DESIGN FOR CIRCULARITY
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 22nd, 2023
CAL POLY, Chumash Auditorium
Sustainability has become the major focus of the packaging industry. Now, more than ever, there is an urgency for professionals to explore solutions that will help move towards a regenerative future. With this goal, industry leaders have been developing longer lasting efficient systems to minimize environmental impact. This year's symposium will delve into how packaging innovations and circular design can evolve this industry. Learn more...
AGENDA 2023
SYMPOSIUM RECEPTION
Tuesday, February 21st, 2023, 6pm-9pm
Co-Hosted by:
SYMPOSIUM
Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023
Cal Poly, Chumash Auditorium
Time
Location
Time
Company/Speaker
Presentation
Location
9:15-9:45
Transforming our activities to respect planetary boundaries
9:45-10:15
META
Jay Crespo,
Packaging Engineering
Brent Nelson,
Sustainability Technical Program Manager
What Defines Plastics in Packaging?
Why it Matters...
10:30-11:00
MONOSOL/KURARAY
Yash Parulekar
Associate Director, Sustainability and Stewardship
Sustainability and Plastics:A Perspective on Microplastics and Waste
11:00-11:30
CLOROX COMPANY
Stephanie Gustafson
M.S., CPP, Packaging Development
Making Sustainable PackagingInnovation Happen
11:30-12:00
THE BOEING COMPANY
Phil Jones
Packaging Manager
Reusable Industrial Packaging and Sustainability as a Value Chain Driver
13:00-13:30
SPECRIGHT
Adam Armstrong
VP of Strategic Partnerships and Customer Success
How to Drive Sustainability without Increasing Costs 
13:30-14:00
PREGIS
Damon Lucenta
Senior Manager, IQ Packaging Services
Who's making the decisions for your circular business model?  Let's do it together! 
14:00-14:30
Medical Device Packaging Through the Lens of Sustainability
14:45-15:15
EASTMAN CHEMICAL COMPANY
Glenn Petrie
Business Development Manager for Healthcare Packaging
New Frontiers in Sustainability through Molecular Recycling at Eastman
15:15-15:45
DOW CHEMICAL
COMPANY
Danielle Chatman-Moore
Senior Business Sustainability Manager
Partnerships in the Waste Management Sector Enabling Circular Solutions
15:45-16:15
Closing
Giveaway Prize &
Silent Auction Announcements
SPEAKERS 2023
ADAM ARMSTRONG
VP of Strategic Partnerships and Customer Success
Adam is VP of Strategic Partnerships and Customer Success at Specright, he has spent 7 years working directly with manufacturing and supply chain leaders to drive a spec-first approach to managing packaging and product data. Adam serves as an adjunct professor for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo's Masters in Packaging Value Chain program, teaching Data Management for Business Analytics. Previously, he worked in digital strategy, analytics, and business development for the National Football League and Brand Affinity Technologies. Adam lives in Carlsbad, California with his wife, Kimberly, and three daughters, Kate (7), Caroline (5), and Lucy (3).
 How to Drive Sustainability without Increasing Costs
 Many companies are struggling to set, track, and optimize toward sustainability goals. New and ever-changing regulations and social responsibility are driving urgency. It doesn’t mean more investment – it should actually mean reducing costs. In this session, learn how Specification Management is enabling companies to make their sustainability goals a reality.
JAY CRESPO
Packaging Engineer, Meta
Jay currently serves as a Sustainability focused Packaging Engineer within Meta’s Reality Labs division focused on tracking and developing solutions that positively impact the environment and reduce carbon emissions. Prior to Meta, Jay was a Staff Packaging Engineer and Manager within the Device Packaging Experience organization at Amazon Lab126 where he evangelized, advocated and led strategic and tactical packaging sustainability initiatives aligned with Amazon’s Climate pledge. In addition to Consumer Electronics, Jay brings experience from Medical Device, Consumer Hardlines and Life Science packaging industries working for companies such as Origin Medsystems, Williams-Sonoma and Applied Biosystems. Jay holds multiple packaging related patents and co-invented a recyclable, paper-based cooler (Patent # 9,139,319). Jay currently serves on the Cal Poly Packaging Advisory Board and has over 25 years of developing packaging engineering strategies and solutions.
What Defines Plastics in Packaging?
Why it Matters...
As a response to the lack of plastics recycling infrastructure, global plastic waste mismanagement and consumer sentiment, many companies are making public facing claims to significantly reduce or eliminate plastics within the next 3 to 5 years. The UN Environment Assembly (and the FTC Green Guides represent global and domestic efforts to help define plastics. Currently, we have varied EU and US Domestic regulatory and legislative guidance, but we need more non-competitive industry cooperation to share, develop and guide us towards a recognized, near-term definition of plastics.
CASSIDY DESCHRYVER
Director of Sustainable Packaging and Development,
L'Oréal North America
Cassidy DeSchryver is the Director of Sustainable Packaging and Development for L'Oréal North America. She started her career with L'Oréal in January 2010 as a packaging engineer for new launches in skincare. From there, she worked on many different product categories on both the engineering side and project management side. In 2022, she had the opportunity to move to this transversal support role focused on driving, planning, and executing sustainability initiatives in North America. She is a graduate of Stevens Institute of Technology with a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering, and an MBA from Emory University. In her free time, she enjoys triathlon training and rock climbing.
Transforming our activities to respect planetary boundaries
It is no longer enough for companies to reduce their environmental impact with objectives that are defined by what is achievable within their current scope of business. At L’Oréal, our commitment is to ensure that our activities are respectful of our Planetary Boundaries, meaning, what the planet can withstand as defined by environmental science. In the session, we will explore the commitments made by the group and how our packaging design and product development process must adapt to deliver on these goals.
Jenn Goff
Global Director, Product Strategy, Oliver Healthcare
With a packaging degree from Michigan State University, Jenn has been dedicated to improving patient safety over the past 18 years. She has partnered with cross-functional teams across multiple organizations to bring lifesaving technologies to the healthcare market. Jenn began her career as a packaging engineer at Edwards Lifesciences where she held roles in new product development, global operations, and quality engineering. She then moved to Stryker, taking on roles with increasing responsibility and complexity to further help drive change, reduce costs and develop talent. With a diverse background in packaging engineering, labeling, quality engineering and electrical approvals engineering, she can effectively identify and solve various problems in the healthcare sector. She now holds the role of Global Director, Product Strategy at Oliver Healthcare Packaging. In this role, she identifies unmet needs in the healthcare packaging market to better define and deliver Oliver's global product strategy.
Medical Device Packaging Through the Lens of Sustainability
This presentation will give an overview of the medical device packaging industry and the evolution of how sustainability has introduced a new and complex challenge.
STEPHANIE GUSTAFSON
Packaging Development, Clorox Company, M.S., CPP
Stephanie is a Senior Packaging Scientist for Clorox on Cleaning and Sustainable Packaging in Pleasanton, California. She has almost 15 years of experience in Research & Development and Supply Chain packaging roles representing various brands at Abbott Nutrition and now Clorox. Stephanie studied Packaging at Michigan State University where she earned a B.S. and M.S. with a focus on human factors and user experience testing. Since moving to the Bay Area in 2018 she joined the Cal Poly Packaging Advisory Board and serves on the Mentorship committee.
Making Sustainable Packaging
Innovation Happen
Industry demand for eliminating waste and enabling a circular economy has posed a big challenge to brand owners in the consumer goods category. Here we will explore the sustainability goals that Clorox has established and how packaging design balances manufacturing and functional requirements for sustainable innovation.
ALYSSA HEZMALHALCH
Regional Manager , Oliver Healthcare
Driven sales leader with over 17 years’ experience in business development, project management and creative problem solving- specializing in medical and pharmaceutical packaging.
Medical Device Packaging Through the Lens of Sustainability
This presentation will give an overview of the medical device packaging industry and the evolution of how sustainability has introduced a new and complex challenge.
PHIL JONES
Packaging Manager,
The Boeing Company 
Phil is a Packaging Manager at Boeing. He began his career at Boeing as a Supply Chain Intern in June 2014 and returned to the company in May 2015 after receiving a BS in Industrial Technology and minor in Packaging from Cal Poly. Phil also received an MS in Packaging Value Chain from Cal Poly and his Master’s Research Project was titled A Value Chain Approach to Reusable Industrial Packaging.
Reusable Industrial Packaging and Sustainability as a Value Chain Driver
Industrial packaging facilitates logistical, production and procurement systems and is largely considered single-use. Sustainability is a growing global trend and is becoming a more robust value-added function. This presentation will review sustainability as a value chain driver for reusable industrial packaging and also what The Boeing Company is doing to reduce the amount of single-use packaging material entering the waste stream.
DAMON LUCENTA
Senior Manager, IQ Packaging Services
Damon’s experience in the packaging industry spans over 18 years, with the bulk of his career spent as a packaging engineer devoted to protective packaging solutions.  Damon currently manages Pregis IQ, the innovation headquarters for Pregis, where he leads a team of packaging engineers focused on solving complex packaging challenges.  He earned a bachelor's degree in Packaging from Michigan State University and an MBA from the University of Illinois Chicago.  He also sits on the Standards Council for ISTA.
Who's making the decisions for your circular business model?  Let's do it together! 
What is the definition of sustainability for your company and who is making decisions that direct the strategy for it?  Also, do you know if your goals are aligned with your customers interests and values? The ability to close the gap between company and client is contingent upon having the right data.  Knowing where to find this information in your supply chain is key to understanding the direction you need to go.
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Key takeaways from this presentation:
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How are businesses defining sustainability in packaging?
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Who is making decisions around sustainability and what is the criteria for success?
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How package design and testing can inject value into addressing sustainability goals?
BRENT NELSON
Packaging Engineer, Meta
Brent is currently a Sustainability Technical Program Manager within Meta’s Reality Labs division. Prior to Meta, Brent was Head of Inspiration at Fuseneo, a creative packaging design agency where he led new business development. Brent spent almost seven years at Amazon leading global sustainability strategies to influence industry adoption of ecommerce packaging and product standards that reduce waste and carbon emissions, minimize damages, and delight customers. Before Amazon, Brent spent 20 years championing packaging innovation and supply chain strategies for multinational consumer goods companies such as The Coca-Cola Company, Campbell Soup Company, PepsiCo and Henkel. Brent currently serves on the Michigan State Packaging Advisory Board.
What Defines Plastics in Packaging?
Why it Matters...
As a response to the lack of plastics recycling infrastructure, global plastic waste mismanagement and consumer sentiment, many companies are making public facing claims to significantly reduce or eliminate plastics within the next 3 to 5 years. The UN Environment Assembly (and the FTC Green Guides represent global and domestic efforts to help define plastics. Currently, we have varied EU and US Domestic regulatory and legislative guidance, but we need more non-competitive industry cooperation to share, develop and guide us towards a recognized, near-term definition of plastics.
DANIELLE CHATMAN-MOORE
Senior Business Sustainability Manager,
Dow
Danielle is responsible for continuing the expansion of the Hefty® EnergyBag® program. This initiative accelerates Dow's sustainability goals by
diverting more plastics from landfill by converting them to valuable energy resources. She leads program growth, identifying partners across the value chain, and securing new end markets and applications. In this role, she is responsible for programs focused on recovering hard-to-recycle plastics with the objective of diverting material from landfills and unlocking value from all post-use plastics. She is actively contributing to her career revolving around sustainability.
Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Danielle Chatman-Moore is an alum of Houston Baptist University with a B.A. in International Business. Post-graduation, she moved to Indianapolis, IN to work for Angie’s List from 2013 to 2015. Danielle decided on a career change and worked as an associate financial analyst from 2015 to 2017 before finding her passion in consulting and building client relationships. She rounded out her career prior to entering business school as an ERP and HCM Implementation Consultant in Indianapolis, IN where she enjoyed executing successful projects and exceeding client expectations. She is a relatable leader, a strategic communicator, and holds an array of professional experience.
Danielle lives in Houston, TX and enjoys the company of her husband, Marques Moore, to whom she has been married for four years in April, and son, Miles Moore, whom she welcomed in February 2022. She is an avid reader, a lover of biking, and enjoys tent camping.
Partnerships in the Waste Management Sector Enabling Circular Solutions
The push for incorporation of post-consumer recyclate into packaging solutions is driven by multiple value chain touch points including legislators, consumers, and brand owners. Achieving a circular solution for plastic packaging requires access to feed stocks or waste streams that can be transformed into new products. Examples of collaboration frameworks and outcomes will be discussed to provide insights into effective plastic waste management ecosystems.
YASH PARULEKAR
Associate Director, Sustainability and Stewardship,
MonoSol a Kuraray Company
Dr. Yash Parulekar heads sustainability, product stewardship and regulatory at MonoSol. Yash in his role as global head oversees sustainability strategies and efforts, technical reputation management, and environmental and social responsibility for MonoSol’s entire product portfolio of water-soluble, biodegradable films. Yash has been with MonoSol since 2011 in various roles in technical marketing and business strategy development. His expertise areas include bio-based materials, water-soluble polymers, unit-dose detergents, and packaging and has to his name multiple patents and peer-reviewed publications. Prior to MonoSol, Yash worked in technical roles at Encapsys and Appleton Performance Packaging both in Wisconsin, USA. Yash graduated from the University of Pune in India with a degree in Polymer Engineering followed by graduate work at Clemson (M.S. Materials Science and Engineering) and Michigan State University (Ph. D. Packaging Science) and the University of Illinois, Chicago (C. Business Administration).
Sustainability and Plastics: A Perspective on Microplastics and Waste
Plastics have been recognized as one of the biggest problems to the environment due to their inherent longevity and over-use in packaging. It is time to also recognize that not all plastics are the same and there is indeed a need for them in our society. The way to get to a more sustainable position on plastics is to manage the waste streams and regulate the issue of microplastics in the environment.
GLENN PETRIE
Business Development Manager for Healthcare Packaging, Eastman
Glenn Petrie is the business development manager for healthcare packaging at Eastman. With more than 30 years’ of commerical and technical experience in rigid and flexible medical packaging, Petrie has held several roles in Eastman’s Specialty Plastics and Specialty Films buisness since 2004. Petrie brings this deep experience to his customers, helping them innovate safer and more sustainable solutions to meet the unique challenges of today’s healthcare systems. Petrie received his bachelor’s degrees in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin. He currently resides in Wisconsin.
New Frontiers in Sustainability through Molecular Recycling at Eastman
Advanced recycling technologies have become a hot topic in materials markets, as have the mass balance protocols that enable them. Whether labeled as advanced, chemical or molecular recycling processes, there are important distinctions among these technologies that packaging designers ought to understand. Since the aim of these technologies is to provide a more sustainable source of materials, it is also important to understand the mass balance concept and how it connects the provision of reliable and meaningful sustainability claims. This presentation will provide an overview of these topics and provide attendees with the basics of evaluating and integrating these materials into package design.
EXECUTIVE BOARD 2023
Directors
Lexi McFarlane
Maribel Morales
Karen Zheng
Marketing
Amy Foo (Co-Chair), Pana Phan (Chair), Talia Joffe (Co-chair)
Media
Phoebe Liu (Co-Chair), Gabrielle Lin (Chair)
Reception
Bryce Edens (Chair), Olivia Peterson (Co-Chair)
Silent Auction
Maddie Davenport (Chair), Timothy Kozine (Co-Chair), Eileen Zheng (Chair)
Volunteer
Evan Kim (Chair), Caroline Powell (Co-Chair)