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Program

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Bio-Based Solutions

All sessions listed below are in Pacific Time (PT).  View the Schedule summary here.

Tuesday, June 15th, 2021
10:30am to 11:00am
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Opportunities in the Bioeconomy

Breakout

What financial, regenerative, and sourcing opportunities lie in a bio-based economy, and how can your company support a sustainable transition?

Transitioning to a renewable, circular, bioeconomy is crucial. This transformation could help address climate change and biodiversity loss, avoid reliance on harmful and non-renewable materials, divert financial risk and create economic opportunity,with a market for bio-based products projected to grow to $7.7 trillion by 2030. But shifting from finite and often petroleum-derived materials to a renewable, biobased economy brings not just new solutions, but also new challenges. With competing biomass demand between food, fuel, fiber and other applications, finding the right balance to sustainably manage natural capital while remaining within planetary boundaries will be key. Join this session to explore the opportunities and limitations of biobased solutions across sectors, and how your company can support a sustainable, regenerative transition.

  • All-Access Pass Required

Speakers

  • Liz Corbin
  • Jim Goddin
  • Nicholas Abbatiello

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11:00am to 11:30am
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Preserving Biodiversity Through the Circular Economy

Breakout

How can the transition to a circular economy support the preservation of biodiversity?

With more than one million species under threat of extinction, the natural world is facing threats from every direction. Among numerous, staggering repercussions loss of biological diversity represents a significant business risk as over half of global GDP depends on natural resources and services. Can a circular economy help mitigate risk and reverse this trend? While circular principles will not solve this problem alone, they do have the power to alleviate pressure on biological sources while regenerating living systems. What role does the circular economy play in preserving biodiversity, and what strategies can your company employ to protect the natural world? Join this session to hear from experts and practitioners tackling this question. 

 

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Speakers

  • Soukeyna Gueye
  • Dorothy Shaver
  • Helen Crowley

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12:00pm to 12:30pm
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Innovators Showcase: Upcycled Food

Breakout

What are some of the most groundbreaking innovations in upcycled food?

More than a third of the food produced in the United States — valued at roughly $408 billion — is never eaten. Enter: a new class of innovators focused on upcycled food. Sourcing food surplus, “ugly” produce and manufacturing byproducts, these companies are hacking the food system to reduce waste, save carbon emissions, feed our communities and generate profit. Come be inspired by this showcase of upcycled food innovations.

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Speakers

  • Anna Hammond
  • Dan Kurzrock
  • Alesha Hartley
  • Sheetal Bahirat
  • Alex Waite

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12:30pm to 1:15pm
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Interactive: Exploring Regenerative Food Systems

Networking

Connect with like-minded participants in this interactive virtual discussion around a hard question or hot topic within the circular economy. Select your topic of interest to join a group discussion led by a moderator. The group will then be split into breakouts — allowing for deeper conversation around the topic you care about most. Bring your own challenges, questions and ideas to these interactive discussions. Cameras on!

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Wednesday, June 16th, 2021
10:30am to 11:00am
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Cultivating a Regenerative Food System

Breakout

What does a regenerative, just food system look like, and what will it take to bring it to scale from farm to factory to fork, and back?

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Speakers

  • Cher Mereweather
  • Seth Olson
  • Nell Fry
  • Margaret Henry

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11:00am to 11:30am
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The Need for National Composting

Breakout

What does an effective national composting system look like, and what will it take to bring it to scale?

Less than 10 percent of food waste in the United States finds its way into the compost. Given the lack of composting infrastructure for food waste in many parts of the United States, it’s not hard to imagine why. There are numerous hurdles to clear in order to scale composting across the nation. From contamination and consumer confusion to facility siting and lack of a national composting policy, the list of challenges goes on. To divert food waste from landfills, recapture value and save both money and carbon emissions, things need to change. Join this session to learn what it will take to scale progress and our national organics diversion rate.

 

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Speakers

  • Ryan Cooper
  • Nora Goldstein
  • Jorge Montezuma
  • Michelle Tulac

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12:00pm to 12:30pm
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System Shifts: Designing Out Food Waste

Breakout

How can an interconnected food system effectively minimize waste, and what points in that system should be leveraged to avoid spoilage?

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Speakers

  • Natasha Dyer
  • Dana Gunders
  • Kari Armbruster
  • Jim Giles

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Thursday, June 17th, 2021
12:00pm to 12:30pm
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Innovators Showcase: New Materials

Breakout

What are some of the most groundbreaking innovations in materials? 

The linear economy has relied upon a slew of wasteful, non-renewable and often toxic materials that are often incompatible with a circular system. Enter: a new class of innovators designing and developing new materials designed with function, next life and planetary boundaries in mind. From textiles made from food waste to biodegradable plastic alternatives, these companies are leveraging new technologies and unique, renewable or abundant resources to reduce waste and a reliance on toxic chemicals. Come learn about the materials of the future and be inspired by this showcase of material innovations.   

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Speakers

  • Theanne Schiros
  • Jessica Vieira
  • Issac Nichelson
  • Ehab Sayed
  • Sherrie Totoki
  • Anne Schauer-Gimenez

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Ask an Expert: Solving the Ocean Plastics Crisis

Breakout

What will it take to effectively curb the flow of plastics into the ocean?

More than 86 million metric tons of plastic are in our ocean. With 11 million tons of plastic waste flowing into the ocean each year, and a tidal wave of public outcry, the urgency of the challenge is clear — yet the solution is evasive. Is stopping plastic production at the source the key? Is investment in infrastructure, the informal waste economy and ocean clean-up initiatives critical to the equation? What is the role of new materials like bioplastics in replacing and bating plastic reliance? Join this session as we discuss the multitude of leverage points and solutions needed to address the ocean plastics crisis.

 

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Speakers

  • Janis Searles Jones
  • Lauren Phipps

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Bioplastics: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Breakout

What are the different types of bioplastics? What are their benefits, drawbacks, appropriate applications and role in a sustainable materials management future?

In the scramble to swap single-use plastics for sustainable alternatives, some companies are turning to bioplastic as a seemingly ideal replacement. These plant-based alternatives promise the same functionality of petroleum-based plastics without a reliance on nonrenewable resources. Yet with nonexistent standards, limited regulation and a variety of biomass sources, bioplastics can lead to an increase in unsustainable farming practices like deforestation, monoculture agriculture and the use of petroleum-based fertilizers — not to mention confusion about end-of-life materials management and incompatibility with both organics and plastics recycling systems. Are bioplastics a net positive or negative in a sustainable packaging strategy? What does it take to sustainably source feedstocks for bioplastics? How, where and under what conditions can they be recycled or composted? In what context does it make sense to use bioplastics? This session will provide an overview of the family of bioplastics and their fit in the world of sustainable packaging — the good, the bad and the ugly.

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Speakers

  • Hannah Friedman
  • Dan Leif
  • Alix Grabowski

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