Reusable Packaging Learning Center at PACK EXPO International 2022
The Reusable Packaging Learning Center takes place October 24-25, 2022 at PACK EXPO International.
Schedule as of October 10, 2022. All session details will be listed as they are confirmed.
Monday, October 24
Time (CST) | Session Title | Presenter | Sponsor |
10:00 - 10:20 | State of the Industry: Why Reusable Packaging for Supply Chains is Business Critical Today Reusable packaging systems for the transport and handling of goods are no longer a business option today; they are an essential component of competitive and sustainable business operations. From environmental crises to economic disruptions, from public policy objectives to technology value creation, from social standards to changing consumer interests, packaging reuse systems are a superior performer in every major business condition and trend. In this session, learn why the state of the reusable transport packaging industry is well positioned to meet the transformative demands on today's supply chains. | Tim Debus, President & CEO |  |
10:30 - 10:50 | A Conversation with The Kroger Company About their Sustainable Packaging Goals Kroger is taking a ‘Zero-Waste Approach’ to reduce unnecessary packaging, reuse packaging where possible, and increase recycling rates and content in packaging. In this session, Andrea Jesudian, Product Manager for Kroger Technology and Digital, joins RPA’s Tim Debus in a conversation about the retailer’s focus on packaging sustainability and how progress is being made with ambitious and impactful goals against waste. | Andrea Jesudian, Product Manager, Kroger Technology and Digital Tim Debus, President & CEO, RPA |  |
11:00 - 11:20 | Measuring the Environmental Impacts of Reusable Packaging in the Circular Economy, using Life-Cycle Data As companies drive sustainability and efficiency, they scrutinize their entire supply chain, including packaging, for opportunities to reduce their impact on the environment and cut waste throughout their operations. Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is a study of how packaging impacts the environment, from creation to end-of-life. It is critical to use life-cycle data to accurately compare reusable packaging to single-use packaging within the supply chain. | Breanna Herbert, Sustainability Leader |  |
11:30 - 11:50 | A Conversation with Returnity About Reusable Packaging for Consumer Markets. Returnity is a leading provider of reusable packaging products and services for consumer and business applications including custom shopping bags, shipping boxes, and other enterprise reusable solutions. In this session, Mike Newman, CEO of Returnity, joins RPA’s Tim Debus in a conversation about the state of reuse for consumer packaging and ecommerce platforms. | Mike Newman, CEO, Returnity Tim Debus, President & CEO, RPA |  |
12:30 - 1:15 | Industry Panel: Investment Climate for Sustainable Companies with Reusable Packaging Systems Investment capital into companies committing and leading on sustainability agendas and reporting on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance continues to increase at record pace. In 2020, net new assets into ESG funds jumped to $51.1 billion — more than double the year before. And in 2021, these funds attracted nearly $70 billion in new assets, according to data from Morningstar. With an investor focus on companies measuring and reporting reductions in waste, pollution, raw material dependency, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions in their operations, there is a correlation in ESG investing in companies who deploy and operate reusable packaging systems. In this session, learn insights from RPA leadership on why the investment community is attracted to companies seeking sustainable supply chain including the adoption of reusable packaging models. | Moderator: Ben Stoller, CEO, Paxxal Kevin Mazula, CEO, RM2 Shawn Stockman, Vice President, Onepak David Kruger, President, TriEnda |     |
1:30 - 1:50 | 2023 Outlook for the U.S. Pallet, Logistics, and Transportation Markets The past few years have seen ongoing volatility in the pallet, logistics, and transportation markets. Learn about the forces driving this volatility, how experts forecast these markets to behave over the next 12-18 months, and how supply chain professionals can prepare themselves for 2023. | Zach Gilbert, Chief Commercial Officer |  |
2:00 - 2:20 | Critical Operational Asset Visibility: The Missing Piece in Your Supply Chain Visibility The advent of supply chain visibility solutions within the past several years has brought great insight into the movement of goods throughout our supply chains. But are we still only seeing out of one eye? If you truly want to automate your supply chain, you need visibility on your operational supply chain assets as well. In this presentation, Roambee will review the different types of critical operational supply chain assets used in different industries, and the methods available for providing visibility on these reusable assets. | Scott Hurley, VP, Product Marketing & Strategy |  |
2:30 - 2:50 | World’s First Farm-to-Store Intelligent Supply Chain With over 300 grocery stores across the country, Israel’s largest retailer, Shufersal, is outfitting more than 1 million reusable transport items with Wiliot’s stamp-sized IoT computers to track the location and temperature of produce and ensure maximum freshness for its customers. In this session, Wiliot will share lessons learned and how cutting edge technology is paving the way for the next generation of supply chains to help ensure retailers meet their commitments of fresh produce to customers, competitive pricing, and sustainable operations for the planet. | Ohad Perry, VP, Digital Supply Chain |  |
3:00 - 3:45 | Industry Panel: Conduct a Technology Value Assessment for a Reusable Packaging System Equipping reusable transport packaging assets like pallets, bulk bins, containers, and racks with devices to capture and transmit data and software platforms to receive and interpret information offers tremendous financial opportunity from effective inventory management and real-time supply chain visibility. The Reusable Packaging Association provides demonstration of the technology’s value through a new online calculator tool. In this panel session, learn about the technology value proposition for reusable packaging system and how smart and connected products can lead to financial returns on investment. | Moderator: Rob Franzo, Director Business Development, Qualcomm Jeremy Zeitler, Business Development Executive, Wiliot Scott Hurley, VP, Product Marketing & Strategy, Roambee David Kalan, VP, Marketing & Business Development, Paxxal |    |
4:00 - 5:00 | RPA Member Happy Hour RPA Members are invited to refresh at the end of a busy day and network with industry colleagues amd fellow exhibitors. | RPA Booth # 6737 and site of the Learning Center theater | |
Tuesday, October 25
Time (CST) | Session Title | Presenter | Sponsor |
10:00 - 10:20 | Circularity Enablers. The Circular Economy Approach to Develop Transformative Transport Packaging for Enhanced Logistics Supply chain rationalization and sustainability are reshaping the industrial plastic packaging market, driving increased demand to replace wood and corrugated with reusable and recyclable plastics. Cabka is leading the industry closing the loop from waste to recycling to manufacturing. Whether they are lightweight nestable pallets or heavy-duty large foldable containers, the company is the global leader in transformative transport packaging made out of recycled plastics. We will present case studies and best practices of reusable plastic pallets and large container solutions, including comparative life cycle analysis studies. Further, we will introduce new innovative plastic pallet and container systems, such as the NestRack, and the new Retail US5. | Jean-Marc van Maren, Chief Product Officer, Cabka |  |
10:30 - 10:50 | Managing Your Reusable Packaging to Drive Sustainability and Reliability As reusable packaging continues to grow in today’s supply chains, it is critical for companies to look at their supply chain holistically, in order to get the most out of their packaging investment. Companies are looking to manage their packaging for maximum efficiency and optimization. In this session, attendees will learn about supply chain-wide benefits of reusable packaging, best practices in packaging management and how to get started. | Mike Garcia, Market Manager | |
11:00 - 11:45 | Industry Panel: The State of Plastic Content and Innovation for Reusable Packaging Products Only 14% of all plastic packaging in the world is collected for recycling, meaning 84% of plastic packaging is either landfilled or lost in the environment. The recycling rate in the United States is much lower at a recently revised estimate of 6% for post-consumer plastic waste. These unacceptable results are leading to product bans, legislative actions, and even a global treaty to address the problem. Yet plastic is an excellent source material for the manufacture of reusable packaging products such as pallets, bulk bins, containers and totes, in which plastic waste and pollution are prevented in a managed system of continuous use. At this industry panel discussion, learn about the role of reuse systems in keeping plastic products in valued circulation and how trends and innovations in recycled plastic content are enabling reusables to be a part of the solution to plastic consumption. | Moderator: Andy Schumacher, Vice President, SSI Schaefer Jean-Marc van Maren, Chief Product Officer, Cabka Nemo Saha, Sales Manager, Kal-Polymers |   |
12:00 - 12:20 | ESG and the Sustainable Value Chain - Trends Impacting the Packaging Business The industry is facing increasing pressure from stakeholders, customers and non-governmental organizations to demonstrate high ethical standards in their business practices and supply chains. Companies who fail to meet these standards or make false statements about their ESG performance face significant legal and reputational risks. In this session, Jessica Bonsall, ESG Director for 48forty, will discuss how to develop and implement simple and impactful ESG strategy. | Jessica Bonsall, ESG Director |  |
1:00 - 1:45 | Industry Panel: Measure and Improve Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Scores Through a Technology-Enabled Reusable Packaging System Mining data, measuring progress, and validating results for scoring and reporting performance on ESG initiatives can be a challenging task. There is a lot at stake based on the accuracy of information in which evaluations and decisions are made. Having complete visibility over a company’s operations and the ability to quantitatively assess its impacts in the world are critical tools for reliable and impactful business actions. In this panel session, hear from experts on how technology-enabled reusable packaging systems can deliver the measurement and trust needed for effective progress on ESG objectives. | Moderator: Shawn Stockman, Vice President Sustainability Solutions, Onepak Jessica Bonsall, ESG Director, 48Forty Tom Strain, Vice President of Technology, Surgere Paul Barry, CEO, PALIoT |    |
2:00 - 2:20 | Realizing the Returnable Value from Your Reusable Supply Chain Assets Learn how ACSIS can help you unlock the returnable value from your reusable supply chain assets. In this session ACSIS will explain how reusable supply chain assets like pallets, trays, baskets, bins, and containers can be uniquely identified with inexpensive technologies to capture and transmit data for real-time visibility of your assets and the products they carry as they move through the extended supply chain. We will explain how integrating information technology with reusable packaging is creating new product values and operational advantages in the distribution of goods. Including reducing annual asset replacement costs, improving visibility of the whereabouts of your assets and the products associated with the asset, and lastly, contributing to your company’s sustainability initiatives. | John DiPalo, Chief Strategy Officer |  |
3:00 - 4:00 | Excellence in Reusable Packaging Awards Celebrate the winners of RPA's 11th annual award program and learn about the award-winning products and case study applications. |  |  |