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Agenda

Registration and morning refreshments
Chair's Opening Remarks
SESSION 1 - GLOBAL PACKAGING MARKET TRENDS AND REGULATIONS
Global packaging market overview
  • How big is the market – historic and current volumes and values
  • Where is it – regional overview
  • What drives it – key trends and influences, including consumer attitudes and pressures
  • Where is it going – forecast volumes and values

Stephen Harrod | Consultant, Paper and Board, Packaging, Smithers
Global policies and regulations and the impact on the packaging industry in the Middle East and North Africa
Global policies and regulations and the impact on the packaging industry in the Middle East and Africa
  • Existing landscape of packaging legislation, developments from early EPR legislation to the patchwork of packaging policies
  • Impacts on producers and how companies should respond
  • Emerging trends for companies to be aligned to when considering future packaging strategy

Michelle Carvell | Chief Operating Officer, Lorax Compliance
SESSION 2 - REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS AND EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY (EPR) IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

Overview of the regulatory framework in the MENA regions
  • EPR frameworks - current state of the industry and future developments
  • Where are we now?
  • Working towards developing EPR systems - what are the challenges and opportunities?

Andrei Berghianu | Senior Project Manager, Roland Berger
Networking break
Examples of successful implemented EPR systems – A European perspective
  • Context and overview about the various ways of implementation
  • Golden rules of implementation
  • Outlook for improvements and next steps in Europe

Joachim Quoden | Lawyer and Managing Director, EXPRA
Panel discussion: How to successfully implement EPR systems in Middle East and Africa
What can we learn from each other? How to harmonise EPR approaches? Sharing of best practises
  • Joachim Quoden, Lawyer and Managing Director, EXPRA
  • Omneya Fawzy, Director of Corporate and Government Affairs, North Africa & Pakistan (MENAP), Mondelez
  • Mohamed Aly Eldabaa, Regional Director, Government Relations and Public Policy, P&G – and Board Member, Circular Packaging Association, UAE
  • Marcelo Piva, Regional Sustainability Director - Middle East and Africa, Tetra Pak
  • Monir Bou Ghanem, Policy, Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi
A global brand perspective - discussing our global, Middle East and Africa strategies in light of the trends and issues raised in session 1 and 2 and differences in approaches
SESSION 3 - EXISTING WASTE MANAGEMENT INFRASTRUCTURES IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA – INVESTMENTS, INITIATIVES AND COLLABORATIONS
The state of recycling infrastructure - challenges and opportunities in collection and sorting across the Middle East and Africa
  • The status in selected countries: UAE, KSA, SADC (Southern African states)
  • How Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) can improve the recycling infrastructure?
  • Design examples: how does packaging design impacts recycling/recyclability of packaging, example: aluminium free aseptic packaging

Sebastian Frisch | Managing Director, BlackForest Solutions
Back to black: Packaging and the feedstock transition in the Gulf
The Gulf Cooperation Council has long been a producer of plastic from the region’s abundant oil and gas. The reverse journey of converting waste back to raw materials is only just beginning. As populations grow, incomes rise, and the region generates ever more packaging waste, hear about the state of regional waste management systems, the key gaps holding back circularity, and the leading efforts to make progress.
Justin Wood | Vice President and Head of Europe, Middle East & Africa, Alliance to End Plastic Waste
Networking lunch
How strong partnerships can drive recycling developments: Tetra Pak case
  • Tetra Pak’s approach to circularity
  • Progress made globally and in the MENA region on recycling capabilities
  • Stakeholders engagement as key for success

Marcelo Piva | Regional Sustainability Director - Middle East and Africa, Tetra Pak
Functional labels that support re-use in deposit systems and recycling
An innovative model of financing growth initiatives in plastic recycling in the Global South
ASASE Foundation is making an impact in reducing ocean plastic and create jobs and economic value in Ghana. Its model is unique in its approach to create social enterprises which collect and recycle plastic packaging at industrial scale and which are being integrated with the communities. The social enterprises are owned by entrepreneurs emerging from these communities and the economic value is shared with the community.

The model has been demonstrated at industrial scale in Accra, while being developed with public-private co-financing. Now, it is being deployed at national level with an innovative funding scheme created by WorldBank in partnership with CITIBank, with green bonds and plastic credits.

Dana Mosora, Founder and Director, ASASE Foundation and Stephen Hardman, CEO, Plastic Collective 
 
Q&A session with all speakers
Networking break
SESSION 3A - DIFFERENCES AND DEVELOPMENTS IN MECHANICAL RECYCLING AND CHEMICAL RECYCLYING
Key initiatives and collaborations in waste management
  • Investments landscape in MENA waste processing Infrastructure
  • Future directions and opportunities in MENA waste management
Majed Saeed Al Marzouqi, Business Development (BD) Section Head, Tadweer Group

 
Closing the loop with advanced recycling
  • Circularity drivers and global trends
  • SABIC’s TRUCIRCLE portfolio and offering
  • Advanced recycling in focus
Mohammed Al-Amro, Business Manager, Market Development, CE Business MEAF, SABIC


 
Q&A session
Chair's closing remarks and end of day one
NETWORKING EVENING RECEPTION
Registration and welcome refreshments
Chair's opening remarks
SESSION 4 - BRANDS PERSPECTIVES
Packaging design to support circular economy
  • Role of Packaging in Circular Economy.
  • Takeaways of COP 28 for the Packaging Industry.
  • Challenges of current packaging materials formats.
  • Design guidelines for effective packaging

Kaunain Shahidi | Purchasing Manager (Group), Almarai
Big brand panel
How brand owners look at and deal with consumer trends, regulations, waste management, designing for recyclability and more.

Panellists:
  • Priya Sarma, Sustainability HEAD and C&CA Business Partner Home & Beauty and Well-Being MET, Unilever
  • Theofilos Alevizos, HSE & Sustainability Director, Agthia
  • Valentina Reveron Cedeno, Head of R&D Packaging MEA, Henkel Consumer Brands
  • Ramesh Ramachandran, Director, Research and Development Packaging, PepsiCo
  • Cyntia Karam, Francise PACS Director MER, Coca Cola (tentative)
SESSION 5 - DESIGNING FOR RECYCLABILTY
Branding and sustainable packaging in the Middle East
Networking break
Recyclable packaging and circularity: Why the packaging industry needs to take this challenge
  • The redesign of traditional multilayer structures with innovative flexible packaging solutions which offer recyclability options
  • The need to ensure that packaging can be suitable for collection, sorting and final recycling process
  • The need and importance of co-operation among all stakeholders in the value chain

Maria Monique Murillo | APME Marcom Manager & Flexible Lead, Taghleef Industries
Panel discussion: Circular economy – global players’ view of consumers change towards sustainable consumption
  • What values do you see from the growing demand for circular economy?
  • How to you read consumers’ shift towards sustainable packaging?
  • What takings have you learned from your engagement and commitment to sustainability in packaging?
Panellists:
  • Marco Macoratti, Head of Sustainable Packaging Solutions and Circularity Retail Channel, Mondi
  • Cynthia Karam, Francise PACS Director MER, Coca Cola (tentative)
  • Rania Zeidan, Sustainability Manager, Packaging, Middle East, Dow
  • Chadi Radi, Senior Director, NAPCO
  • Nicola Wagstyl, Sustainability Manager MEA, SIG
  • Sandrine Duquerroy-Delesalle, Sustainability & External Affairs Director, Crown Holdings
SESSION 6 - SUSTAINABLE MATERIAL INNOVATIONS AND FOOD CONTACT MATERIALS SAFETY
Paper where possible, plastic when useful: how to balance functionality and sustainability in flexible packaging
  • Mondi as a top-tier global and leading supplier in the Packaging & Paper industry for recyclable/reusable/compostable flexible packaging and circular business model
  • How European Retailers and International Brands approach the transition in material choices for flexible packaging in FMCGs exploring
  • Trade-offs between barrier properties and renewable content
  • Possibilities emerging from innovation
  • The big question ‘will paper ever replace plastics’?

Marco Macoratti | Head of Sustainable Solutions for Retail Head of Sustainable Solutions for Retail Brands, Mondi
Innovation and practical evidence: Addressing the challenges of recycled plastic materials for food contact
Companies are asked to invest on technologies and know how in order to put on the marked recycled plastic food contact materials. Dossiers and testing on multilayers polyolefins are a challenge, considering that there are not enough rules and experience on challenge test and process management. We will show some successful experiences in terms of experiment and method set up, and related data management
Dr. Marinella Vitulli | Owner & Director , Food Contact Center srl & Food Contact Services srl
Networking lunch
SESSION 7 - DIGITAL INNOVATIONS
Digitalisation of waste collection: Digital as a lever to increase segregation at source and reward the citizens in order to create a circular economy in emerging countries
Unlocking QR potential: Enhancing communication, efficiency and sustainability
QR communication & success stories:
Exploring diverse applications of QR codes in enhancing brand interactions.
Showcasing real-world successes in leveraging QR codes for communication, boosting sales, and enhancing brand perception.
Discussing QR codes' aesthetic appeal and versatility in communication.
Highlighting their seamless integration of offline and online experiences for user convenience.
Printing Unique Codes & Supply Chain Integration:
Explaining efficient methods for printing personalized QR codes in presses.
Detailing the importance of marking unique QR codes throughout the entire supply chain for enhanced traceability, authenticity, and security in product management.
Driving sustainability with QR codes:
Exploring QR codes' role in promoting sustainable initiatives.
Showcasing how QR-enabled tracking supports eco-friendly practices and waste reduction efforts.

Jenny Stanley, Founder and Managing Director, Appetite Creative and Thomas Vollmuth, Head of Brand Owner Management, Koenig & Bauer AG
Digital printing on corrugated packaging and its impact on carbon emissions
  • EFI has partnered with Clean Agency to develop a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) that calculates Global Warming Potential (kg CO2e) for digital printing on corrugated
  • In addition, a GWP calculator has been developed to enable print job analysis and volume impact comparisons with other printing technologies
  • This session will discuss the LCA findings, the methodology used, and demonstrate how Brands and Converters can leverage the EFI GWP calculator to quantify Scope 3 emissions reductions
Kerry Sanders, VP Market Development, EFI and Hossein Tavakoli, Research Director, Clean Agency
Measuring and enhancing sustainability in the packaging industry through LCA
  • Understanding the full environmental impact: LCA provides comprehensive insights into the environmental footprint of packaging throughout its entire life cycle, from raw material extraction to EoL
  • Identifying hotspots in the supply chain: By quantifying environmental impacts such as GHG, energy consumption, and resource depletion, LCA helps pinpoint areas where packaging design and processes can be optimised for sustainability.
  • Informing decision-making: By providing objective information on the environmental performance of different packaging options, LCA informs choices that balance environmental concerns with other factors such as cost and functionality.
  • Driving innovation: LCA encourages innovation in packaging design and materials, leading to the development of more sustainable solutions.

Timothy Grant | Director of Lifecycles, owners of PIQET
Chair's closing remarks
End of conference

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Sustpack-MENA-2024-final-agenda-2005