The Recycling Today Media Group is taking a new approach to its 2020 Paper & Plastics Recycling conferences. The North American and European conferences will take place as a three-day combined broadcast event with a roster of business intelligence sessions and a new online networking tool designed to connect attendees. The MRF (materials recovery facility) Operations Forum, which is traditionally co-located with the North American event, also will be presented in this new broadcast format.
The Ohio-based media group says out of consideration for the health and wellness of its staff, attendees, sponsors, exhibitors and allied organizations—combined with international travel restrictions and mandates preventing large events from taking place in Chicago and Rotterdam—it has designed a global broadcast event: the Paper & Plastics Recycling Conference International (PPRCi).
The descriptor “broadcast” is being used intentionally, since the format is intended to be different from a webinar and closer to broadcast news-quality programming. The three-day PPRCi broadcast has been scheduled for Oct. 20-22, while the sorting and processing-focused MRF Operations Forum will be Oct. 19.
“After decades producing the industry’s premier recycling conferences, the Recycling Today team knew we could not offer yet another webinar series,” says Jim Keefe, Recycling Today Media Group publisher. “Instead, our team has collaborated to create a totally different event experience. We’re excited to bring the industry this new, dynamic format.”
The program has been designed to appeal to recyclers and traders operating in any part of the world. Presenters and panelists already confirmed are based in the United States, Belgium, India, the Netherlands, Turkey and the United Kingdom. The speaking roster is likely to further diversify as more panelists are finalized.
In addition to geographic diversity, PPRCi will feature viewpoints from across several links in the recycling chain, including collectors, sorters, processors, traders and buyers of paper and plastic secondary commodities. Speakers representing packaging designers and producers, as well as the brand owners who make packaging design and materials decisions, also will take part in the global dialog.
With more consumer packaged goods companies making commitments to use recycled content, PPRCi organizers determined its attendees will want to learn more about how the supply chain can work together to develop solutions.
John Morris of Waste Management will be interviewed for the keynote session of the event. As executive vice president and chief operating officer (COO) of Houston-based Waste Management Inc (WM), Morris is responsible for field operations, including oversight of collection, disposal, recycling and landfills.
In his 20-plus years with the company, Morris has held several positions, including market area general manager for New York City, vice president of Greater Mid-Atlantic area, chief strategy officer and, most recently, senior vice president of field operations. WM is one of the largest operators of MRFs in North America, as well as one of the largest collectors of recyclables and municipal solid waste (MSW).
His keynote session, an exclusive one-on-one interview with Recycling Today Editor DeAnne Toto, will air following a program introduction Oct. 20 at 8:00 a.m. in the United States Eastern Time zone.
“We’re thrilled to have an industry leader of John’s caliber kick-off this year’s program,” says Keefe. “Having led strategic planning and now the entirety of Waste Management’s operations he’ll be able to provide key insights on their operations and the industry at-large.”
Sessions during the next three days will address global markets for old corrugated containers (OCC), mixed paper and other fiber grades in the paper sector. In the plastics sector, programming will examine supply, demand and regulations affecting PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and other plastics used to make post-consumer resins (PCR).
Topics common to both sectors, including MRF best practices, global trade patterns and issues, and corporate sustainability impacts, will reoccur throughout the four days of programming.
Registration is now open for PPRCi, and updates on the program’s speaker and panelist commitments can be found on this web page.
Those seeking more information about how to register can go to this web page.
Recycling Today Media Group Conference Producer Lauren Rathmell, lrathmell@gie.net, contributed to this report.