Bologna’s International Packaging Speaks Green Forum

The sustainability of manufacturing, from packaging onwards, will be a much-discussed topic at Bologna’s International Packaging Speaks Green Forum, scheduled for 20 – 21 February at the FICO Eataly World Congress Hall. Organised by UCIMA and the FICO Foundation, the forum aims to promote meetings and discussion among institutions, industries and academia on B2B and sustainable development.  

Packaging, in particular, has received a substantial amount of this attention, but it cannot be the only problem tackled in order to reduce environmental impact. Which is why the forum will be offering a comprehensive overview of the many aspects of a manufacturing which – it is hoped – is becoming increasingly green, complemented by a showcase of international best practices.

Packaging Speaks Green will be focusing on examples to follow set by leading global companies, such as Coca-Cola, Fater (a joint venture between P&G and P&G, Angelini), Alibaba, Amazon, and Coop, to name but a few, which will be examining the question of sustainable industrial activities to create value and share it with all the stakeholders.

More specifically, speakers will include Clay Dockery (vice president of the corporate brands division at Massimo Zanetti Beverages USA), Roman Manthey (global supply chain engineering & infrastructure director at Coca-Cola Bottling Investment Group), Joseph Rake (senior packaging manager at Amazon), Chiara Faenza (head of sustainability and value ​​innovation at Coop); Wei Ji (director of public affairs at Alibaba) and Enrico Dolce (product development & sales manager at Fater, a joint venture between P&G and Angelini).

WWF’s deputy director for climate and energy Tim Letts, meanwhile, will be presenting the work done by the World Wildlife Fund, alongside businesses, to set and achieve sustainability goals, in particular those linked to the development of low-emission business models that are compatible with brands’ economic growth. Packaging Speaks Green also aims to focus on the need to implement wide-reaching green solutions, highlighting global consumption trends and the level of standardisation achieved through the work of stakeholders in scientific and institutional fields worldwide.

The Forum will also offer opportunities for the presentation of extensive unpublished data. Consumer trends will be examined by Silvia Zucconi (market intelligence manager at Nomisma) based on researching how sustainability can influence purchasing decisions. This was conducted by the company’s research unit which monitors the packaging adopted for fast-moving consumer goods (Osservatorio Packaging del Largo Consumo). Also contributing will be Nicola De Carne, client business partner for retailer services at Nielsen, Paolo Spranzi (associate partner at McKinsey) and Johannes Bergmair (secretary general at the WPO, World Packaging Organization).

On the matter of legislation and society, European, Indian, American, and Australian institutional representatives will provide insights into the regulatory and consumption context in their respective locations. Speakers will include Nerida Kelton, executive director at AIP (Australian Institute of Packaging), Sanjay Kr. Chattopadhyay (director at IIP, Indian Institute of Packaging), and Cui Lin, secretary general at CFPMA (China Food and Packaging Machinery Industry Association). One of the leading sustainability experts for the Asian area, Sudhir Mishra (founder & managing partner of Trust Legal Advocates & Consultants), will also be enriching the debate.

The future of sustainable packaging starts now and this concept will be laying the foundations for the forum’s last in-depth discussion on green materials and technologies. Paola Fabbri, associate professor at the University of Bologna’s department of civil, chemical, environmental, and materials engineering, followed by Alessandro Manzardo, co-founder of University of Padua venture SPINLIFE, will kick off the discussion by debunking a few common myths before handing over to a panel discussion.

The panel will include Marco Versari, head of institutional relations at Novamont, Carlos Trubacz, strategic marketing manager at Amcor, Håkan Pettersson, business segment director at BillerudKorsnäs, and Mariagiovanna Vetere, global public affairs director at NatureWorks and Braskem Netherlands BV. End-of-line strategies will be discussed, meanwhile, by Laure Cucuron, general manager of the European office of TerraCycle and representative of HERA and AliPlast.