January 2020

Green issues apply not only to materials but to technologies too. Under the impetus of the Industry 4.0 plan, the final  stage of digitisation involved  integrating existing systems with digital technologies in order to create systems that can manage, interpret,  and bring value to the large amount of data available.

Turning waste into a resource based on the concept that all materials can be collected and reprocessed through totally unique recycling platforms.

Innovative materials are the key topic for the panel discussion scheduled for the afternoon of 21st  February. From a green perspective, the future of the planet lies in the materials we use. This is the issue that will be addressed by Carlos Trubacz (strategic marketing manager at Amcor), Marco Versari (head of institutional relations at Novamont), Håkan Pettersson (business segment director at Billerudkornas); Mariagiovanna Vetere (global public affairs director at NatureWorks), and Marco Jansen (circular economy & sustainability leader, Europe & Asia at Braskem).

On 21 February Packaging Speaks Green will be offering participants a morning packed with contributions, focussing in particular on materials and technologies.  The first speaker on the agenda is Paola Fabbri, associate professor at the University of Bologna’s department of civil, chemical, environmental and materials engineering, who will be providing us with insights into packaging and sustainability, and scientifically debunking a series of  common myths.

Amazon, Coop and Alibaba will be taking part in Packaging Speaks Green to show how environmental awareness is an integral part of retail,  a source of inspiration for the criteria on which  management of the entire chain is based,  from the principle of responsibility to the rationalisation of consumption.

The international forum dedicated to fostering sustainability and a circular economy within the packaging industry is sponsored by  companies renowned for their excellence in the manufacture of packaging and packaging machines.

Packaging Speaks Green aims to present a “journey through supply chain sustainability” at the forum and, in addition to the commitment shown by the institutions, the aim of the event is also to inform the public about how the major international brand owners are addressing the sustainability issue.

Beyond mere providing containers for goods, the packaging industry involves an inestimable number of actors along the supply chain, from sourcing  and procuring raw materials to goods handling and logistics, from the cold chain to the design, provision of services, planning  and certification, as well as advertising, large- and small-scale retail and so on,  through to proper waste collection and disposal followed by  waste-to-energy processing, recycling, or reuse.

The afternoon events on the first day of Packaging Speaks Green will be opened by Tim Letts, deputy director for climate and energy at the WWF (World Wildlife Fund). Mr Letts will be presenting the work done by the WWF in partnership with businesses to set and achieve sustainability-related goals and those linked to the development of low-emission business models that are compatible with brands’ financial growth.

Packaging Speaks Green presents the regulatory frameworks in place in the main geographic areas worldwide concerning sustainability in response to both the cultural habits of each population relating to buying decisions and the approach to recycling, as well as to industries’ research and development needs.