2009 Conference Sessions

The Plastics Recycling 2009 Conference will features extensive and detailed industry assessments, including analyses of trends in the U.S. and Canada, plastics collection issues, recycling market factors, and legislative and policy considerations. Presenters include the leading experts in plastics recovery and utilization.

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Tuesday, February 24^th

8:00 to 8:30 AM
Continental Breakfast

8:30 to 10:00 AM
Plenary Session I: Navigating Difficult Resin Markets

The conference opens with a thorough assessment of the key drivers in current and future resin markets in North America and the rest of the world.
– Moderator: Mike Schedler, NAPCOR

WHAT’S AHEAD IN 2009 FOR PET RESIN MAKERS AND USERS?

A leading PET resin market analyst provides an extensive overview of today’s market dynamics, plus offers his professional projections of where PET markets are headed. Will PET capture a greater share of the beverage container market? Is lightweighting to continue?
– John Maddox, SBA-CCI

IS THE POLYETHYLENE PRIMED FOR A MARKET CORRECTION?

Is the highest-volume resin ready to make a come back? A widely recognized industry analyst will offer his views on the key conditions affecting current and future polyethylene demand and supply. Will we see more of the same, or is the polyethylene market set to change?
– Nick Vafiadis, CMAI Global

A LOOK AT KEY MARKET VARIABLES FOR A NUMBER OF RESINS

Numerous market factors came to play to push resin demand and pricing down in the past five months, including slumping plastic consumption, weakened export demand, and abundant and cheap feedstocks. A leading analyst, with a deep trading background, will give his highly educated view on the future.
– Michael Greenberg, The Plastics Exchange

AN ASSESSMENT OF GLOBAL PLASTIC RECYCLING MARKET TRENDS

More recovered plastic was traded globally in 2008 than in any previous year. As a result, plastic industry trends and developments in China, India and elsewhere have a profound impact on local market conditions in North America. Where is the market place headed, especially given the current global economic chaos? The chairman of the plastics division of the international recycling trade group provides a clear summary?
– Surendra Borad, Gemini Corp. and the Bureau of International Recycling (Belgium)

10:30 to 11:15 AM
Morning Beverage Break and Opening of the Tradeshow

11:15 AM to 12:15 PM
Plenary Session II: Cutting-Edge Ideas to Improve Plastics Recycling

A number of innovative and intriguing public and private initiatives have been launched in recent years to boost materials recovery and improve markets for recyclable materials. Can we push participation levels upward? Are their new ways to process and reclaim recovered plastics? These questions are the focus of this important session.
– Moderator: Steve Alexander, Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers

WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH TO IMPROVE PLASTICS RECYCLING

Government-industry efforts in the United Kingdom to boost plastics recycling markets have led to a number of groundbreaking technological developments. Many of these projects have led to new investments and higher levels of plastics recovery. What are the learning lessons from this important work? The lead program manager for these efforts provides a complete summary.
– Paul Davidson, Waste & Resource Action Prorgramme, UK

USING REWARDS TO BOOST PLASTICS RECYCLING

Materials recovery, including plastics recycling volumes, has flattened out in recent years. For some consumers, recycling has become passé. How can we help boost recovery levels? One new impressive approach, now used in more than a dozen states, involves providing economic rewards to recycling participants. Will this become a widely used tool? Learn the latest at this session.
– Ron Gonen, RecycleBank

12:15 to 1:00 PM
Networking Lunch

1:00 to 1:30 PM
Break in the Exhibit Hall

1:30 to 3:00 PM
Concurrent Session A: Turning Scrap Plastics Into Energy and Feedstocks

Volatile energy prices have led to rising interest in various technologies to convert mixed or contaminated recovered plastics into energy products, such as usable gases and fuels, or into chemical feedstocks. Is this where plastics recovery is headed? This informative session looks at a range of exciting technology developments, including the production of diesel fuel from the mixed plastics recovered from obsolete electronics (GEEP), the conversion of contaminated agricultural plastics into energy products (PlastoFuel), the use of contaminated plastics to produce monomers (Polyflow), the production of liquid fuels from scrap plastics (Polymer Energy), and the use of mixed plastics to make synthetic crude oil (Plas2Fuel).
– Moderator: Dylan DeThomas, Plastics Recycling Update
– James Garthe, PlastoFuel
– Alfred Hambsch, GEEP
– Joseph Hensel, Polyflow
– Kathy Radosevich, Polymer Energy
– Chris Ulum, Plas2Fuel

1:30 to 3:00 PM
Concurrent Session B: Three Compelling Issues

Plastics recycling is under constant change. In this important session, attendees are provided concise assessments of three critical issues: new products made from recycled plastics, a new source of recovered plastics and hints on how to run a reclamation plant safely.
– Moderator: Judith Dunbar, American Chemistry Council

A STATUS REPORTON FILM RECYCLING

Plastic bag use and recovery has been in the local news in hundreds of communities. Numerous new initiatives have been launched by local governments and private firms to boost the recovery of film. What’s up? A leading expert provides an assessment of the recovered film marketplace, presents the results of a processors survey and provides data on the extent of collections.
– Nina Bellucci Butler, Moore Recycling Associates

AN INCREASING SOURCE OF RECOVERED PLASTICS: PESTICIDE CONTAINERS

Market and regulatory forces are resulting in rising volumes of empty and rinsed chemical containers being available for recycling. An industry stewardship program operates throughout the U.S., and new regulatory efforts will help expand collection systems, including a unique system evolving in California. Is this a business opportunity worth monitoring?
– Jeanne Kasai, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

SAFETY FIRST AND FOREMOST

The materials handled in a typical plastics reclamation facility, plus the equipment used daily, such as forklift trucks, conveyors, shredders, granulators, washing lines and extruders, are just a few ways a facility’s operation can be a threat to employee safety. A worker safety expert at a key federal agency provides advice specific to plastics reclaimers, and outlines recent developments in the field.
– Joan Spencer, Occupational Health and Safety Administration

3:00 to 3:30 PM
Afternoon Beverage Break

3:30 to 5:00 PM
Concurrent Session C: New and Fascinating Ways to Process Plastics

As in past years, we offer a comprehensive review of a handful of new plastics recycling technologies developed in Europe and North America. Come learn how the newest developments in recycling will change the marketplace. The panel topics include a groundbreaking development in bottle-to-bottle HDPE recycling (Closed Loop Recycling), the potential for using laser spectroscopy for sorting resins (Unisensor), a unique way to process mixed plastics from scrap electronics (Plastinum) and the processing of recovered PET in a water-less system (Eco2 Plastics).
– Moderator: Jerry Powell, Plastics Recycling Update
– Chris Dow, Closed Loop Recycling, U.K.
– Stefani Krieg, Unisensor, Germany
– Jacques Mot, Plastinum, Netherlands
– Rod Rougelot, Eco2Plastics

3:30 to 5:00 PM
Concurrent Session D: Critical Issues Facing Plastic Container Recycling

Companies handling recovered plastic containers operate today in a manner far different than just a few years ago, and certainly will function in a vastly different manner in the near-term future. What’s on the horizon, and how can recycling executives plan for the future. This panel looks at several key issues.
– Moderator: Toland Lam, Chairman of the Plastics Recycling Committee of the Chinese Plastics Processing Industry Association

RECYCLED CONTENT FOOD PACKAGING: THE RULES OF THE GAME

Using post-consumer plastics to make food and beverage packaging represents a giant new recycling market. Nonetheless, governmental requirements in Europe and the U.S. to assure consumer safety must be addressed before old bottles can be recycled into new ones. This presentation provides a synopsis of the rules of the game.
– Martha Marrapese, Keller & Heckman

WHO SAID IT WOULD BE EASY: THE BARRIERS TO PLASTICS RECYCLING

Nothing stays the same in plastics recycling for very long. Additional resins come to the market, new additives are used, and more and more products incorporate barriers. As a result, recycling processors need to respond to additional impediments to profitability. A leading technical analyst provides his assessment. Assistance was provided by the Association of Post Consumer Plastic Recyclers in arranging for this presentation.
– Dave Cornell, DD Cornell Associates and the Association for Post Consumer Plastics Recyclers

NON-BOTTLE RIGID PACKAGING: A RECYCLING ASSESSMENT

Although the recovery of non-bottle rigid packaging, such as clamshells and yogurt and margarine tubs, is increasing across North America, up until now, we’ve known little about what exactly is happening. This presentation presents a review of legislative initiatives in plastics recycling, offers an overview of mixed rigids collections and processing, and provides the results of surveys of collectors and processors, including a review of what the 100 largest U.S. communities are doing.
– Patty Moore, Moore Recycling Associates

5:00 to 5:15 PM
Break in the Exhibit Hall

5:15 to 7:00 PM
Conference Reception and Musical Entertainment

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Wednesday, February 25^th

8:00 to 8:30 AM
Continental Breakfast

8:30 to 10:00 AM
Plenary Session III: The Plastics Industry and Sustainability

Plastics producers, processors, reclaimers and brand owners all are being asked to apply sustainability concepts, such as energy and environmental conservation, to their daily business practices. In numerous polls, sustainability has grown to being one of the top issues facing business executives. This important session provides analyses of the key issues.
– Moderator: Susan Kozora, Society of Plastics Engineers’ Environmental Division and International Automotive Components

HOW ARE RESIN MAKERS, PROCESSORS AND EQUIPMENT MAKERS ADDRESSING SUSTAINABILITY?

The greening of the plastics industry is occurring at a fast and significant level. We’ve asked the top executive from the industry’s principal trade group to provide an update on the major actions taken to date, and to provide his estimate of where the sustainability momentum will take us. Is this just a short-term fad, or is it becoming integral to all aspects of the plastics industry?
– William Carteaux, Society of the Plastics Industry

HOW CAN PLASTIC PACKAGING BECOME MORE SUSTAINABLE?

Consumers have flocked to buying products packaged in plastics. Can this growing industry be made more sustainable? One important party in this debate – the Sustainable Packaging Coalition – is working toward that goal. The group has numerous programs underway focusing on the design, production and end-of-life management of plastics packaging. The group’s executive director provides her assessment of the important trends.
–Anne Johnson, Sustainable Packaging Coalition

CAN SPECIFIC SEGMENTS OF PLASTICS INDUSTRY ATTAIN SUSTAINABILITY?

In addition to industry wide sustainability efforts, a number of initiatives are underway focusing on specific plastic applications. An exciting example is the work of numerous stakeholders, including resin producers, brand owners, retailers and reclaimers, to increase the recycling of non-bottle rigid packaging, such as PP tubs and lids. The path ahead will be described by a key stakeholder. The speaker’s participation is sponsored by the Association of Post Consumer Plastic Recyclers.
– Steve Sikra, Procter & Gamble

10:00 to 10:30 AM
Morning Beverage Break

10:30 AM to Noon
Plenary Session IV: Looking Over the Horizon

What will determine the future of plastics recycling? This session will focus on assessing current collection and processing issues, and offer some expert assessments of key issues ahead.
–- Moderator: Dennis Sabourin, NAPCOR

ADVICE AND COUNSEL: THE VIEWS OF AMERICA’S LARGEST COLLECTOR

What are the key opportunities in plastics collection and processing? What is needed to more efficiently and effectively handle collected plastics? Are there systems used elsewhere that show potential? These and other critical questions will be answered by a key manager at America’s largest plastics collector.
– Karl Mockros, Waste Management Recycle America

HDPE AND PET PLASTICS RECYCLING: THE STATE OF THE ART

Some intriguing data has been generated about the current and future status of plastic bottle recycling. This presentation offers the findings of industry measures of PET and HDPE recycling as well as the results of a survey of North American reclaimers. What are the barriers they face to continued growth? Are operating margins improving? What is the impact of export markets for bales?
– Patty Moore, Moore Recycling Associates

EUREKA! ALL PLASTICS CAN BE MADE DEGRADABLE

We know plastics can successfully be produced from organic materials, such as corn, and then made to degrade. But can petrochemical-based resins also be degradable? Some product developers and marketers say they can, and this has produced much heated debate among plastics recycling’s leaders . A summary of the issue will be presented.
– Jerry Powell, Plastics Recycling Update

Noon to 1:00 PM
Networking Lunch

1:00 to 2:30 PM
Plenary Session VI: The Role of Recycling in Bioplastics Use

Few dispute that bioplastics are here to stay. But much confusion remains about how these new resins will fit in the overall marketplace. What exactly do we mean when we talk about degradable plastics? What are those brand owners that are using bioplastics doing in terms of end-of-use plastics management? Can bioplastics be recycled? These and other intriguing issues will be addressed during this key session.
– Moderator: Brenda Platt, Institute for Local Self-Reliance

DEGRADABLE. COMPOSTABLE. OXYDEGRADABLE. WHAT REALLY DOES ALL THIS MEAN?

Degradable plastics are being made and used daily. But what standards does this market sector operate under? What types of resins are in the market and how are they being used? Are new labeling requirements likely? These and other important issues in terms of degradable and compostable plastics will be addressed by a leading export.
– Steve Mojo, Biodegradable Product Institute l

GETTING GOING ON GETTING BIOPLASTICS RECYCLED

Producers and users of bioplastic resins, such as polylactic acid (PLA) bottles, are moving forward with new initiatives to assure that empty containers and other forms of packaging are successfully recovered and utilized. An alliance has been formed – the Bioplastics Recycling Consortium – involving these parties, plus retailers, nonprofit organizations and academics. What’s up? A leader in this campaign will give an update.
– Tim Ronan, Primo Water

MAKING LA FROM PLA: AN EXCITING POSSIBILITY

PLA resin is a leading form of bioresin and is being used successfully in a number of applications. As a result, a growing number of PLA bottles are now found in the recycling stream. What can be done with them? One intriguing technology involves the use of hydrolysis to convert PLA back to lactic acid. A comprehensive technical summary is provided during this session.
– Brian Glasbrenner, NatureWorks LLC

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