Pre-Conference Workshop

Sustainability & Paper Packaging

Presenters:

Bill Moore, President, Moore & Associates

Dr. Susan Cornish, Ph.D., President, Insight + Action

In the continuing series of Moore & Associates workshops at SERC, this year’s event will focus on recent trends that affect the sustainability of packaging. The roles of brand owners, consumers, recycling collection, MRF (Materials Recovery Facility), and mills are discussed. Examples of new paper packaging replacing plastic packaging are outlined. New package types that are promoted as ‘more circular’ but are really questionable in terms of sustainability will identified. The rapid growth of e-commerce and the implications for shipping packaging are discussed. Changes in curbside recycling in recent years and the implications for new types of paper packaging are reviewed. How different types of paper packages fare when sorted at the MRF (Materials Recovery Facility) will be outlined. The impact on recyclability of non-paper elements in packages, such as inks, labels, wraps, and more, will be reviewed.

Pre-Confernce Workshop Speakers

Bill Moore

Bill Moore, President, Moore & Associates

Bill Moore is an accomplished senior executive and environmental expert with more than 40 years of experience across the chemical, solid waste management, recycling, paper, packaging, and related manufacturing sectors.

Leveraging extensive experience as an environmental business professional and pioneer in the paper recycling industry, Bill provides valuable insight for companies in need of guidance on strategy due to changes in commodity pricing, markets, and technology; facing environmental issues; or interested in sustainable business practices. His areas of expertise include leadership, start-ups, generating growth, sales and marketing, market analysis, market trends, price forecasting, operations, regulatory affairs, global business, and environmental issues. Bill graduated from the Stevens Institute of Technology in NJ in Chemical Engineering.

Dr. Susan Cornish, Ph.D.

Dr. Susan Cornish, Ph.D., President, Insight + Action

Bio

Dr. Cornish is President of Insight + Action, a research and consulting firm founded in 2017 that helps clients develop more sustainable packaging. Susan’s clients include brand owners, packaging manufacturers, and recycling and sustainability trade associations. She provides expertise in consumer research, package and product innovation, packaging recyclability and sustainability, US and global recycling systems, supply chain sustainability metrics, and market analysis and forecasting.

Prior to Insight + Action, Susan had 25 years of experience working with Marketing clients at global CPG, retail, and hospitality firms. Susan led project teams, defined objectives, and developed measurement metrics for survey research on new products and packaging. Here she developed techniques to improve quality and timeliness, while creating new reporting methods to highlight key findings, brand strategies, and recommendations.

Susan is the author of several recent articles on ecommerce, packaging recycling, and consumer perceptions of sustainability. Susan holds an Honors BA in Geography & Economics from Simon Fraser University and a PhD in Economic Development from the University of Toronto.