Packaging

Monday, May 6 | 12:00 – 12:30 PM

Speaker: Dan Ward

Attendees will get a first look and introduction to NOVA’s Sustainability Scorecard, a new approach and tool designed specifically to score the sustainability of flexible packaging.  The recent case studies will demonstrate typical challenges and trade-offs encountered when redesigning current flexible packages for sustainability.

Monday, May 6  | 3:00 – 3:30 PM

Speaker: James Stern

Over the last few years, Exxon Mobil Product Solutions (EMPS) has developed and commercialized several innovative high-density polyethylene (HDPE) materials. In this session, you will get a first-hand look at the development of such resins, in conjunction with OEMs, customers, and brand-owners across both the rigid and flexible applicational spaces.

Tuesday, May 7  | 8:00 – 8:45 AM

Speaker: Bruce Main

In this session, learn how injection molding and packaging business can benefit by applying the the latest insights from the recently updated ANSI B155.1-2023 standard and the ANSI B11 standard series.

Tuesday, May 7 | 10:00 – 10:30 AM

Speaker: Haim Za’afrani

The plastics industry is critical to delivering on the essential needs of the global population. This session will examine the technologies, solutions and services that have been engineered to work together to enable your company’s sustainability goals, regardless of where you are in your journey.

Tuesday, May 7 | 10:00 – 10:30 AM

Speaker: Wei Zhang, PhD

As the world is demanding more and more rPET materials to incorporate into plastic packaging, what should we know about its impacts, characteristics, and mitigation possibilities? This presentation will take a look at the best practices and impacts of rPET material, and introduce the whitepaper going to be published by the International Society of beverage Technologists (ISBT) Sustainable Packaging Committee.

Tuesday, May 7 | 10:00 – 10:45 AM

Speaker: Jorge Izquierdo

Review the demand for packaging equipment during COVID, the impact of supply chain disruptions, workforce challenges, the trends driving the future of packaging equipment and new market opportunities.

Tuesday, May 7 | 11:00 – 11:45 AM

Speaker: Erik Foltz

Many corporations are investigating ways to minimize their plastic footprint to help achieve sustainability goals and to help reduce part costs. In this session, you will gain a holistic view of the lightweighting process to better optimize your plastic part design.

Tuesday, May 7 & Thursday, May 8 | 12:00 – 12:30 PM

Speaker: Michael Kirch

Sukano formulated a new nucleating masterbatch package that allows transparent CPET-light applications to be dimensionally stable at temperatures up to 100°C. This advancement enables the use of PET for hot-fill applications that are recyclable.

Tuesday, May 7 | 1:00 – 1:45 PM

Speaker: Rebecca Marquez

Hear from Rebecca Marquez as she discusses the PMMI Compass and Flexible Packaging reports and provides attendees with timely plastics market data and updates.

Tuesday, May 7 | 2:00 – 2:30 PM

Speaker: Dave Morton

In today’s rapidly evolving packaging landscape, producers are being squeezed from all sides – mounting sustainability mandates, rising costs, challenges with new materials and increasing quality standards. Overcoming these challenges requires harnessing the latest technological innovations. In this session, learn more about the trends impacting packaging producers and how advancements in injection molding are transforming the industry. 

Tuesday, May 7 | 2:00 – 2:45 PM

Speakers: Alison Keane, Esq & CAE, Natha Dempsey, Jason Eberstein

Hear from The National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR), Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) and Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI) about the latest Federal and State Regulations and Legislation that will impact packaging.

Tuesday, May 7 | 3:00 – 3:30 PM

Speakers: Adam Wozniak

Adam Wozniak will present an overview of materials for packaging. This session will include the types of materials used for packaging and where sustainable and recyclable materials are an option.

Wednesday, May 8 | 11:00 –11:50 AM

Speakers: Ankur Boruah, Jochen Forsthoevel, Jürgen Röders

This session will discuss advantages of independent blow mold makers, how a closed plastic loop can be achieved and implemented, and the factory of the future.

Wednesday, May 8 | 12:00 –12:30 PM

Speakers: Wylie Royce, Emanuel van der Ven, Sean Wilson

Sabic and Royce will illustrate the various processing solutions that are successfully foaming PP packaging applications. The presentation will cover the products used, cell structures and weight reduction achieved.

Wednesday, May 8 | 12:00 –12:30 PM

Speakers: Imre Varga, Brant Wunderlicht

This session will share the findings of ongoing, multi-year research into consumer preferences for packaging, plastics, and sustainability.

Wednesday, May 8 | 2:00 –2:30 PM

Speakers: Raj Krishnaswamy

PHB (polyhydroxybutanoic acid) copolymers or PHAs are recognized to naturally biodegrade in soil, home compost, industrial compost, fresh water and marine environments. In this presentation, we will highlight the attributes and value proposition of “new to the world” bio-based amorphous PHA rubber. Incorporating amorphous PHA as a component in products based on other compostable polymers such as semi-crystalline PHA, PLA, PBS and PBAT results in considerably faster composting/biodegradation, improved melt processing and handling, higher toughness and flexibility. These values will dramatically expand the range and utility of compostable packaging.

Wednesday, May 8 | 2:00 –2:30 PM

Speakers: Steve Koenig

In an era where sustainability is no longer just a buzzword, the food and beverage packaging industry is pushing forward at unprecedented speed with innovations to achieve the lowest carbon footprint compared to develop packaging that is fully recyclable while delivering the best consumer experience aligned with the brands objectives – the “Ultimate Package”.

Join us to learn more about the broader implications of the circular economy, as well as how leading brands are leveraging this opportunity to reduce costs, increase design flexibility, and boost product differentiation. 

Wednesday, May 8 | 3:00 –3:30 PM

Speakers: George Huber

Get to know a brand-new platform technology for recycling plastics to food-grade materials using solvents called Solvent-Targeted Recovery and Precipitation (STRAP). In this session, you’ll discover how STRAP can produce a high-quality white resin for food-grade applications, how resins recovered from STRAP can be cheaper than virgin resins and why they have 60-95% lower greenhouse gas emissions than producing virgin polymer.

Thursday, May 9 | 10:00 –10:30 AM

Speakers: Jennifer Austin

Brand owners in the medical and pharmaceutical packaging industry have established sustainability goals for the plastic packaging of their products, which can be supported by the rest of the value chain. This includes improving packaging performance while reducing raw material consumption, increasing recycled content incorporation, improving the recyclability of packaging and utilizing alternatives to fossil-based feedstocks. In this session, you will learn about the innovative Exxtend technology for advanced recycling and discuss the incorporation of certified circular polymers in product designs.

Thursday, May 9 | 11:00 –11:50 AM

Speakers: Dan Durham, Fabien Lemesle, Sebastian Wenderel

This session will discuss the PCR snapshot, PET market trends and technological solutions and how sustainability and productivity gains happen in a vacuum.

Thursday, May 9  | 2:00 – 2:30 PM

Speaker: Tyler Derus

Discover the fundamentals of corona treatment and its crucial role in enabling quality adhesion on plastic films. Whether you are a seasoned professional or new to the field, you will gain valuable insights and practical knowledge to avoid pitfalls of over- and undertreatment, and prepare to achieve consistent, high-quality adhesion results.

Friday, May 10 | 11:00 – 11:30 AM

Speaker: Nash Lawson

See the latest research from Industrial Physics™ on the attitudes and experiences of packaging professionals around the world. Explore the motivations and broader context around the notable drive to reduce and replace plastic through innovation.

Friday, May 10 | 12:00 – 12:30 PM

Speaker: Michael Kirch

Introducing SUKANO® Mobility Aid masterbatch for Injection Stretch Blow Molded (ISBM) PET bottles, an alternative solution for efficient production without the need for spray coating. Experience a silicone-like mobility aid effect that preserves material clarity. Achieve consistency and even distribution throughout the PET material, leading to a significant reduction in the coefficient of friction (COF) and enhanced processing.