Schedule of Events

Exhibit Hall Hours

Wednesday, October 15 – 12:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Thursday, October 16 – 7:30 AM – 2:45 PM

Times, sessions and speakers are subject to change.

9:00 AM – 6:30 PM

Registration Open
Regency Ballroom Foyer

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM

Welcome Refreshments
Crystal Ballroom Foyer
Sponsored By

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Textile Workshop
Crystal Ballroom AB
Jessica Franken
Moderator Jessica Franken Government Affairs Director, Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART) View Bio

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Workshop: EPR's Impact on the Recycling Industry (additional fee required)
Crystal Ballroom AB
In this workshop, experts will provide a brief overview of EPR laws in the U.S., from responsible end markets to key compliance requirements to how EPR is affecting the entire recycling sector.
Bill Moore
Moderator Bill Moore President, Moore & Associates View Bio
Susan Cornish
Speaker Susan Cornish Principal Consultant, Insight + Action LLC, United States View Bio
Dan Gee
Speaker Dan Gee Senior Associate, Moore & Associates View Bio

12:00 PM – 1:15 PM

Networking lunch in exhibit hall
Regency Ballroom
Sponsored By

1:15 PM – 2:45 PM

Opening Keynote
Crystal Ballroom AB
Sponsored By

2:45 PM – 3:15 PM

Networking break in exhibit hall
Regency Ballroom
Sponsored By

3:15 PM – 4:30 PM

Transportation Session
Crystal Ballroom AB

4:30 PM – 6:00 PM

Networking Reception in exhibit hall
Regency Ballroom
Sponsored By

7:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Registration Open
Regency Ballroom Foyer

7:30 AM – 8:30 AM

Continental breakfast in exhibit hall
Regency Ballroom

8:30 AM – 9:45 AM

EPR in Action: State Updates
Crystal Ballroom AB
Sponsored By
Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is gaining more traction across the U.S., but how is the movement really unfolding? In this session, industry experts highlight recent state developments and what they mean for producers, recyclers and policymakers.
Shannon Crawford Gay
Moderator Shannon Crawford Gay Director of Recycling & Environmental Policy, WM View Bio
Lynn Dyer
Speaker Lynn Dyer Executive Director, AMERIPEN View Bio

9:45 AM – 10:15 AM

EPR Update from NWRA
Crystal Ballroom AB
Sponsored By
Michael E. Hoffman
Speaker Michael E. Hoffman President and CEO, National Waste & Recycling Association View Bio

10:15 AM – 10:45 AM

Networking refreshment break in exhibit hall
Regency Ballroom
Sponsored By

10:45 AM – 12:00 PM

PSI Session: Specification - Past, Present, Future
Crystal Ballroom AB

10:45 AM – 12:00 PM

Advances in Film Recycling
Crystal Ballroom C
Plastic film is widely used in industrial and consumer packaging, yet it poses various challenges for recyclers. Despite that, a number of new and upgraded recycling plants are targeting this material, whether for mechanical or chemical recycling. In this session, we take a closer look at these operations and delve into new data on plastic film recycling.
Andy Brewer
Moderator Andy Brewer Director, Sustainability & Recycling, Plastics Industry Association View Bio
Raj Bagaria
Speaker Raj Bagaria Director, GDB International View Bio
Scott Fidler
Speaker Scott Fidler Manager of Commercial Recycling Feedstock, NOVA Circular Solutions View Bio
Ganesh Nagarajan
Speaker Ganesh Nagarajan Senior Director, Plastics, WM View Bio
Clint Thompson
Speaker Clint Thompson Chief Commercial Officer, Nexus Circular View Bio

12:00 PM – 1:15 PM

Networking lunch in exhibit hall
Regency Ballroom
Sponsored By

1:15 PM – 2:15 PM

Trends in Packaging Innovation: The Challenge of Reaching Sustainability Goals
Crystal Ballroom AB
Sponsored By
Innovation in packaging design and development has ramped up in recent years as a result of brand owners’ commitment to more sustainable packaging. With goals such as reducing use of virgin plastic, improving recyclability and the like, many new package types have been tested and introduced and many have not worked out. This session reviews wins and challenges in packaging innovation and identifies effective approaches.
Bill Moore
Moderator Bill Moore President, Moore & Associates View Bio
Cory Connors
Speaker Cory Connors Sustainable Packaging Sales and Marketing, Atlantic Packaging View Bio
Susan Cornish
Speaker Susan Cornish Principal Consultant, Insight + Action LLC, United States View Bio
Michael Hodges
Speaker Michael Hodges Vice President, Sustainability and Communications, Huhtamaki View Bio

1:15 PM – 2:15 PM

Small But Mighty: Collaborating for Small Format Packaging Recovery
Crystal Ballroom C
Small format packaging like aluminum pods, plastic caps and paper wrappers often evade sorting or contaminate recycling streams, reducing quality and increasing costs. With EPR expanding, recovery of these materials is necessary. The new Small Format Coalition brings together brands, recyclers, glass processors and waste management and MRF operators to improve recovery infrastructure, develop actionable data and promote smarter packaging design. Learn more about the coalition and how you can get involved.
Scott DeFife
Moderator Scott DeFife President, Glass Packaging Institute View Bio
Patricia Drake
Speaker Patricia Drake Director, Business Development, LyondellBasell View Bio
Ganesh Nagarajan
Speaker Ganesh Nagarajan Senior Director, Plastics, WM View Bio
Edel Rodriguez
Speaker Edel Rodriguez Vice President of Sales, Steinert View Bio

2:15 PM – 2:30 PM

Networking refreshment break
Regency Ballroom
Sponsored By

2:30 PM – 3:45 PM

OCC and Mixed Paper Markets
Crystal Ballroom AB
Sponsored By
Dive into the dynamics of recovered paper markets in this informative session. From OCC to high-grade recovered paper to the shifting landscape of exports, you'll learn about current market drivers, trends and demand.
Bill Moore
Moderator Bill Moore President, Moore & Associates View Bio
Matt Elhardt
Speaker Matt Elhardt Chief Revenue Officer, ResourceWise View Bio
Melanie Harman
Speaker Melanie Harman Director of Mill Fiber Procurement, PaperWorks View Bio
Matt New
Speaker Matt New Vice President of Sales, Ekman Recycling View Bio
Todd Shumaker
Speaker Todd Shumaker President of Commodities and Brokerage, Circular Services View Bio

2:30 PM – 3:45 PM

Recovered Plastics Markets
Crystal Ballroom C
Plastic recyclers face many challenges, including competition from low-priced off-spec and virgin material. In this session, representatives from companies specializing in PET, HDPE and PP recycling explain how they contend with this issue and others while also offering insight into supply and demand trends and whether new extended producer responsibility laws can help in either of these areas.
Hannah Martinez
Speaker Hannah Martinez Head of Advocacy, U.S. and Latin America, Indorama View Bio

2:30 PM

Exhibit Hall Closes
Regency Ballroom

3:45 PM – 4:00 PM

Networking Refreshment Break
Crystal Ballroom Foyer

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Where is MRF Tech Going?
Crystal Ballroom AB
Sponsored By
Explore how AI, robotics and automation are making material recovery facilities (MRFs) more efficient and effective. In this session, industry leaders highlight key innovations and future trends.
Nat Egosi
Moderator Nat Egosi President, RRT Design & Construction View Bio
Jim Marcinko
Speaker Jim Marcinko Vice President of Recycling Operations, WM View Bio

5:00 PM

Conference concludes