Program

Circularity 20 Archive Recordings

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Next-Gen Packaging

Tuesday, August 25th, 2020

8:00am to 8:10am

Welcome to Circularity 20!

Plenary

What will it take to accelerate the circular economy?

Welcome to Circularity 20. The opening will set the stage for the virtual event, offer an overview of the program and ground attendees in what circularity means today.

8:10am to 8:30am

Circularity in this Moment

Plenary

What is the state of the circular economy today, how can we encourage stakeholders to adopt its principles, and what systemic shifts should we prioritize to advance this model’s future?

8:50am to 8:55am

Special Announcement

Plenary

Stay Tuned!

10:00am to 10:25am

Foundations of the Circular Economy

Breakout

What are the basic building blocks of the circular economy, and how can they help drive opportunity and innovation across roles and sectors?

This breakout will provide the basics of the circular economy, from theory to action, from guiding principles to case studies spanning products, business models and system-level innovations. Much of the work in the circular economy to date has centered on deep analysis of the broader economic opportunity. This session will help translate the theory into practical opportunities for colleagues working in various functions within an organization and value chain.

Achieving Plastic Commitments Amidst Low Oil Prices

Breakout

How can brands and retailers achieve ambitious circular and sustainable packaging goals amidst a volatile oil market?

A great onus has been placed on brands to design, manufacture and sell more sustainable packaging. Thanks to increased consumer awareness, sporadic regulatory influence and proactive corporate engagement, numerous companies have set ambitious goals to rethink their packaging approach. But creating a holistic packaging strategy comes with complex and sometimes contradictory considerations. From material selection and availability, to recyclability and regional challenges, to financial implications and carbon footprints, companies face a complex landscape of deliberations. This is all the more true with the recent plummeting of oil prices that promise bargain prices for virgin plastics and threaten the economics of recycled materials. Hearing from brands with ambitious commitments to recyclability and recycled content, this breakout panel will uncover how they are staying the course despite these unprecedented times.

10:30am to 10:55am

The How, What and Why of Bioplastics

Breakout

What is the current state of bioplastics, and what role should they play in a sustainable packaging future?

In the scramble to swap single-use plastics for sustainable alternatives, some companies are turning to bioplastic as a seemingly effective replacement. These plant-based alternatives promise the same advantages of traditional plastics without contributing to the world’s growing waste epidemic. Yet bioplastics raise a slew of tough questions for the packaging industry and leave significant confusion in their wake. Do bioplastics count as plastic? Do they work? How, where and under what conditions can they be recycled? What about composting? When does it make sense to use them? This session will provide an overview of the family of bioplastics and their fit in the world of sustainable packaging.

Wednesday, August 26th, 2020

8:05am to 8:20am

Ocean Pollution to Solution: Perspectives from a Young Leader

Plenary

Stay tuned!

8:30am to 8:55am

Policy for a Circular Economy, Part 1

Breakout

How should diverse corporate stakeholders —such as brands and packaging producers — help shape the U.S. policy landscape around plastics, recycling and solid waste management?

This two part policy session, organized in collaboration with the The Recycling Partnership, will focus on the role that brand and packaging producers can play in forging a stronger policy environment in the U.S. to create more circular outcomes.

The steady growth of public attention around plastics and packaging has led to a revitalized policy focus in the U.S. on recycling and solid waste management in 2020. Historically, brands and packaging producers have played an antagonistic role in the U.S. packaging policy landscape. However, the emergence of a circular economy opportunity and the urgency of science-based action are creating the conditions for value chain engagement and collective participation in the policymaking process.

9:00am to 9:25am

Policy for a Circular Economy, Part 2

Breakout

How should diverse corporate stakeholders —such as brands and packaging producers — help shape the U.S. policy landscape around plastics, recycling and solid waste management?

This two part policy session, organized in collaboration with the The Recycling Partnership, will focus on the role that brand and packaging producers can play in forging a stronger policy environment in the U.S. to create more circular outcomes.

The steady growth of public attention around plastics and packaging has led to a revitalized policy focus in the U.S. on recycling and solid waste management in 2020. Historically, brands and packaging producers have played an antagonistic role in the U.S. packaging policy landscape. However, the emergence of a circular economy opportunity and the urgency of science-based action are creating the conditions for value chain engagement and collective participation in the policymaking process.

10:35am to 10:55am

Accelerate at Circularity 20: Fast-Pitch Competition

Plenary

12:00pm to 12:25pm

Algae and Mushrooms and Pineapples, Oh My! Bioutilization in Action

Breakout

What opportunities exist to incorporate bio-based materials into products and packaging, how can they be sustainably sourced, and what benefits or challenges do these materials afford?

From fish scales in electronics to fabrics made from milk protein, the utilization of bio materials can often seem like a page out science fiction. Whether futuristic or highly practical, new uses of biological materials are garnering attention as a new and exciting approach to circular products. Can the use of these materials offer a sustainable pathway forward? How can bio-based materials be effectively and sustainably scaled, and when should your company take advantage of them? This session will explore these questions.

Advanced Recycling: What, When and How to Scale?

Breakout

What is the state of the advanced recycling industry, and what will it take to get it to scale?

There’s been a noticeable uptick lately in buzz around advanced recycling (also known as chemical recycling) and the promise of technologies that can fix the broken recycling system. However, the technologies, terminology and applications can be confusing and are not widely understood. This session will explore the landscape of transformational technologies that stop plastic waste, keep materials in play and grow markets. Speakers will discuss the state of the market and highlight the potential for transformational technologies to turn waste plastics back into new materials, decrease reliance on fossil fuels and curb the flow of plastics into marine environments.

US Plastics Pact 101

Breakout

What is the U.S. Plastics Pact and how are its signatories advancing a circular economy for plastics?

The U.S. Plastics Pact brings together businesses, government entities, NGOs, researchers, and other collaborators as part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s network of Plastics Pacts around the world. The U.S. Pact will work collectively towards a common vision of a circular economy for plastics. By bringing together diverse stakeholders and driving collaborative action, the U.S. Pact will deliver a meaningful transition towards a circular economy for plastics, enabling U.S. companies, governments and NGOs to collectively meet impactful goals by 2025 that they could not meet on their own.

Join the U.S. Plastics Pact team to learn about the Pact's launch, targets, and what comes next. Hear from the Pact’s NGOs and companies on why they're spearheading a common vision for circularity, and the crucial role companies play in plastics recovery.

We welcome others in the plastics value chain to join the U.S. Plastics Pact after its launch.

Thursday, August 27th, 2020

8:05am to 8:25am

The Human Dimension of Waste Collection

Plenary

Stay tuned!

8:30am to 8:55am

Reusable Packaging: Scaling Past a Pandemic

Breakout

How can companies shift to reusable packaging models while dissuading concerns for safety and contamination?

Since the day of the milkman, companies have launched untold schemes to skip recycling for its less energy- and material-intensive cousin: reuse. While using packaging over and over again is no new concept, recent business model innovations have seen a resurgence of reuse-inspired services. But as health and safety concerns take center stage, the future of reuse has been called into question.

This panel will introduce the multitude of ways retailers and brands are enacting reuse models, including systems for refill, returnable packaging or optimising the supply-chain with reusable transport packaging. We will discuss what opportunities reuse can afford, including brand loyalty, optimized operations, and reduced costs, while exploring how brands can address contamination concerns head on. Join the sesssion for a deep dive into the opportunities and obstacles to bringing resuse to scale today.

Unpacking Packaging: The Nuances of Material Health

Breakout

How can businesses balance material health, regulatory compliance and public perception when selecting packaging materials?

The health and safety implications of materials used in packaging has become a growing concern for consumers, brands and retailers. This workshop will unpack some key questions and nuances in material health, addressing regulatory compliance, evolving public perceptions and growing concerns from consumers. The panel will share real-world insights on materials selection and the importance of material health throughout the lifecycle of a package. Attendees will walk away with strategies and tools to select the best materials for a safe, circular supply chain.

9:00am to 9:25am

Reusable Packaging: Innovators Showcase

Breakout

Who are the emerging leaders in reusable packaging?

In less than a year, reuse models have become one of the hottest topics in the world of packaging. The growing interest comes from the recognition that reuse models offer the potential to unlock significant business benefits whilst allowing the delivery of products to users safely (with sanitation practices fit for a post-pandemic world) without a reliance on disposable packaging. Globally, replacing just 20 percent of single-use plastic packaging with reusable alternatives is conservatively estimated to be an opportunity worth at least $10 billion.

This session will introduce three different reuse business models that have made it beyond the pilot stage, and reveal some of their plans to bring such solutions to scale.

11:30am to 11:35am

Opening

Plenary

12:00pm to 12:25pm

How to Design for the Future

Plenary

How do we design for the future amid the disruptive present?