PACK EXPO International Shines Spotlight on Sustainability

Herndon, Va.; Oct. 24, 2024 – PACK EXPO International 2024 (Nov. 3–6; McCormick Place, Chicago), will showcase a wide array of innovations to help brand owners minimize energy consumption, waste, and carbon footprint and address circularity.

New and expanded education and show navigation resources will help 45,000 attendees efficiently meet their sustainability objectives as they traverse more than 1.3 million square feet of floor space housing 2,700 exhibitors.

“With consumers and regulators paying more attention to sustainability, brand owners must step up their efforts to set and meet goals to increase the sustainability of their operations,” says Laura Thompson, vice president of trade shows at PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, and producer of the PACK EXPO portfolio of trade shows. “Attendees at PACK EXPO International will be able to walk away with the information they need to set and achieve sustainability goals.”

Show resources include the launch of Sustainability Central, the Sustainability Solutions Finder, the PACK EXPO Green program, The Showcase of Packaging Innovations®, and free educational sessions.

Sustainability Central in the West Hall (Booth W-21020) will explore packaging sustainability and what it means to brands. This new show floor destination will provide a look at actionable, sustainable solutions in manufacturing, materials, recovery, logistics, analytics, and design. With over 20 educational sessions, the Sustainability Central stage will deliver critical insights. On Sunday, Nov. 3, at noon, PMMI experts Jorge Izquierdo, vice president, market development, and Rebecca Marquez, director, custom research, will present Navigating Packaging Materials Transitions, an update on PMMI’s 2023 Packaging Compass report and the related Material Transitioning Dashboard, an on-line tool illustrating materials consumer packaged goods companies are using, what they are phasing out, and their likely replacements over the next five years.

Sustainability Central also will feature presentations from experts at Amazon, Conagra, Clorox, Dow, Merck, and the Consumer Brands Association and others, as well as opportunities to learn about the latest planet-friendly innovations, research, and best practices from Virginia Tech, University of Florida, Clemson University, AMERIPEN, and more.

Educational sessions related to sustainability also will be presented at the Reusable Packaging Learning Center (Booth LU-6737) in the Reusable Packaging Pavilion, the Innovation Stage (Booth N-4560, N-4580, and N-4585), the Processing Innovation Stage (Booth LU-7147), and Industry Speaks (Booth N-4544). Topics include technology and materials innovations, the use of recycled content and renewable materials, transformation of waste, circularity, refill/reuse options, life cycle assessment, sustainable package design, reduction in emissions, extended producer responsibility, and data collection.  

At the Reusable Packaging Pavilion, members of the Reusable Packaging Association will demonstrate ways to reduce waste, cut costs, and gain supply chain efficiency. Visitors to the pavilion also will be able to explore reusable transport packaging products and services as well as learn about innovative reuse options.

Showgoers can locate sustainability resources quickly by using the Sustainability Solutions Finder kiosk located in Sustainability Central. This professionally vetted and searchable tool identifies exhibitors with environmentally friendly products and machinery. Sustainable materials and machinery suppliers and service providers also are identified by the PACK EXPO Green icon signage on the show floor. The logo also indicates which educational sessions explore sustainability topics.

Real-world examples of sustainable packaging from around the world may be found at The Showcase of Packaging Innovations®, sponsored by Smurfit WestRock and located within the Containers and Materials Pavilion in the West Hall (Booth W-21030).

At the venue, PMMI is working with Dow, the Official Sustainability Partner and the Official Sponsor of Show Floor Recycling at PACK EXPO International, to minimize the environmental impact of the event and divert as much waste as possible from landfills. Recyclable items include paper, paperboard, and corrugated; metal cans; unbroken glass containers; 01-PET and 02-HDPE containers; and name badges (look for badge collection bins at shuttle bus areas). PMMI also proudly notes that McCormick Place itself has been recognized for its innovative strategies to reduce its carbon footprint and has received official acknowledgment by independent third-party organizations such as LEED, APEX, Green Seal, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Learn more about PACK EXPO International’s Sustainability Commitment here. For more information and to register for the show, visit packexpointernational.com.

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