GreenBlue's Sustainable Packaging Coalition, Smithers Pira, and Packaging Digest Announce Dates for SUSTPACK 2015

Packaging industry will gather March 31-April 2, 2015 at the JW Marriott in Orlando, FL
Sep 2, 2014 9:30 AM ET

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., September 2, 2014 /3BL Media/ GreenBlue's Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) and Smithers Pira, in association with Packaging Digest, announce the dates and location for a joint event offering the most up-to-date information and strategic intelligence for the sustainable packaging industry. 

SUSTPACK 2015 will take place March 31-April 2nd at the JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes in Orlando, FL.

Building off of the success of Smithers Pira's Sustainability in Packaging conference and GreenBlue's SPC Spring Conference, the event will serve the needs of the entire supply chain, from feedstock and material suppliers, to converters, brand owners, and other end users. Participants will come together to discuss, network, learn and debate the opportunities, technologies, and challenges facing the industry now and in the future.

The event will include dedicated SPC Industry Leadership Committee meetings, site tours, an exhibition hall, speaking sessions and panels, conference, workshops, a new awards session honoring the people, process, or public service behind these sustainable accomplishments to our industry, and special receptions. Strategy and programming will be guided by a joint steering committee made up of SPC representatives, Smithers Pira, and other industry stakeholders.

The first edition of this annual event will focus on accelerating sustainability. Planned topics include boosting consumer engagement with sustainable packaging, biopolymers, marine debris, and recyclability and recovery. Attendees will also have the opportunity to hear 10 minute flash talks on  ‘Innovative Packaging that improves Sustainability,’ devoted to technologies and/or processes that have been developed over the last 18 months with a sustainability goal in mind.

“GreenBlue’s Sustainable Packaging Coalition has worked with industry to advance the collective understanding of sustainable packaging since 2004. More recently, we’ve been helping our members use sustainable packaging as an entry point to expand the sustainability discussion, embedding sustainability into their broader business operations,” said Nina Goodrich, Executive Director of GreenBlue and Director of the SPC. “We believe joining with Smithers Pira and Packaging Digest will help accelerate this shift within our membership while also reaching a new audience.”

"By bringing together the talents and teams of Smithers Pira, SPC and Packaging Digest, SUSTPACK 2015 will be the must-attend event for the sustainable packaging supply chain," said Barbara Fowler, conference director for Smithers Pira. "We anticipate more than 450 key stakeholders – including business executives, R&D leaders, government policy makers and investors  - to come together to focus solely on getting more sustainable packaging into consumer hands. This will be a great opportunity to build strategic relationships and get up to speed on the most current research and information affecting the industry."

About GreenBlue and the Sustainable Packaging Coalition
GreenBlue® is an environmental nonprofit dedicated to the sustainable use of materials in industry. The organization brings together key stakeholders to advance material innovation, education, and research that support continuous adoption of sustainable materials management practices in business. The Sustainable Packaging Coalition®, a project of GreenBlue, is a membership group that brings together business, educational institutions, and government agencies to collectively broaden the understanding of packaging sustainability and develop meaningful improvements for packaging systems. Through strong member support, an informed and science-based approach, supply chain collaborations and continuous outreach, the SPC endeavors to build packaging systems that encourage economic prosperity and a sustainable flow of materials. For more information, visit www.greenblue.org or follow GreenBlue on Twitter @GreenBlueOrg.

About Smithers Pira
Smithers Pira is the worldwide authority on packaging, paper and print industry supply chains. Established in 1930, the company provides strategic and technical consulting, testing, intelligence and events to help clients gain market insights, identify opportunities, evaluate product performance and manage compliance. For more information, visit www.smitherspira.com.