The Packaging Conference 2020: New Technology For Plastic Sustainability And More

Jan 22, 2020

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It’s no surprise to Plastics Today readers that the focus on plastics, packaging and the environment has accelerated. However, what is newsworthy are the emerging approaches to addressing these complex issues.

A significant portion of The Packaging Conference, February 3-5, at the AT&T Conference Center, Austin, TX, will be attacking the issue from different angles.

For example, Barnaby Wallace, global category lead packaging of the global pet care segment for Mars, Inc. (McClean, VA), will elaborate on “Sustainable in a Generation” as Mars plans to address the transformation of its business to a more sustainable future. The healthy planet component of the plan includes a commitment to a circular economy. Mars is striving to make 100% of its packaging recyclable by 2025.  Wallace’s presentation will outline some of the challenges and the need for the complete value chain to be a part of the solution.

Attendees will hear about the need for solutions to be multifaceted in order to manage the complexities of the issue including collection, cleaning and reapplication. More sophisticated technologies will need to be developed and/or commercialized to address the scale of the issue, particularly when considering complex high-performance plastic packaging.

President and CEO Katherine Lugar of the American Beverage Association (Washington, D.C.) will share how America’s leading beverage companies are working with leading environmental and sustainability organizations to get “Every Bottle Back.” Lugar believes that recycling alone is not the solution and that front and back end challenges need to be addressed to truly make a difference.