent technological development
  • Market trends and impact: Focus on growth of demand for sustainable plastics (with some market data) and how petrochemical companies are adapting
  • Challenges: Highlight the hurdles of scaling production and meeting sustainability goals
  • Case study: Share key observations from our consulting projects

Chommanad Thammanayakatip | Principal, NexantECA
Networking tea break
Working towards the world’s most sustainable food packaging solution
Population Growth and Food Systems: By 2050, the global population is expected to grow by over 25%, increasing food demand, while food systems currently contribute to over one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions and a third of food produced is wasted.
Packaging Innovations: Tetra Pak is advancing sustainable packaging through certified recycled polymers, paper-based barrier cartons, and plant-based materials like paperboard and sugarcane polymers, aiming for fully recyclable, carbon-neutral food packages.
Focus Areas for Sustainability: Tetra Pak's key sustainability goals include sustainable openings to reduce plastic litter, increasing renewable materials in packaging, using certified recycled polymers, and designing circular packaging for a circular economy.
Local Partnerships and Consumer Engagement: Tetra Pak collaborates with local governments, NGOs, and stakeholders in Asia to improve recycling infrastructure and raise awareness, while also educating consumers about sustainable packaging and responsible recycling practices.
Collaborative Effort for a Circular Economy: Tetra Pak emphasizes the need for industry-wide collaboration, research, and innovation to reduce environmental footprints, advance sustainability in packaging, and encourage global stakeholders to adopt sustainable practices.
 
Patinya Silsupadol | Head of Sustainability Thailand, Tetra Pak
Session: Working with brand owners for sustainability and circularity
Colgate-Palmolive: Packaging for a Healthier Future for All
  • Introduction to company purpose and packaging sustainability goals
  • Case study on Recyclable Tube
  • Other initiatives in packaging waste reduction

Tze Ni YEOH | Packaging Sustainability Innovation Manager for APAC, Colgate-Palmolive
Sustainability in packaging – perspectives from a brand owner
  • A role the brand owner to play to drive sustainability
  • Collaborating across the borders
  • Case studies

Craig Miller | Asia Regional Senior R&D Manager, FrieslandCampina
[panel] Hearing from brands in an evolving regulatory environment
  • Responding to EPR
  • Achieving PPWR targets
  • Support and collaboration needed from the rest of value chain
Panelists
Eric Soegyanto, Global Head of Essential Health Packaging at Kenvue
Representative from Friesland Campina (TBC)

Moderated by
 
Marc Cruz Cox | Director for Stakeholder Relations, Coca-Cola Europacific Aboitiz Philippines (CCEAP)
Lunch break
Session: Critical thinking in packaging sustainability and design
Impossible Possibilities in Sustainable Packaging
The Packaging Industry is going through serious change. Two of the buzz words we in the industry hear is Innovation and Sustainability. At the Polydime group this was identified quite early in the year 2015 where the model of the organisation was changed from a mere plastic manufacturer to a manufacture of sustainable plastics in line with circularity of plastics. The presentation would highlight the journey of our business over the past decade that defined us in Sri Lanka as an organisation respected for striving to make products that are environmentally positive. This moved has helped us win not just local but global accoladed from the Asian Packaging Foundation and the World Packaging Organisation. Our goal is to challenge others in the packaging industry that sustainable product manufacture is possible. It is shaping the way of the future and will no doubt be critical in terms of new global laws such at EPR that is gathering much momentum. We would say our success has been critical thinking that has led to innovation.
  • Why sustainability is critical
  • What is moving and shaking the packaging industry
  • The Polydime Group model
  • Product Innovations
  • Marketing these products effectively in not just a B2B, but B2C setting too.

Johann Tranchell | Director, Sales & Markerting, Polydime Plastics Industries
Consumer behaviors and design for recycling
  • Research on consumer behaviors
  • Design lining up with consumer behaviors
  • Improving consumer recycling behaviors
Speaker TBC
Design recyclability in packaging
  • Design for end-of-life
  • Matching recycling infrastructure
  • Case studies
Speaker TBC
Session: Safety and compliance in connection with sustainability
Plastic Waste Management Compliance Requirement
Abstract coming soon…

Speaker TBC
Compliance and safety associated with sustainable packaging materials
  • PCR in sustainable packaging
  • Approaches ensuring safety and compliance
  • Case studies

Dr. Alistair Irvine | Food Contact Compliance, Smithers
Networking tea break
End of the event