SPC Advance 2016

Nina Goodrich, GreenBlue Executive Director and Director of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, will discuss key takeaways from the previous sessions and the SPC’s direction on future activities.

Oregon is on the forefront of transitioning from waste management to sustainable materials management. Through creativity and a strong science-based approach, a new philosophy of regulatory action is taking shape and spurring an evolution from past pursuits of waste reduction and recovery. Hear the story of Oregon’s approach and learn how a progressive state government agency is making waves in the sustainable packaging community.

The most notable expression of circular economy thinking in 2016, The New Plastics Economy report was produced by the World Economic Forum and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation as part of a global initiative aimed and scaling the circular economy. Regardless of the types of packaging materials your company engages with, everyone will appreciate this engaging panel discussion featuring representatives from leading brands and suppliers as they explore the state of circular economy thinking and its application to packaging.

Having identified packaging recovery and recycling as a priority to help achieve California’s overall statewide goal to reduce landfilled waste by at least 75% by 2020, CalRecycle initiated the Manufacturers Challenge to encourage industry’s collective action to reduce landfilled packaging in California by 50%. As industry considers and pursues voluntary actions to meet California’s aggressive goals, CalRecycle formulates its next steps and plans to bring recommendations to the CalRecycle Director on Tuesday, September 20. Hear from CalRecycle’s Jim Hill to receive an overview of CalRecycle’s approach to packaging recovery and the latest news from the Golden State.

Strong recycling programs are critical for successful packaging recovery, and two new studies are shining new light on their quantity and quality. The Recycling Partnership’s EPA-funded study;The State of Curbside Recycling brings forth a new analysis of trends and gaps in curbside recycling infrastructure, and the SPC-led; 2015-16 Study on Availability of Recycling presents a robust national picture of the types of recycling programs that are available to consumers, giving new data on the prevalence of quality, convenient programs that are likely to be utilized.

Whether you’re new to the conversation or looking for the most current overview of compostable packaging, this session will outline the most important considerations and happenings in the world of compostable packaging.

Perhaps the most ambitious voluntary industry commitment to date, the Closed Loop Fund was formed to invest $100M to increase the recycling of products and packaging. In 2016, their attention is turned towards multilayer flexible packaging. This session features the announcement of the latest grant awardees and their stories around how the Closed Loop Fund’s investments will be used to pursue meaningful gains towards scalable solutions for flexible packaging waste.

This multi-year SPC-led engagement has brought together stakeholders from every segment of the supply chain to explore responsible fiber sourcing and the opportunities and challenges of certification programs. Hear the most up-to-date understanding of the state of responsible fiber sourcing practices and learn about the SPC’s ongoing work to create more viable means of supply chain assurance.

A new program aimed at waste reduction in plastics manufacturing is offering tools and resources to help plastic suppliers achieve recycling and waste reduction goals. Created by members of SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association, this self-reporting program also provides qualification and verification requirements that help companies demonstrate their goals for pursuing zero waste. Hear from the program’s leader and a leading converter and learn about the Zero Net Waste program and its promise to improve plastics manufacturing.

Growing the viability of compostable packaging hinges on a number of diverse stakeholders creating common value, and this session focuses on the consumer. Learn about strategies for communicating the compostability of packaging and hear about the SPC’s new on-package labeling program,

Fiber sourcing considerations are not one-size-fits-all. Environmental and social considerations differ greatly in various regions of the world, and growth and harvest practices in the boreal forests of Canada may or may not be applicable to those in Indonesia, which may or may not be applicable to those in the southeastern United States, and so on. Part One of this series of presentations focuses on how an innovative public – private collaboration aims to address serious sustainability challenges in SE Asia. Presentation with time for questions.

Learn about a new study conducted by Trucost to quantify the externalized economic costs related to the environmental inputs and impacts of plastics and their alternatives. The study is a follow on to previous reports including Valuing Plastics by Trucost in 2014 and The New Plastics Economy: Rethinking the Future of Plastics by the World Economic Forum in 2016, and includes a discussion of opportunities to reduce the natural capital costs of plastics. Hear from Jeff Wooster on behalf of the American Chemistry Council, who commissioned the study.

Cities are key drivers for increasing source separated organics (SSO) programs that provide cost-effective collection and treatment solutions that recover organic waste, recycle it to its highest-value use and return it to our community value chain. In this presentation, Debra Darby will give an overview of how a co-collection program of organics with municipal solid waste has created an effective program. She will also provide a description of how communities and commercial entities can increase organics recovery rates and meet greenhouse gas reduction goals.

Industrial composters that accept food waste are the most promising destination for compostable packaging, but it is well-established that composters value food waste more than packaging waste. Fortunately, compostable foodservice packaging can deliver food waste to composters, enhancing the value proposition of compostable packaging by giving the composters what they want. Learn about new work to quantify the amount of food waste compostable packaging can divert from landfills and deliver to composters.

Plastics recyclability can be nuanced, and even well-intentioned design decisions can have adverse effects on recycling processes. Join this session to learn about the work of Plastics Forming Enterprises and their unique role providing recyclability testing services, including recyclability protocols from the Association of Plastics Recyclers, and gain valuable insight in the growing practice of proving recyclability by science-based testing.

Which is better: recycled fiber or responsibly sourced virgin fiber? This session explores the sustainability considerations for both virgin and recycled fiber, highlighting differences in life cycle impacts, market opportunities, and geographic variations. Attendees will learn about the complexities of this seemingly simple question and gain an appreciation for the fit of both virgin and recycled feedstocks in our overarching system of fiber usage. Presentation with time for questions.

Innovations and industry pursuits towards more sustainable plastic packaging are everywhere. This session features a series of diverse topics with a common thread of sustainability and plastic packaging. From trending food processing technologies to new recycling technologies, stay on the forefront of industry happenings related to sustainable plastics.

The Organics Contamination Reduction Workgroup is working to understand sources of contamination and create a strategic tool kit and messaging program to reduce contamination in residential and commercial sources of compostable wasted food. Learn how this Washington state workgroup has brought together municipal officials, composters, regulators, and representatives of various commercial businesses to lower costs, improve the viability of industrial composting for the municipal solid waste stream, and help with acceptance of compostable packaging.

Organics recovery has its unique mix of challenges and opportunities, and GreenBlue has formed the Composting Collaborative to synergize current efforts as they relate composting as part of landfill diversion, compost manufacturing, and soil health. Attendees in this facilitated discussion will hear about current plans for the Collaborative and have an opportunity to provide feedback.

New to the SPC? Join this intimate networking reception to meet the SPC staff and the SPC’s Executive Committee and learn more about the Sustainable Packaging Coalition. Seasoned SPC veteran? Come and share your experiences with new members and make new connections.

Enjoy superb food, an open bar, and networking with your fellow conference attendees.

Nina Goodrich, GreenBlue Executive Director and Director of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, will set the stage with an overview of the current state of packaging sustainability.

The iconic Nike shoebox is not as timeless as one might think. Hear the story of its continually shifting design and the number of adjustments and improvements that have been implemented over time, from efficiency gains and cost savings to performance and sustainability characteristics. We can all learn from the past, present, and future of this classic package.

Learn about Disney Consumer Products’ Smart Packaging Initiative, an innovative and robust system to benchmark packaging sustainability characteristics and encourage design-for-sustainability considerations for their product licensees.

>As part of its corporate mission to help people save money and live better, Walmart and Sam’s Club pursue a system in which customers do not have to choose between products that they can afford and products that are better for them and the environment. Learn how Walmart aims to sell products with packaging that can be recycled by most customers and optimize recycled content that span across categories in food and beverage; consumables like detergents, cleaners, and personal care products; over-the-counter and pharmaceutical products, and other areas.

The SPC’s successful on-package recyclability labeling system has changes unfolding. As the program grows with major presence at Walmart, Target, and with a multitude of leading brands, How2Recycle is placing an increasing emphasis on rewarding the technical design considerations that make a package optimal for the recycling process. Learn how How2Recycle is evolving beyond the historical sole criteria of acceptance in recycling programs to include additional attention to behavior in sortation operations and remanufacturing processes.