In today's world,  demanding “greener” packaging isn’t always better when it comes to limiting environmental impact.  Learn about:

Common consumer and industry misconceptions on greener packaging 
End consumer and sometime industry perceptions of packaging are driven by media attention that focuses on the packaging in isolation, often at end of life, ignoring the function that packaging performs.  Real 'greener packaging' outcomes must consider the total impact of the packaging on the environment and the eco-system in which it operates.
The real drivers of the environmental impact of packaging
Using tools like the waste hierarchy, supply chain audits we can uncover the complete impacts and costs of packaging combined with the impact on the products it protects.  Waste and losses anywhere along the supply chain are key target areas for review and likely the biggest environmental impacts.  We will illustrate these concepts with real world examples.
The key to sustainable packaging innovation
The concept of protecting and maximizing the value of any resources should be at the heart of design and innovation.  Sustainable packaging innovation has to deliver the triple bottom line of economic, environmental and social benefit.  Incremental improvements remain valuable but often come with trade offs like the balance between climate change potential or resource consumption and circularity.  Achieving circularity and reducing climate change impacts, developing packaging that can deliver improved whole of supply chain performance and achieve circularity requires true innovation. 
Steps towards achieving corporate sustainability goals
Like many countries and companies Sealed Air has 2025 targets.  We will share some examples of how the we are making real steps towards these challenging recyclable and recycled content targets.
Alan Adams | Sustainability Director, APAC, Sealed Air

Jim Caudill | Vice President of Product and Technology Innovation, WestRock

In less than two years, The Better Packaging Co. has grown from start-up to the world’s premiere supplier of home compostable packaging for eCommerce. Kate Bezar, the company’s co-founder will introduce the Circular Economy principles upon which the company was founded and give a series of examples of how they applied them to their products, company and the other services they provide in order to practice true product stewardship. For the Better Packaging Co., there is no perfect solution, but instead a constant process of improvement – often involving step change, but sometimes small iterations. Underpinned by transparent communication, innovative design and impeccable credentials, this company is setting new standards for sustainability in packaging.
Kate Bezar | Co-founder , The Better Packaging Co.

New technologies enabled the personalization of customization of packaging and what the difference it makes compared with traditional uniform packaging. How would it help on branding and on differentiating with your competitors?
Wouter Sieben | Nozomi Sales Development Manager Asia Pacific, EFI

Today, in the packaging industry, not only consumers prefers to purchase from companies that focus on sustainability but our local governments are also putting new rules in places to address environmental challenges. It is imperative that the whole industry takes action on what to offer and to change in packaging production.
My topic covers sustainability in e-commerce packaging. I will address the challenges we are facing with specific highlights from Asia. I will touch upon some of the key solutions that we developed to shape more sustainable e-commerce packaging. 
BOBST is not only offering packaging machines to printers and converters but looks at the entire packaging production chain. BOBST integrates sustainability across all steps – from machine design and R&D to machine production and services.  We look at applications from end-to end and we develop partnerships. Sustainability is one of the four strategic corner stones in BOBST’s Industry Vision for packaging production 4.0, and it is critical to achieve our ambition of shaping the future of the packaging world.
Sophia Hooper | Regional Marketing & Communication Manager, BOBST

Moderator: Alan Adams, Sustainability Director APAC, Sealed Air
Panelists: Edwin Seah, Head of Sustainability, Food Industry Asia
                  Karli Verghese, Principal Research Fellow, RMIT University
                  Mark Barthel, Special Advisor, Food Waste, Fight Food Waste CRC
                  Zhang Han, APAC Sustainability Director, Dow
                  Tim Grant, Director and Founder, Lifecycles
Alan Adams | Sustainability Director, APAC, Sealed Air

Plastic is an indispensable material and plays a vital part in our journey toward a zero-carbon future. However, we are concurrently facing an unacceptable consequence - too much plastic is lost to waste and it is entering our oceans, clogging up our rivers, and polluting our natural environment. It is imperative that this must stop. At Dow, we are committed to redesigning packaging applications to mitigate the problem with our customers, brand owners and value chain. By 2035, Dow will “close the loop” by enabling 100% of Dow products sold into packaging applications to be reusable or recyclable.
Han Zhang | APAC Sustainability Director, Dow

In a new plastics economy, plastic never becomes waste or pollution. New Plastics Economy Global Commitment draws a line in the sand in the fight against plastic waste and pollution. It unites over 460 businesses, governments, and other organisations from around the world behind a common vision and a set of 2025 targets to address the problem at its source. It is led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme.  Among the 460 signatories, 18 come from China. Upstream innovation is key to deliver on the Global Commitment targets and work towards achieving a Circular Economy for Plastics. The Plastics Pact brings together all key stakeholders at the national or regional level to implement solutions towards a circular economy for plastics. Each initiative has a concrete set of ambitious local targets.
Arnold Wang | China Plastics Program Manager, Ellen MacArthur Foundation

PET packaging and flexible packaging are both fast-growing segments in the packaging industry and are widely used in Southeast Asia. This presentation focuses on collection and recycling realities for post-consumer PET and flexible plastics packaging across Southeast Asia. The presentation will also highlight the opportunities in the region, share various available solutions and recommend interventions to increase collection and recycling of these packaging types.
Ashwin Subramaniam | CEO, GA Circular

Alongside with the recycling realities in ASEAN, this session will focus on what’s done in China, and how plastics are reused and recycled there.
Jiang Nanqing | Secretary-General, Committee of Green Circular and Inclusive Development

This presentation will share a case study for the shared goal of sustainability, the whole supply chain working together.
Casper Durandt | Sustainability Director Coca-Cola Asia and South Pacific, Coca-Cola ASEAN

This session will share the story of Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics and our journey with innovative product design allowing us to eliminate packaging, developing closed loop recycling programs within our business, using 100% recycled plastics in our packaging, upcycling ocean plastic into our packaging, and educating staff and customers on how to live more sustainable at home and work. Our team has been dedicated to innovation and sustainability for over 25 years. Along the way we’ve faced many hurdles and learned from our mistakes. We will discuss this and more during our session and highlight Lush’s call to action.
Gary Calicdan | Ethical Buyer – Packaging and Print, Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics

This presentation introduce Colgate’s recyclable tube technology (Samson Tube TechnologyTM) and the path to bring the tube recycled. It contains the overall approach to recyclable tube; Samson technical development; technical recognition & external recycling partners as well as the additional recyclability considerations. 
Jun Wang | Packaging Innovation - Global Design & Packaging, Colgate-Palmolive

Due to the consumer and regulatory pressure, the sustainable packaging of CPG has developed all the way. Big CPG brands have adopted sustainable development measures and continuous innovation in packaging. This session will focus on the approach of sustainability of a CPG brand.
Mert Sasoglu | Associate Director, Research and Development, Johnson & Johnson

Alex Knott, Senior Scientist, Dow
Jurgen Van der Donck, Sales and Business Development Director, Mondi Group
Renae Kezar | Sr. Director and Global Lead for Sustainability, Avery Dennison

1. Why Sustainable print matters for business?
2. HP Indigo Sustainability pillars for packaging
3. How using right printing technology for packaging matters lowering environmental impact
4. How brands can become more sustainable using hp indigo technology
5. How HP indigo is working with brands & printers to achieve sustainability goals
Victoria Andersen | APJ Brand Innovation & Sustainability Lead, HP

Post COVID-19 era, the perception of the plastic has been greatly changed as the plastics turn out to be the
best solutions for personal protection and personal hygiene against the virus. As more people stays at home
due to the strong social distancing requirement by the government to prevent the spreading of the virus and as
the E-commerce business grows, the consumer’s interest in sustainable packaging solutions also has been
increased as they see the packaging wastes piled up at home. CJ Cheil-Jedang sustainable packaging strategy
reflects our responsible effort towards a circular economy. Our strategy has been developed with the CJ’s 3R
Policy (Redesign, Recycle and Recover) which reflects three circular economy principles. Sustainability is
everyone’s responsibility and CJ Cheil-Jedang will be a close partner toward a circular economy.
Grace Kim | Head of Global Packaging R&D, CJ CheilJedang

E-commerce platforms have been booming especially in Asia. This presentation will share a big e-commerce platform’s effort to promote green and sustainable development of the end-to-end supply chain.
Shawn Shi | Program Manager, JD Logistics

Moderator: Sumangali Krishnan, Head of Research, GA Circular
Panelists: Nanqing Jiang, Secretary General, China Plastics Reuse and Recycling Association
                  Adrienna Zsakay, CEO, Circular Economy Asia
                  Ben Gunneberg, CEO and Secretary General, PEFC International
                  Victoria Andersen, APJ Brand Innovation & Sustainability Lead, HP Inc.

To confront the growing crisis of plastics leaking into the environment (particularly the marine environment), packaging policies are required to address the intersecting challenges of increasing packaging waste (plastics packaging waste in particular) and the limitations of existing municipal waste management infrastructures. This presentation focuses on:
•    global benchmarks for packaging policy
•    review of where key countries in the region that contribute the most to marine plastics stand
•    key aspects of a playbook for packaging policy including definitions, policy administrators, instruments, enabling policies
•    it concludes with interventions that can be initiated at the regional level to ensure a concerted effort in combating packaging waste in the region.
 
Sumangali Krishnan | Chief Business Officer, GA Circular

This speak will provide an overview of safety-related regulations and sustainability-related regulations in Asia Pacific, as well as Nestle’s position on packaging safety & sustainability.
Sylvain Rannou | Packaging Quality, Safety & Compliance Senior Specialist, NPTC Dairy, Nestle

On one hand, consumers increasingly look out for less or nature friendly packaging, on the other hand demand on timber is on the rise. There are three ways of protecting forests and sustainable forest management is one of them. The presentation will focus on the wider context and explain how wood-fiber packaging procurement policies can support companies in meeting Global and Corporate Sustainability Targets.
Ben Gunneberg | CEO and Secretary General, PEFC International

• The important role of communities in ocean-bound plastic supply chains
• How can packaging professionals identify the best opportunities to use ocean-bound plastic?
• What barriers have you or your partners faced in using ocean-bound plastic?
• What role have partnerships and/or relationships played in your use of ocean-bound plastic material?
 
Moderator:  Dune Ives, Managing Director, Lonely Whale
Panelists:  Gary Calicdan, Ethical Buyer – Packaging and Print, LUSH
                   Andrew Almack, Founder & CEO, Plastics for Change
                   Dean Miller, Global Head Recycling Innovation, HP
Dune Ives | Managing Director, Lonely Whale

This presentation will share case studies on how we explore new ways to advance the functionality and sustainability of fiber-based packaging, and highlight partnerships that prove we can accelerate sustainable packaging to serve brands, consumers and the environment - together.
Quentin Yan | Sr. Manager/Director, Asia Pacific Market Development, Consumer Packaging, WestRock

The current zeitgeist demonising all plastic packaging has driven businesses and governments around the world to eliminate any association with virgin fossil fuel-based plastic. This leads businesses and governments to turn towards alternative materials, such as plant-based or biodegradable plastics, and often, paper with water proof function. Plastics, however, still play many essential roles as a critical material in protecting product integrity. Additionally, unintended consequences of alternative materials are often overlooked, such as contributions to increased deforestation rates and greenhouse gas emissions.

The context of this talk will focus on single-use packaging material. From the policy point of view, this group of packaging has been an ongoing debate of whether to ban or not to ban them. From the materials point of view, its usage is short-lived and yet its consumption is massive, exerting a great stress on both the waste management system and the environment. In order to avoid the unintended transference of environmental burden from one material to another, transparent assessments of the full environmental impact of different types of packaging materials must be made a priority. It is with this notion that the Alternative Materials Tool was developed under the PACT (Plastic ACTion) initiative. This will further drive circularity where we need to completely rethink product packaging and design; we need to understand the role of single-use packaging; and we need to take into account the wider context of the waste management landscape in which those products are eventually discarded. 
Yvonne Lin | Materials Expert in World Wide Fund, WWF Singapore

Best practice from the world’s leading aluminum beverage packaging manufacturer, Ball is actively engaged with various stakeholders, working as partners and collaborating in new and different ways to develop solutions to meet the growing global need for sustainable packaging options. Infinitely recyclable, with no loss of quality, aluminum beverage packaging supports a truly circular economy. Ball is currently working towards “real circularity”- rethinking how society design and creates and reuses products. 
Asa Robinson | General Manager, Ball Corporation

Sharon Xiao | Sustainability Manager, APAC, UPM RAFLATAC

Working with the private sector to deliver a better future for nature and people: Forests Forward
Demand for land, food, energy, and wood products is putting ever-increasing pressure on our forests, reducing their ability to provide critical ecosystem services. Nearly half of the world's forests are at high risk of degradation, while deforestation is not decreasing, and given that 60 per cent of forests globally are designated for production, the management and protection of these forests is crucial.
If we want to tackle these challenges, we need to collaborate, share best practice and solutions, use each other’s strengths and form alliances and networks that help us push each other in the right direction. It is possible to boost paper and packaging production while helping to reverse the loss of biodiversity and protecting peoples' livelihoods, and we can achieve this goal working together. WWF has a long history of cooperation with the private sector delivering positive impacts for the forests and people, our cooperation with HP is a testament to our joint efforts.
Last year, WWF and HP jointly announced a leadership action to help restore, protect and improve the management of forests, starting with nearly 200,000 acres in Brazil and China, an area equal to the size of New York City. As part of the 5-year agreement, HP will also support WWF’s efforts in developing science-based targets for forests, estimating carbon and nature co-benefits of forest restoration and improved forest management. The new $11 million initiative, spearheaded by WWF, include these two major forest restoration and management projects mark the first within HP’s forest-positive framework for printing. Together with WWF, HP is committed to protecting, restoring and promoting sustainable forests.
In order to further boost our positive impact, we have recently launched Forests Forward. Forests Forward is a performance-based programme designed for those who manage, protect and restore forests, aim to shift markets of forest products towards responsible sourcing, and commit to mobilizing and catalyzing actions to generate positive impacts and create a better future for forests and people.  Businesses, governments, financial institutions, communities and civil society organizations are invited to participate.

Mauro Ciriminna, Senior Advisor - Pulp, Paper And Packaging, WWF International
Lynn Loh, Regional Head of Sustainable Impact, Asia Pacific & Japan, HP PPS Asia Pacific Pte Ltd

Sreepadaraj Karanam, Director, Sustainability Strategy, APAC, SABIC

While leading global consumer goods companies pledge for ambitious targets to increase the recycled content in their packaging, there are quite some gaps to close for the local circular economy journey, including collaboration schemes throughout the whole value chain, collection initiatives in developing countries etc. 
Estelle Lyu | Vice President, Plastic Recycling Development, Asia, Veolia

Advanced plastic packaging made from innovative materials protects the good from external impact, preserves the quality of the product and enhances the shelf life. It is durable and lightweight while offering barrier properties that mitigate food waste, both of which are important to help reduce CO2 emissions. Packaging material is valuable. It  should be Reduced, Reused, and Recycled to enable circularity and promote a circular economy. We will discuss examples for each of the 3Rs based on case studies.
Richard Horne | Vice President Marketing Centre Packaging, Borouge

•    Sustainability: What does it mean?
o Towards a definition
o A brief history
•    What is happening now?
o Retailers and brand owners
o Raw materials and conversion
•    What does the future hold?
o Regulate?
o Recycle
o Refill / Reuse
o Reimagine
Stephen Harrod | Consultant, Paper and Board, Packaging, Smithers