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Agenda

The Sustainability in Packaging US 2025 agenda is here!

Beginning in the afternoon on Wednesday, March 5, Sustainability in Packaging US 2025 will kick-off with two pre-conference workshops followed by two exciting days of general sessions on March 6 - 7. 

Add the pre-conference workshops for just $400! Access to both workshops is included in your ticket - choose onsite which sessions you sit in on. All recordings and presenations will be available after the conference if you miss a session or two!

See what will be covered at the 2025 event below:


 
< Consumer Behavior Research >
< Workshop Description >
This workshop will be lead by The Recycling Partnership

Moderator: TBD
Opening Presentations
Driving Improvement in Recycling Behavior and Boosting Confidence in U.S. Recycling
Abstract details to come!
Unpacking Consumer Behavior
Abstract details to come!
Fireside Chat Q&A with Audience
Details to come!
That’s a Wrap!
Reactions to consumer panel centered around answering the question what does this mean for the packaging industry and adapting to consumer demands and desires?
Networking Break
Cont’d Topic: Circular Practices and updates on Global Plastics Treaty
Panel: Global Plastics Treaty
Will there be progress? When can we expect agreement and implementation? What does this mean for the future of regulations for packaging materials?

Panelists include:
Anthony Tusino, Director, Public Policy & Government Affairs, The Recycling Partnership
Amy Lestition Burke, President & CEO, Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA)

Additional panelists to be announced!
Panel: Circular Practices for Packaging Design and End of Life
This panel will showcase companies who are creating sustainable packaging with considerations such as end of life, consumer insights and demand etc.

Moderator: rePurpose Global

Panelists include:
Sam Harrington, Director of Packaging Sustainability, R&I, Danone North America
Steve Marko, Sr Director R&D, Tillamook
Kelly Murosky, Sr Packaging and Sustainability Manager - Health & Wellbeing, Unilever
Thaxton Lipscomb, PMP, CPP, CPLP, Global Lead Packaging Engineer, Kimberly-Clark
 
< EPR, PPWR – what you need to know and how it will impact your packaging/business? >
< Workshop Description >
This workshop will go in depth on EPR and PPWR. Speakers will cover how these regulations will impact your business, how to prepare, what cost implications will arise and how the regulations will vary from state to state and globally.
 
Opening Presentations
Presentation Title To Come
Panel: Implementation of EPR
This panel will chat with municipalities/cities about EPR implementation – what are the biggest hurdles cities/states will need to overcome? What can companies learn from the EPR implementation in the states who have passed EPR? What does this mean for the rest of the country?

Moderator: Circular Action Alliance

Panelists include:
Mckenna Morrigan, Strategic Advisor, Waste Prevention & Product Stewardship, Seattle Public Utilities
Arianne Sperry, Program Coordinator, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, City of Portland
 
Fireside Chat: Brands Implementing EPR
EPR dominated the conversations at Sustpack US 2024. As more and more states are proposing and considering EPR legislation, challenges of implementation and what the future of EPR legislation might bring for brands is a major concern within the packaging industry.
 
Networking Break
Workshop Cont’d - Compostable and Bio Based Packaging
Panel Discussion: Task Force for product labeling legislative guidelines for compostable products
Moderator: BPI

Panelists include:
Renata Neri, Sr. Principal Program Lead, Packaging, Chick-Fil-A
Buspa Wongnapapisan, Global Foods Packaging Sustainability & Partnership, PepsiCo
Biomaterial packaging to replace plastic
Kelpi is a leader in sustainable biomaterials. We have developed a unique biopolymer from seaweed which can be applied as a coating to substrates, such as paper, card and fibre. The resulting packaging is recyclable, compostable and marine-safe. Kelpi, a certified B Corp, is focused on meeting the needs of large businesses in the food & drink and cosmetics & personal care sectors. We’re already working with some of the largest companies in the world to scale up production of their biodegradable coatings and deliver unique, next generation packaging solutions. We would use this session to inspire the attendees to the opportunity of seaweed-based biomaterials to replace plastic packaging.
 
Hugo Adams | CCO, Kelpi
Kuraray America’s Journey towards Renewable Feedstocks
The rate of waste generation around the world continues to increase tremendously piling up significant amount of plastic waste in landfills, rivers, and ultimately in the oceans. In addition, climate change and global warming are also becoming more and more serious concerns. To resolve these issues some of the approaches being perused and “Bio-base materials” is one of the important solutions. This presentation will focus on Kuraray America’s adoption of the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification Plus (ISCC+) system to certify biomass derived raw materials. Through compliance with its rigorous sustainability and carbon reduction criteria, Kuraray is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its chemical manufacturing processes using renewable feedstocks like bio-circular ethylene.
 
From Seed to Seal: Pioneering the Future of 100% Biobased and Recyclable Pouches
Accredo Packaging, in collaboration with Presto Products, has developed the first 100% biobased, zippered pouch This innovation faced significant challenges due to the use of a single stream of resin, necessitating equipment adjustments rather than resin blend modifications. Starting with a 25% biobased pouch in 2016, Accredo reached 51% in 2020 and 70% in 2023. Now, with Presto's help, they have achieved 100% biobased content with the inclusion of a zipper. Made from sugar cane-derived resin, this sustainable packaging captures carbon from the environment and is recyclable, despite higher logistics costs.
 
Treijon Johnson | Director of Sustainability, Accredo Packaging Inc
Registration Opens
Registration Open
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Conference Producer, Smithers

Set the Stage Sponsor - Metsä Board
Session I: Sustainability, Consumers and Trends
< Moderator >
Presentation Title To Come
Details to come!
Sustainability under the spotlight – what do consumers really want?
This presentation discusses the dynamic shift in Global consumer attitudes towards sustainable packaging based on a recent survey conducted by McKinsey & Company. Key insights reveal that while price, quality, and convenience remain top priorities, 43% of consumers consider environmental impact crucial in purchasing decisions. The survey insights signal a crucial opportunity for the packaging industry to innovate and cater to evolving preferences, balancing sustainability with cost, quality, and convenience.
 
Darshit Gandhi | Associate Partner, McKinsey & Company
Consumers, packaging and recyclability: lessons learned from the front lines
Ask any average person anywhere around the world if recycling helps the environment and if it’s a thing we should all do and the answer is a resounding yes from virtually everyone. But then ask them how they should dispose of packaging when they’re done with it – what things go in which bin – and you see a lot of confusion and recycling stream contamination just waiting to happen. Which is probably why, increasingly, consumers don’t believe that the things they put in their recycling bin are actually getting recycled. And THAT begins to break down their opinions of brands and of consumption writ large.

But what if you could tell a recyclability story that people could believe? Could you increase faith in the recycling system? Drive brand favorability? And what about sales…could a recyclability message actually increase sales? The answer to all of this is yes! Suzanne Shelton, Senior Partner with sustainability communications agency ERM Shelton, will dive into her firm’s latest global survey data and everything learned from a 3-year campaign promoting the infinite recyclability of the steel food can to help you better craft package recyclability messaging that works.
 
Suzanne Shelton | Senior Partner, ERM Shelton
Session II: Roundtable: MRFs – Pain points, end of life, material acceptance
< Moderator >
Roundtable Panel: Deep Dive on Challenges and Process with MRFs
This panel will hear from MRF's and companies that buy the bales of sorted materials from MRF's, such as PCR resin manufacturers to get their perspectives on the industry and importance in the packaging lifecycle. What are the leading innovations and problems to solve in the PCR flakers and pelletizers? How are technologies such as AI changing recycling?

Moderator: Natalie Betts, Assistant VP Sustainability, Recycled Materials Association (ReMA)


Panelists include:
Clint Pugh, Director of Resin Sales, KW Plastics
Jeff Snyder, Director of Recycling, Rumpke Waste & Recycling
Gaspard Duthilleul, COO, Greyparrot
 
Networking Break and Coffee – Sponsored by RTI International
Sponsored by RTI International
Session III: Case Studies and Real World Examples of Sustainable Practices
< Moderator >
Transforming Packaging Waste: Incentivizing Consumer Recycling for a Greener Tomorrow
As the world grapples with the escalating environmental impact of packaging waste, consumer participation in recycling has never been more crucial. This presentation delves into strategies for incentivizing consumers to recycle packaging materials, a significant contributor to global waste. By analyzing successful initiatives and exploring the psychological and social drivers behind consumer behavior, we will uncover how effective incentives—ranging from financial rewards to convenience-driven solutions—can dramatically increase recycling rates. The discussion will highlight innovative programs from various industries, demonstrating how businesses can align consumer interests with sustainability goals. Through actionable insights and case studies, this presentation aims to equip stakeholders with the tools needed to foster a culture of responsible packaging disposal and contribute to a circular economy.
 
Philip Stanger | CEO, Olyns
Leveraging the value chain to achieve sustainability wins
Join LyondellBasell’s Circular and Low Carbon Solutions team as they explore real-world examples of successful collaboration in recycled and low-carbon packaging. This interactive case study highlights how resin suppliers, converters, and brand owners can structure successful, multi-stakeholder partnerships to move more quickly from strategy to execution and ultimately deliver more sustainability wins. 
Chris Schmidt  | Value Proposition Strategy Manager, Circular and Low Carbon Solutions, LyondellBasell
Networking Lunch Sponsored by Kuraray
Sponsorsed by
ORBIS
Session IV: Improving recycling, reducing waste and managing regulatory expectations
< Moderator >
Revolutionizing personal care packaging through pre-competitive collaboration
No one brand can tackle the personal care packaging problem alone. 120B beauty packaging units are created every year, and most cannot be recycled through traditional systems. Enter Pact.

Pact is a nonprofit collective uniting the beauty and personal care industry to reduce its packaging waste through pre-competitive collaboration. They offer the most credible, transparent takeback programs for beauty and personal care available today – and now they’ve figured out how to get their collected discarded packaging back into circular beauty packaging. Hear Executive Director Carly Snider talk about the successes and hurdles of effectuating industry-wide change through Pact’s NewMatterTM initiative, a suite of circular solutions for the beauty and personal care industry.
 
Carly Snider | Executive Director , Pact Collective
Charting a Sustainable Path: Evaluating the Enabling Environment for Improvements in Medical Device Packaging Recycling
Plastic waste demands strategic interventions across the packaging value chain. Developing recyclable materials and improving waste management infrastructure are crucial, but regional socioeconomic, political, and cultural influences impact the adoption and success of these solutions. How do you identify ready regions and factors that affect success? This talk, hosted by RTI International and Medtronic, explores how political economy analysis helped evaluate the enabling environment influencing the adoption of sustainable solutions in the medical waste sector. The discussion covers leveraging such analysis for global companies’ sustainable packaging investment decisions amidst changing regulations.
•           The success of sustainable packaging solutions depends on regional socioeconomic, political and cultural influences.
•           Medtronic used political economy analysis to help evaluate regions with the most potential for successfully adopting medical waste recycling solutions, considering the regulatory and political landscapes in different countries.
•           RTI International and Medtronic will discuss how political economy analysis can lead to insights that help global companies make sustainable packaging investment decisions, factoring in the rapidly evolving regulations.

Joint speakers: Allison Lim, Innovation Analyst with Innovation Advisors, RTI International and Samantha Smith, Director Sustainability and Product Stewardship, Medtronic
 
Samantha Smith | Director Sustainability & Product Stewardship, Medtronic
A Global Perspective on Recycling: What Could Work for the US
In the talk, "A Global Perspective on Recycling: What Could Work for the US?," we will translate proven global recycling strategies into practical solutions for the US. We will target the specific challenges that have hindered effective implementation, particularly in EPR schemes and their impact on recycling rates. The US has struggled to establish comprehensive and cohesive EPR frameworks due to fragmented state-level policies, inconsistent industry participation and strong lobbying against regulatory intervention. 

By showcasing how other countries have navigated industry pushback, balanced marketing incentives with regulatory pressures and used innovative financing mechanisms (e.g., DRS models), we aim to provide a roadmap that illustrates how similar strategies could be adapted and scaled in the US context. 

With increasing regulatory pressure and consumer demand for sustainability, businesses in the US cannot afford to ignore these opportunities. The audience will gain a clear understanding of the legislative structures that worked abroad and why aligning with these models could lead to practical, scalable and commercially viable solutions in the US.

 
Filipe Vieira De Castro | Manager Recycling Intelligence, CIRCPACK by Veolia
Presentation Title To Come
Details to come!
Networking Break
Do adhesives help or hinder compliance with EPR laws? Perspectives on the role of adhesives in recycle-ready packaging for Consumer Goods
New EPR laws are coming into force in 2025 and the multiple, ever-progressing design for recycling guidelines make the development of sustainable, food-safe packaging an exceedingly complex task. H.B. Fuller will explore the role of adhesives in the packaging, their behavior in the recycling process of various packaging materials and how they may be part of the solution. This may entail facilitating recycling, reducing packaging materials, redesigning packaging formats, or enabling compostable packaging. Much of the environmental impact of a package is determined during the design stage and adhesive suppliers, brought in at the early stages of packaging R&D can make the difference.
 
Elizabeth Staab | Global Packaging Sustainability Manager, H.B. Fuller
Session V: Is refillable/reusable scalable?
< Moderator >
Panel: Are consumers buying into reuse and refill?
Moderator: Crystal Dreisbach, CEO, Upstream

Panelists include:
Heather Watkins, CRO/Co-founder, Bold Reuse
Amelia Eichel, CEO & Co-Founder, Wonderfil
Additional panelists to be announced!
Evening Networking Reception
Bold Reuse to be Used at Reception
Session IV: Molded Fiber, Alternative Materials & Paper Innovations
< Moderator >
Panel: The Future of Molded Fiber Packaging
This panel will address standards, recycling, consumer education, challenges

Moderator: TBD

Panelists include:
Kris Burton, Chief Growth Officer, Tanbark
Vaibhav Goel, Co-Founder and CEO, Cirkla Inc
Additional panelists to be announced!
Fireside chat: The Power of Collaboration and Partnerships – Working Towards Eliminating Plastic Waste with Alternative Materials
Moderator: TBD

Panelists:
Holly Kennedy, Project Advisor – Americas, The Alliance to End Plastic Waste
Emy Kane, Managing Director, Lonely Whale

Additional panelists to be announced!
Session V: Innovation in foodservice packaging and labeling for packaging
< Moderator >
Presentation Details To Come!
Heat seal coatings for paper products with Evonik
Networking Break
Consumer Preferences in Sustainable Foodservice Packaging: Insights for Innovation
Foodservice packaging manufacturers are introducing various sustainable solutions to help restaurants achieve their ESG goals, including reduced carbon footprint, recycled content, and home compostability. In 2024, Eastman's consumer insights team conducted a study to explore how consumers perceive and prioritize sustainable packaging attributes in foodservice. The study investigates consumer attitudes towards companies investing in sustainable packaging and compares the value consumers place on home compostable versus industrial compostable products. Join us to uncover the latest consumer trends in sustainable foodservice packaging and gain valuable insights for packaging innovation.
 
Madison Brownell | Market Development Manager, Eastman
Greenhushing – Charges and Fear of Labeling Packaging
Abstract coming soon
Evening Networking Reception
Bold Reuse to be Used at Reception
Registration Opens
Registration Table Opens
Open Remarks
Conference Producer, Smithers
Session VI: Sustainability Reporting, ESG and Certifications
< Moderator >
Seizing the Opportunity: How Packaging Convertors Drive Environmental Impact for Brand Owners
In today’s era of heightened environmental consciousness, adopting sustainable processes for convertors has become imperative. This session explores the transformative potential of implementing sustainable processes within packaging convertors to deliver substantial environmental impacts for brand owners. Through insightful case studies, data-driven analyses, and industry best practices, this session will demonstrate the multifaceted benefits of collaboration between packaging convertors and brand owners. This session aims to uncover actionable strategies for leveraging sustainability as a competitive advantage while fostering positive environmental change across the packaging value chain.
 
Sarah Webber | Sustainable Packaging Engineer, Plastic Ingenuity
Navigating the Sustainable Future of Products and Packaging: Introducing the ISCC PLUS Certification Scheme for the Circular Economy and Bioeconomy
The circular economy and the bioeconomy continue to grow. The goal is to reduce the dependence on fossil resources, GHG emissions and to increase recycling rates. Legal requirements like climate neutrality targets, recycling quotas, plastic taxes as well as consumer preferences, company commitments and stakeholder pressure are further driving the circular economy and bioeconomy. Along the complex supply chains, chain of custody concepts like mass balancing ensure the credible connection of sustainability information and the respective materials and products. Compliance with these concepts and its verification is crucial to ensure credibility for all companies involved and also for regulators.
The presentation will give insights on how mass balance certification works, where it is applied, and how certified value chains are developed. The presentation furthermore introduces how brand owners at the end of the supply chain can benefit from ISCC certified value chains by adding claims to their finished goods and/or packaging. Credible claims help to raise awareness among the consumers that the products/packaging of the products contribute to a circular economy or bioeconomy.
 
Dr Jan Henke | Director, ISCC and Meo Carbon Solutions
Session VII: Startups to Watch
Waste as Wealth: Packaging as a Strategic Asset
Abstract details to come!
 
Manuela Zoninsein | CEO, Kayeda
Presentation Title To Come
Session VIII: Broader Impacts from the Packaging Industry
4Evergreen: The value chain approach to perfecting the circularity of fibre-based packaging
Packaging is a key enabler of the circular economy. Fibre-based packaging, in particular, is an appropriate solution in a variety of industries to protect goods on route to their final destination and it can made of 100% renewable material. In Europe Today, fibre-based packaging has a recycling rate of 82.5%. 4Evergreen was established in 2019 to further improve its circularity and raised their rate to 90% by 2030. 4Evergreen is a cross-industry alliance driven by the desire to meet some of the most pressing issues of our time. The global population is rising, resulting in increased food consumption and a greater need for packaging. To reduce pressure on natural resources, we need to focus on circularity. That's why we bring together over 110 companies and organizations from across the value chain, adopting a holistic approach. Our members include consumer goods companies, packaging producers and converters, waste management companies, non-fibre-material suppliers, technology providers, leading research institutes and start-ups. This breadth allows for us to reach consensus and implement change. Our work is structured in four technical workstreams that look at the entire life cycle of fibre-based packaging and one information workstream. They are all composed of industry experts who share best practices, prepare test programs to address unknowns and create evidence-based deliverables. All of our guidelines and protocols are developed by members with subject matter expertise, reviewed by peers, and built on a consensus involving approximately 400 delegates.
 
Scott Byrne | Director, Global Sustainability Services, Sonoco
Setting the Industry Standard for Poly Coated Paper: Data & Design Guidance for the Recyclability of Poly Coated Paper
The Poly Coated Paper Alliance (PCPA) launched in 2023 with the defined goal of collaborating toward widespread end-market acceptance for poly coated paper materials. Since the launch, the PCPA collaborated to finalize material definitions, prioritized coating types to be studied, conducted end market outreach, and focused on the data needed to move poly coated paper toward increased end market acceptance and becoming widely recycled. In the Summer of 2024, the PCPA put the data to the test in the field. This panel will discuss the findings from the PCPA sorts, RFID testing, bale audits, and discuss, in detail, the North American industry design guidance that will be released soon by the PCPA as well as the upcoming challenges and opportunities for poly coated paper.

Moderator: Samantha Kappalman, Senior Consultant, RRS (Resource Recycling Systems)


Panelists include:
Scott Byrne, Director, Global Sustainability Services, Sonoco
Ashley Elzinga, Director, Sustainability & Outreach, FPI
Shannon Moore, Director, Sustainable Packaging, Kellanova (formerly Kellog's)
Jason Pelz, Vice President of Recycling Projects, Carton Council of North America
Closing Remarks