How should your sustainability strategy incorporate and align with circular principles? The circular economy is a powerful lens through which a company can reduce waste, emissions and material consumption while transforming their business strategy and regenerating natural systems. Yet circular initiatives are often siloed from sustainability strategy, if they are leveraged at all. How could a robust sustainability strategy incorporate circular principles, and how should these cross-sectional strategies align to advance sustainable business goals? Hear from companies leading the charge in sustainable, circular initiatives as they discuss their comprehensive sustainability strategies.

What does it mean for packaging to be recyclable, and what process is needed to confirm recyclability and avoid liability? Between contentious legal battles and stringent, newly passed regulation, recyclability claims have come under scrutiny in recent months. Is a piece of packaging recyclable when it’s theoretically feasible to recycle it, or only when it’s recycled in practice? How often are specific packaging designs recycled in practice, and can this data truly be collected? When is the chasing arrows symbol instructive, and when is it false advertising? Join this session as we unravel these questions and more to demystify the confusing world of recyclability claims.  

How can circular initiatives be leveraged in pursuit of net-zero emissions? If deployed at scale, circular economy strategies could remove billions of tons from our global carbon footprint, while also cutting costs and regenerating natural systems. Yet very few companies have combined circular projects with emission-reduction roadmaps. In this session, leaders from organizations that have pioneered such approaches will explain how they overcame barriers to integrating these two critical areas of sustainability strategy, and what they have achieved by doing so.

Over the last four years, recycling programs across the United States have struggled under the weight of COVID-19, China’s National Sword policy and an underfunded patchwork of laws and regulations across cities and states. The time for dramatic change is now: President Biden has made fighting climate change and boosting environmental protection a crucial focus of the new administration. The EPA has set a recycling goal of 50 percent by 2030 and recently appropriated $1.5 million to collecting detailed data on the recycling system nationwide.

At the same time, two states – Maine and Oregon – were the first in the country to pass extended producer responsibility laws covering packaging and California passed a labeling law that will change the way recyclability can be communicated to consumers in our largest state. And the legislative efforts are just beginning, with new bills under consideration and debate, the state of packaging and recycling policy at the state and federal levels is in flux. Join this session to uncover the state of national policy, its implications for industry now and how your company can engage in the policymaking process and advance our national recycling system in the future.

How can circular design principles improve the sustainability metrics of your packaging?

An increase in consumer awareness, corporate engagement and regulatory action has led more companies to set ambitious goals to reduce and reimagine their use of plastics and packaging. This session will explore circular packaging best practices alongside trends and innovations, offering attendees a comprehensive look into their circular packing opportunities. Speakers from across the value chain will discuss a variety of circular packaging levers from designing out waste to infrastructure investment to material innovation and beyond.

How can circular design principles improve the sustainability metrics of your products?

From sustainable material selection — including recycled or bio-based materials — to designing for disassembly, repair or reuse, there are thousands of intentional decisions in the design of a circular product. What does a strategic, holistic design process entail? What does it take to design for next life and new business models? What design considerations should be prioritized to ensure measurable, sustainable benefits? Join this session to break down the criteria and guidelines needed for designing circular electronics, apparel, consumer goods, and more.