2024 Event Agenda

Dutch artist and innovator Daan Roosegaarde has a clear vision: beauty as a starting point for a better, more balanced world. Roosegaarde will take us on a trip to his ‘Landscapes of the Future’, highlighting his innovative practice which merges people, technology, and space to create a future-proof planet. Virtual floods, smog sucking towers, and his more recent project SPARK, which illuminates the sky with organic fireworks; Roosegaarde pulls technology out of the screens to explore the social role of design in our world and activate solutions to improve life in urban environments. As an innovative thought leader, Roosegaarde shows the importance of “Schoonheid” (a Dutch word meaning both beauty and cleanliness) as our new value, along with his vision for a planet in greater harmony.

As consumers increasingly express a desire to lead more sustainable lives, the challenge lies in turning these good intentions into impactful actions. According to behavioral science, the key to change and transformation lies in a deep understanding of decision-making processes and the strategic use of behavioral triggers within packaging and product design. In this session, renowned Behavioral Design Expert Sille Krukow offers critical insights into consumer psychology and the mechanisms of behavior change. Drawing from her compelling case studies, she will reveal how well-crafted packaging, product, and in-store designs can drive significant sustainability outcomes, ultimately bridging the gap between consumer intention, action, and impact.

To achieve true harmonization, efforts must be scaled across borders. Discover how a mega company like Amazon aligns its sustainable packaging targets between their European and American teams. Thais Blumer, Head of Sustainable Packaging Europe at Amazon, will share Amazon’s successes in navigating diverse regulations between both EU countries and in the US, enhancing consumer education and experience, and implementing innovative initiatives across the company. She will also dive into forward-thinking strategies, uncovering the power of knowledge sharing and prioritization of projects to advance various sustainable packaging strategies.

Companies around the world have set similar sustainable packaging goals to be implemented in the next 5-10 years. These goals or packaging targets include increased recyclability, PCR content and/or the deployment of new packaging materials (biobased, compostable) and programs such as reusable and refillable packaging. In this session we will explore where we can find common ground across regions and whether, if we all have the same targets, we can get there faster?

Packaging design has the unique job of needing to meet all the targets: consumer engagement, product protection and promotion, brand recognition, user experience and to serve as a tool to communicate sustainability and recyclability instructions. In this session we will discuss how harmonizing packaging design worldwide could help solve recyclability challenges, food waste, plastic pollution, collection and reprocessing - while at the same time unify packaging materials trends.

Packaging and Source Reduction is an effective avenue to reduce carbon emissions associated with packaging. Brands around the world have deployed initiatives to fulfill this goal - in this session we will showcase successful examples of bold change in product portfolio reduction, packaging reduction and how this has been communicated (and received by) consumers.

Brands and retailers are constantly assessing innovations in the packaging industry to meet their packaging, materials and sustainability needs. In this session, we will hear about how accelerator programs have effectively promoted sustainable packaging innovation, finding solutions for specific challenges.

Reusable and refillable packaging has taken hold as an integral and growing part of sustainable packaging strategies. There’s still work and standardization to be done to move beyond pilots to more established projects. City-wide programs in different regions have sparked the need for guidance, standards, regulation and to define best practices from key organizations working in the space. In this session, we will hear from the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and SYSTEMIQ as they provide insights on the best product categories for reusable and refillable packaging around the globe.

The session will introduce Fashion for Good, offering an overview of the organization and its mission. It will then delve into the rationale behind recent projects and research, highlighting the opportunities identified for change and innovation within the fashion industry. The session will provide valuable insights into the potential for adopting more sustainable and circular approaches to fashion packaging.

Policy and Regulation regarding EPR, recovery, labeling, green claims continue to evolve and be implemented in North America and Europe. In this session we will share the most recent and most significant changes in each region, what has been a challenge to accomplish, how stakeholders are involved in the process, the role of coalitions, and what can be learned from each region to promote harmonization in the long run.

In this session we will hear from the leading on-pack labeling systems, OPRL in the UK,and How2Recycle in North America, about the newly formed partnership to share best practices and learnings to improve recycling across the board. We’ll hear about their approaches to defining and assessing recyclability; the commonalities and differences of the two programs based on their regions; the effect of policy and how they are preparing for it; and the results from consumer research and what it shows about how to approach on-pack communication tools for recycling in the UK and North America.

Dynamic Labeling, Packaging Specifications Systems, AI, Digitalization, Watermarking, and Scannability are some of the innovations on the horizon as on-pack labeling systems continue to evolve. In this session, we will hear from the leading on-pack labeling systems and their partners on the evolution of their programs, what the future holds for harmonizing data and approaches, and ongoing efforts to develop a recycling infrastructure that provides clear and actionable information for the consumer.

CEFLEX’s Graham Houlder will share the latest on the organization’s flexible packaging recycling strategy, focusing on which end markets can and can’t use these recycled materials, the role of optimal design for recyclability and how this data is key in shaping recycling infrastructure, investment.

Recycled content and increased recyclability for flexible packaging continue to be primary goals for brands and retailers in North America and Europe. In this session, we will share perspectives, goals and learnings of working to find solutions that can be scaled globally.

Fashion for Good is a global initiative that drives sustainable, innovative solutions in service of making fashion a force for good in the world. In the past, SPC and Fashion for Good have collaborated on reusable packaging and polybag reports, and now, we’re happy to be hosting our Evening Social in their Amsterdam HQ Event Space.

Fashion for Good is housed a short walk away from the venue in the heart of Amsterdam’s city centre. Join us for an evening filled with hors d'oeuvres, local beers, delightful wines, and great company.
RSVP is required and will open closer to the event.