Covering the trends that matter

Plastics Recycling Conference 2025 Session Line-Up

The Textile Recovery Summit session line-up is available here.

Sessions specific to the Plastics Recycling Conference and the Textile Recovery Summit will take place on Monday, March 24, and Tuesday, March 25. On Wednesday, March 26, sessions will merge and cover topics relevant to both events.

Meals and receptions will be shared by attendees from both the Plastics Recycling Conference and the Textile Recovery Summit, providing opportunities for networking across both events.

MONDAY, MARCH 24

  • Pick up your attendee badge and conference materials.

  • SPEAKERS:

    • Jason Bergquist, Vice President of Americas Operations, RecycleMe

    • Brittany Martin, Senior Research Analyst, Wood Mackenzie

    • Matthew Slutzker, Principal Analyst, PET/RPET, Wood Mackenzie

    This session will cover:

    • A comprehensive overview of EPR regulations in major global regions, including the EU, North America, Asia, and emerging markets.

    • Strategies for assessing the impact of EPR laws on product design, packaging and supply chain decisions.

    • Key compliance strategies for managing fees, reporting and performance tracking across multiple jurisdictions.

    • Best practices for collaborating with local recycling partners and stakeholders to meet EPR goals.

    • How EPR can drive innovation, collaboration and sustainability leadership.

  • This session will cover:

    • The evolving landscape of EPR, with a focus on the role of building processing capacity and meeting compliance requirements ahead of implementation.

    • Alternative procurement strategies, including long-term partnerships, risk sharing, and incentivizing innovation in recycling processes.

    • The role of collaborative industry efforts in building infrastructure and providing responsible end markets for PCR.

    • Case studies of companies successfully navigating the shift in procurement strategies for sustainability.

    • The importance of increasing industry capacity to meet rising PCR demand and its implications for brand owners and recyclers.

  • Enjoy a short break between sessions.

  • This session will cover: 

    • Cutting-edge technologies for tracking a product's journey all the way from raw materials to end use. 

    • How a verifiable lifecycle can add value and enhance compliance.

    • What industries are already using blockchain technology to improve accountability in their supply chains.

    • An up-close look at several different platforms that provide step-by-step verification of product origins.

    • How your company can incorporate traceability into new or existing blockchain systems.

  • SPEAKERS:

    • Andrea Bassetti, Americas Team Lead and Senior Analyst, ICIS

    • Emily Friedman, Senior Market Editor, Recycled Plastics, ICIS

    • Corbin Olson, Senior Analyst/Researcher, ICIS

    This session will cover: 

    • Key factors shaping U.S. recycled plastics markets, with a focus on RPET and RPE price trends for 2024 and early 2025.

    • Supply and demand drivers impacting the recycled plastics sector and projections for recycled content's market share through 2050.

    • Insights into the next 18 months' price dynamics for U.S. RPET, including the role of sustainability commitments, legislation and trade trends.

    • A conversation on the future of recycled plastics and shape the industry's evolving landscape.

  • Enjoy a plated networking lunch to keep your energy up through the afternoon.

  • SPEAKERS:

    • Steve Alexander, President and CEO, Association of Plastic Recyclers

    • Scott Barbour, President and CEO, Advanced Drainage Systems

    • Scott Saunders, General Manager, KW Plastics

    This session will cover:

    • Recovering plastics from durable goods to create a consistent stream of materials for recycling.

    • The role of durables in establishing new markets.

    • Innovation in recycling operations driven by durable plastics.

    • How durable products contribute to scaling recycling efforts and unlocking new opportunities.

    • The long-term impact of durable goods on the plastics recycling market and efforts to reduce plastic waste.

  • Enjoy a short break between sessions.

  • SPEAKERS:

    • Kate Bailey, Chief Policy Officer, Association of Plastic Recyclers

    • Marissa Heffernan, Associate Editor, Resource Recycling

    This session will cover:

    • The most recent updates on extended producer responsibility legislation and new mandates that are influencing recycling practices.

    • The latest government efforts to reduce plastic pollution, including zero-waste policies and packaging design standards.

    • Federal, state and global recycling targets and updates on plastics reduction and landfill diversion goals.

    • How global policy frameworks such as the Basel Convention and OECD guidelines are influencing cross-border shipments.

  • This session will cover:

    • Efforts to harmonize recycling standards throughout the Americas.

    • How eco-modulation strategies are incentivizing the use of recyclable materials.

    • The role of EPR programs in shaping eco-modulation policy and recycling practices.

    • Cross-border collaboration between organizations like APR, ECOCE and EEQ to create unified design frameworks.

    • Case studies showcasing successful implementation of eco-modulation and harmonized standards in various regions.

  • Enjoy a short break before the day’s final session.

  • Gather with your peers in our exhibit hall for our networking reception.

TUESDAY, MARCH 25

  • Pick up your attendee badge and conference materials.

  • Coffee, tea and breakfast provided to power attendees through the day’s schedule.

  • Breakfast will be available in the session room.

    This session will cover:

    • Visionary leadership driving systemic change in sustainability.

    • The cutting-edge technologies revolutionizing material recovery.

    • Sustainable packaging solutions that reduce waste and enhance recyclability.

    • Strategies for increasing recycled content while maintaining performance.

    • The personal journeys and challenges faced by the Design Guide Award winners in advancing sustainability.

  • Peruse the booths in our Exhibit Hall and make connections with your plastics recycling and textile recovery peers.

  • This session will cover:

    • Key barriers preventing brands from meeting sustainability goals, including supply chain and infrastructure challenges.

    • Shortcomings in materials and recycling systems, and the impact on brand goals.

    • The role of policy and regulation in contributing to slow progress.

    • How innovation fatigue and risk aversion hinder sustainable investment and progress.

    • Actionable solutions for overcoming barriers through collaboration, innovation and better goal setting.

  • Enjoy a short break between sessions.

  • SPEAKERS:

    • Sunil Bagaria, President and Founder, GDB International

    • Scott Coleman, President and CEO, Revolution

    • Patrick Keenan, R&D Packaging Engineer, General Mills

    This session will cover:

    • Innovative collaborations between brands and reclaimers to enhance film recycling technologies.

    • The role of technology and infrastructure improvements in scaling film recycling efforts.

    • Successful case studies of brand-reclaimer partnerships that have driven progress.

    • Challenges in scaling film recycling and the strategies to overcome them.

    • The opportunities for creating a circular economy in flexible packaging and film recycling.

    • Government incentives and subsidies to support sustainable packaging, recycling technologies and waste reduction initiatives.

  • SPEAKER:

    • Taylor Uekert, Circular Economy Research Analyst, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

    This session will cover:

    • How models simulate material recovery, recycling, product life cycles and waste management.

    • Using life cycle analysis (LCA) to measure environmental impacts across product life cycles and guide decision-making.

    • Optimizing resource use, reducing energy consumption and minimizing waste in recycling systems.

    • Evaluating EPR and other policy programs through scenario analysis to make informed decisions.

    • Exploring cutting-edge modeling tools, including machine learning and big data analytics, used by NREL.

  • Enjoy a short break between sessions.

  • SPEAKERS:

    • TBD (awaiting new administration)

    This session will cover:

    • A detailed exploration of the Trump Administration's policies impacting the recycling industry and related sectors.

    • The role of Congress in shaping legislation for domestic recycling markets and waste management infrastructure.

    • Analysis of international trade policies, including tariffs, and their implications for recycling material flows.

    • Strategies for fostering collaboration between government and industry to enhance recycling programs and drive innovation.

    • Insights into opportunities and challenges for advancing sustainability and circular economy initiatives under current federal leadership.

  • Enjoy a plated networking lunch to keep your energy up through the afternoon.

  • Enjoy a short break between sessions.

  • SPEAKERS:

    • Robert Flores, Berry Plastics

    • Daniel Liswood, Closed Loop Partners

    This session will cover:

    • Material recovery and recycling innovations in sorting and processing polypropylene to meet food-grade standards.

    • Navigating safety standards and certification requirements for food-grade PP.

    • How to improve efficiency and quality in collecting, sorting and processing PP for food packaging.

    • Emerging technologies for advanced sorting, purification and decontamination to meet food-grade requirements.

    • Balancing sustainability, cost-efficiency and consumer safety in food-grade PP packaging.

  • This session will cover:

    • Emerging trends in legal challenges to recyclers and brand owners.

    • What differentiates recent high-profile lawsuits from one another, examining what their outcome could mean for future suits.

    • A forward-looking perspective on what 2025 and beyond may look like from a legal angle.

    • How recent complex lawsuits concerning plastics can help provide best practices for recyclers to anticipate potential problems.

    • Insights into how the new administration’s policies on recycling and other environmental issues may impact the plastics industry.

    • Potential challenges and opportunities recyclers should be aware of.

  • Enjoy a short break before the day’s final session and reception.

  • SPEAKERS:

    • Joel Morales, VP Polyolefins Americas, Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

    • Roberto Ribeiro, Research and Analysis Executive Director, Global EO & Derivatives, Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

    This session will cover:

    • The latest macro trends affecting supply and demand of PET and polyolefins across both the virgin and recycled resin landscapes.

    • Outlooks for resin production capacity-building in North America and globally, as well as insight on the key projects to watch in the months and years ahead.

    • Analysis of marketsfor crude oil, natural gas and other key production feedstocks and a look at how transitions in the energy market could influence plastics industry economics over the next five to 10 years.

  • Gather with your peers in our exhibit hall for our networking reception.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26

  • Pick up your attendee badge and conference materials.

  • Peruse the booths in our Exhibit Hall and make connections with your plastics recycling and textile recovery peers.

  • Coffee, tea and breakfast provided to power attendees through the day’s schedule.

  • This session will cover:

    • How top players and investors can provide capital and support to accelerate industry growth and develop and scale new technologies and business models while balancing risks and impact.

    • How corporations are integrating circular economy principles into their business models, from recycling to designing for longevity.

    • Key investment trends in areas like circular supply chains, waste-to-value technologies and closed-loop systems.

    • How investors support the scaling of startups and emerging technologies while balancing risks and impact.

    • Aligning financial goals with sustainability goals and measuring success through detailed impact metrics.

    • Collaborating and forming cross-sector partnerships with governments, NGOs and startups to bring recycling solutions to scale.

    • Managing risk by navigating policy requirements and changes and supply chain disruptions while advocating for regulatory frameworks to support circular economy investments.

  • This session will cover:

    • Women leading organizations, setting strategies and driving circular initiatives in recycling, waste management and sustainable design.

    • How women are pioneering new approaches to recycling, sustainable packaging and product life extension in the circular economy.

    • Addressing barriers like gender biases and lack of representation, and how women have overcome these challenges to succeed in the sustainability space.

    • How gender diversity in leadership leads to better decision-making, innovation and stronger industry partnerships.

    • Strategies for mentorship, education and creating opportunities for young women to enter and thrive in sustainability, recycling and circular economy roles.

  • Enjoy a short break between sessions.

  • This session will cover:

    • Challenges in hard-to-recycle plastics, and the limitations of mechanical recycling for certain plastic types.

    • Identifying new technologies and processes to recycle post-consumer and post-industrial textiles, with a focus on scalability and circularity.

    • Understanding which plastics and textiles are not suitable for traditional recycling methods.

    • How emerging technology including depolymerization and pyrolysis can play a pivotal role in treating hard-to-recycle materials.

    • The importance of cross-sector partnerships, research and policy innovation to accelerate progress in recycling technologies and establish a circular economy for plastics and textiles.

  • “Sessions and presentations were very informative and had a lot of info I can take back and apply immediately.”

    David Porter, Campbell Soup Company

    REGISTER TODAY

  • “The Plastics Recycling Conference is the must-attend event every year. With topics ranging from the latest innovations to legislation and policy, it is the only conference focused exclusively on issues facing the plastics recycling industry.”

    Kara Pochiro, Association of Plastic Recyclers

    REGISTER TODAY

  • “I benefited from the mix of panels and exhibit hall. Good blend of learning and networking.”

    Louise Sullivan, Avery Dennison

    REGISTER TODAY

  • “The Plastics Recycling Conference is the highlight of our marketing efforts each year. We choose this show with confidence that our investment consistently generates sales and purchasing leads.”

    Stephanie Baker, KW Plastics

    REGISTER TODAY

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