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FORUM, at your fingertips.

Session

Sustainable Business, Sustainable Planet

Sunday, April 16

Noon – 1:30 p.m.

Grand Ballroom

About This Session

Today’s converters are in deep waters. Recent research shows that 79 percent of converters see sustainability as an opportunity while only 3 percent feel at risk. However, almost 100 percent of them are uncertain for multiple reasons:

  • 76 percent don’t know enough about legislations
  • 54 percent are not sure the way to manage investments
  • 49 percent fear substitution or competitive pressure
  • 35 percent are not sure how to discover new opportunities
  • 37 percent are uncertain about customer requirements
  • 27 percent don’t know if sustainable packaging will fit with their technology or product portfolio
  • And only 12 percent of converters have formulated a clear sustainability strategy

Join Julian Fernandez and Justin Green as their panel of experts examines waste and energy opportunities. They will discuss how legislation is driving change while hearing directly from a converter that has already started walking this journey.

Presentations & Speakers

FORUM 2023 headshot Elizabeth Rhue

The Role Policy & Regulations Play in Sustainability Strategy

Elizabeth Rhue, VP Global Environmental, Sustainability, & Technical Services at Sonoco Products

Presentation Details
Elizabeth will provide an overview of major policy and regulatory trends impacting the packaging industry and how these policies are changing sustainability strategy for major consumer products companies. She will also cover what packaging suppliers should do to prepare for this changing landscape.
Speaker Bio
About Elizabeth: Elizabeth Rhue, VP global environmental, sustainability, and technical services, is responsible for leading Sonoco’s global sustainability programs and environmental services for all of the company’s consumer- and industrial-related packaging businesses, including working with Sonoco’s key customers and business leaders to achieve improved product and environmental sustainability for Sonoco’s operations. In addition, Elizabeth’s team is responsible for environmental compliance, product safety and Sonoco’s consumer packaging pilot facilities, testing labs and design engineering services.
Elizabeth started her 17-year career at Sonoco as an R&D engineer with Sonoco’s Rigid Paper Container business and has held several technical and commercial roles, including sustainability and national accounts manager for Sonoco Recycling, focused on delivering landfill diversion solutions for major manufacturers, and director of marketing for Sonoco’s Flexible Packaging division.
FORUM 2023 headshot Dan Collins

The Process & Implementation of Sustainable Packaging Solutions to the Market

Dan Collins, VP of Technology & Sustainability at CP Flexible Packaging

Presentation Details
Listen to Dan provide an overview of the process to educate and implement sustainable product solutions for customers. We are all working toward compliance of future sustainable goals. Dan will showcase some key metrics for all brands to align with the sustainable goals.
Speaker Bio
About Dan: Dan Collins has more than 30 years of hands on experience in the packaging industry with a forte of providing technical and business solutions to customers and organizations. Dan has worked in many facets of the packaging business including development of new business, products, films, labels, rigid and semi-rigid containers, printing, ink, laminations, smart packaging, sustainability and converting.
He possesses in-depth experience and working knowledge of a variety of printing techniques including digital, offset, flexographic and gravure printing that have led to numerous innovations in process optimization. Dan has also been part of the development of sustainable product concepts from inception to finished commercialized products. This includes compostable, green and recyclable products. Sustainable packaging is a professional passion as well as responsibility to customers and the industry.
FORUM 2023 headshot Mike Ferrari

Flexography’s Future to Close the Recycling Gap

Mike Ferrari, President of the Consortium For Waste Circularity

Presentation Details
In order to achieve true circular economy sustainability, we must capture all waste—not just plastics that would otherwise go into landfills/incineration.
The Consortium For Waste Circularity is looking to transform recycling by co-locating regenerative robust gasifiers at landfills/incinerators and converting all organic waste, food, paper/carton board and plastic packaging (including metallized, multilayer, chlorine, foils, fitments, filth, etc.) into new plastic resins via the syngas-methanol-plastics route, which already exists commercially.
Speaker Bio
About Mike: Mike Ferrari is president of Consortium For Waste Circularity, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focusing on science-based solutions to return waste into an endless loop of circularity. Mike was recruited to The Procter & Gamble Co in Cincinnati, OH and completed a successful 32-year career as a global R&D director including 6.5 years as an international manager living in Germany. He delivered initiatives to the marketplace for leading billion dollar brands. He holds several patents and is the winner of the 2009/2010 DuPont Global Packaging Innovation Award and also served on the FTA board.
Upon retirement, Mike founded Ferrari Innovation Solutions, coaching consumer product companies to delight consumers. Mike is a guest lecturer at the University of Florida to the Packaging Engineering program, teaching “Consumer Driven Innovation Methodology.”

Session Chair

FORUM 2023 headshot Julian Fernandez

Julian Fernandez

Esko

Session Chair

FORUM 2023 headshot Justin Green

Justin Green

Comexi

Session Chairs

FORUM 2023 headshot Julian Fernandez

Julian Fernandez

Esko

FORUM 2023 headshot Justin Green

Justin Green

Comexi

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