AUSPACK’s Solutions Theatre 'Packaging and Packing Materials' sessions on Day 1 of the programme, will kick off with highly regarded industry specialists covering topics related to recycling, compostable and flexible packaging.
Join Dr Morgan Wyatt, co-founder and CEO, Greenlid; Dr Ross Headifen, co-owner, BioGone; and Joe Foster, MD and co-founder, O F Packaging and CEO, Close The Loop Group, as they present their sessions, on 17 May, on the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre's expo floor.
Running from 17-20 May, the Solutions Theatres programme, free for all visitors to attend, features curated sessions providing in depth overviews of technology, solutions and strategies, with this year’s event expanded for a deeper dive to solve complex problems and provide education.
The inaugral three sessions scheduled for the 'Packaging and Packing Materials' Theatre Stream, include:
PFAS in Compostable Packaging and how to become PFAS Free Certified
Presenter: Dr Morgan Wyatt, Co-Founder &CEO, Greenlid
17 May, 10:00 – 10:30
PFAS hit the headlines a number of years ago due to the harmful health and environmental impact and toxicity of its 9,500 chemical compounds. But just how far has PFAS Free come and what solutions are out there that don’t just provide a stop gap (eg compostable plastics)?
Join Dr Wyatt as he shares his insights from working with 14,000+ retailers and a global network of partners in Australia, Europe, the UK and North America on a global standard for PFAS testing and certification, and discusses:
- PFAS and Total Fluorine and their ecological and health impacts
- What benefits North American retailers and QSR operators have seen from PFAS Free 100 per cent compostable packaging
- What PFAS Free strategies can be implemented across your operations now to ensure you are future proofing your organisation
You can’t recycle your way fully out of the plastic problem but you can do this…
Presenter: Dr Ross Headifen, Co owner, BioGone
17 May, 10:45 – 11:15
While the 2025 packaging targets are focused on recycling our plastic waste, it will take a considerable change in recycling infrastructure and company operations to get to these recycling levels. In the meantime, there is still going to be a large amount of plastic going to landfills.
Manufacturing and warehousing businesses around Australia use around five million tonnes of packaging material annually, which end up discarded into landfills and waterways, either by the end consumer or the establishment itself.
The only way this figure will change is for Australian businesses to seriously take stock of their packaging choices and find more responsible options that will not compromise on the quality and safety of their products but will also minimise the environmental impact.
In this session, Dr Headifen will explore innovative solutions to this challenge and share insights on:
- Why simply making plastic recyclable is not going to solve our plastic problems
- How to champion environmental concerns by reducing the impact of everyday plastic waste in landfill
- If you have to have plastic packaging, how do you avoid its centuries’ long legacy?
The Next Hurdles for Flexible Packaging: Closing the loop at kerbside and using recycled content in products and packaging
Presenter: Joe Foster, MD and co-founder, O F Packaging PTY and CEO, Close The Loop Group
17 May, 11:30 – 12:00
With a positive focus on flexible packaging, hear the latest innovations that provide an avenue for soft plastic packaging and pouches to be processed through existing waste infrastructure here in Australia, eliminating previous issues with end-of-life recovery, including:
- How can we use recycled soft plastic waste in new products?
- How does the Roll ‘n’ Recycle Program revolutionise our ability to reclaim soft plastics and remove complex laminates for optimal recycled feedstock potential?
- How can we get recycled content into flexible packaging, close the loop and reclaim plastics as a vital resource?
- Sharing practical case studies, Joe will prove that nothing is impossible with enough creativity and persistence when it comes to re-engineering flexible packaging for the better.
The Solutions Theatre programme will run for the duration of AUSPACK, on the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre's expo floor, and is free for visitors to attend. The full programme can be accessed here.
