Our Innovation Days 2021 are over but you can still register to have access to all of the content and live recordings from this virtual trade show experience!
As a registered user you can benefit from great insights into how sustainable and innovative packaging solutions will make a circular economy become reality in the future. So register now, login, and be part of this virtual trade show experience.
Our Livestream Program
Wed. 10:00 AM - CEO Opening Speech: Packaging. The future is here.
Manfred Stanek
CEO Greiner Packaging
Manfred Stanek was appointed as CEO of Greiner Packaging in 2016. He is a global leader with over 20 years of experience in both industrial and professional services sectors – with strategic, commercial, operational, and team-building expertise informed by a focus on obtaining competitive advantage. He has an MBA in Business Administration from Vienna University of Business and Economics.
What is it about?
Who better to open our Innovation Days than Manfred Stanek, CEO. True to the name, he speaks about the importance of innovation for the industry, and where Greiner Packaging is headed in the future.
Duration: 30 mins
Wed. 10:40 AM - Panel Discussion: How to achieve the circular economy targets
Manfred Stanek
CEO Greiner Packaging
Manfred Stanek was appointed as CEO of Greiner Packaging in 2016. He is a global leader with over 20 years of experience in both industrial and professional services sectors – with strategic, commercial, operational, and team-building expertise informed by a focus on obtaining competitive advantage. He has an MBA in Business Administration from Vienna University of Business and Economics.
Dannielle Borger
Head of Packaging Sustainability Laundry & Home Care at Henkel
Danielle Borger is Head of Packaging Sustainability Laundry & Home Care at Henkel, having joined the company 10 years ago. She previously held packaging development roles at Nutricia and Danone. Dannielle has a Master’s of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the Delft Technical University and an MBA from the University of Manchester.
Gilonne Traub
Network Manager at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Gilonne Traub has been Network Manager at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation since 2018, having previously had various research and consultancy roles in the energy industry. She has degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University of Surrey and Imperial College London.
What is it about?
The panel discusses Greiner Packaging’s and Henkel’s sustainability goals and how they are related to the ambitious targets they are committed to achieving as signatories to the New Plastics Economy initiative of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. They consider the realities and the challenges faced to achieve the goal of a circular economy for plastic products
Duration: 40 mins
Wed. 11:30 AM - The EU legislative environment
David Buhé
Policy Officer for Packaging waste at the European Commission
David is Policy Officer for Packaging waste at the European Commission. He is actively involved in the review of the Packaging Waste Directive that will focus on waste prevention and products design. Previously, at the French Ministry of Ecology, he was responsible for the European Plastic Pact signed in 2020 to achieve better lifecycle management of plastics. And in 2019, he was in charge of environmental priorities (climate change, biodiversity and ocean protection) for the French presidency of the G7.
What is it about?
David is interviewed about the current EU legislative environment and the potential impact of the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD). He discusses the need for tangible scientific evidence to influence different forms of recycling, and how best to develop reuse. He also talks about the importance of first avoiding the production of waste at source, and how recycled materials will become more integral, but are not the whole solution.
Duration: 40 mins
Wed. 01:00 PM - Packaging the future with sustainable plastic materials
Florian Aschermayer
Global Senior Project Manager Circular Economy at Greiner Packaging
Florian Aschermayer became Global Senior Project Manager Circular Economy at Greiner Packaging in 2020. He is responsible for strategy projects regarding ‘Sustainable Plastic Material’, focusing on material flows, recycling, material properties, technologies, KPI monitoring & compliance with material standards, and change agents from the Linear Economy to the Circular Economy. He has a Polymer Engineering and Science Master degree from Johannes Kepler University Linz.
Konrad Wasserbauer
Circular Economy Director at Greiner Packaging
Konrad Wasserbauer has been Director Circular Economy at Greiner Packaging since 2019 and previously held the role of Corporate Environmental Director at RHI Magnesita, having joined the company in 2004. He has Master’s degrees in: Law from the Johannes Kepler University, Linz; Technical Environmental Management from the University of Applied Sciences Technikum, Wien; and Production & Management from the University of Applied Sciences, Steyr.
What is it about?
As an opening session to an afternoon devoted to sustainable materials, Florian and Konrad provide a general background before explaining mechanical and chemical recycling, and give an outlook into the future of several kinds of recycling materials. They look at current challenges and solutions before addressing hot topics, including: It’s not about avoiding plastics, it’s about plastics waste; and transformation to a circular economy with the help of sustainable plastic materials.
Duration: 30 mins
Wed. 01:35 PM - The future of food contact: circular polystyrene
Tobias Strasser
Managing Director Greiner Packaging Diepoldsau
Tobias Strasser is General Manager of Greiner Packaging AG (Switzerland) since 2011. He joined Greiner in 2002 and has held various management positions since then. He has more than 30 years of experience in the packaging and plastics industry.
Jens Kathmann
Secretary General at Styrenics Circular Solutions
Jens Kathmann is Secretary General, Styrenics Circular Solutions, since October 2018. Previously, he served as Vice President Standard Products EMEA for INEOS Styrolution with over 30 years of experience in the chemical industry, including BASF, in several managerial assignments in Asia and Europe. Jens studied Applied Sciences at the University of Mannheim/Ludwigshafen.
What is it about?
Extending closed loop food contact recycling beyond PET bottles to new food grade applications is no longer a silver lining on the horizon. Excellent progress has been made in fulfilling polystyrene’s intrinsic capacity for full circularity. Recycled polystyrene of food grade quality combines all the well-known application, end consumer, processing and environmental advantages of polystyrene, with the added value of being a fully circular polymer with a favourable ecological footprint. Our portfolio of recycling technologies with mechanical recycling, dissolution and depolymerization, make it ideal for closed loop food contact recycling. Jens and Tobias therefore inform about the first application for EU food contact authorisation, test runs of SCS members and are happy to answer our audience’s questions.
Duration: 40 mins
Wed. 02:20 PM - The r-PP Challenge
Florian Aschermayer
Global Senior Project Manager Circular Economy at Greiner Packaging
Florian Aschermayer became Global Senior Project Manager Circular Economy at Greiner Packaging in 2020. He is responsible for strategy projects regarding ‘Sustainable Plastic Material’, focusing on material flows, recycling, material properties, technologies, KPI monitoring & compliance with material standards, and change agents from the Linear Economy to the Circular Economy. He has a Polymer Engineering and Science Master degree from Johannes Kepler University Linz.
Konrad Wasserbauer
Circular Economy Director at Greiner Packaging
Konrad Wasserbauer has been Director Circular Economy at Greiner Packaging since 2019 and previously held the role of Corporate Environmental Director at RHI Magnesita, having joined the company in 2004. He has Master’s degrees in: Law from the Johannes Kepler University, Linz; Technical Environmental Management from the University of Applied Sciences Technikum, Wien; and Production & Management from the University of Applied Sciences, Steyr.
What is it about?
Konrad & Florian give an update about the current situation for r-PP, and discuss the benefits of mechanically recycled r-PP. They also present projects which have already been implemented, examine the availability of material, and give an outlook of Greiner Packaging’s view of the future of r-PP.
Duration: 30 mins
Wed. 03:00 PM - Closing the loop with r-PET
Peter Fessl
r-PET Expert at Greiner Packaging
Peter Fessl has been with Greiner Packaging since 2018, starting within Group Category Management but now focusing on Greiner Packaging’s r-PET business, since February 2021. He has over 15 years of experience in procurement.
Günther Pahlitzsch
r-PET Expert at Greiner Packaging
Günther Pahlitzsch was a consultant sales representative for the company from 2015-2017 before becoming Sales Manager and GM at Greiner Packaging Litvinov. Since February 2021, he, like Peter Fessl, also devotes great attention to Greiner Packaging’s r-PET business. He has over 25 years of experience of many aspects of the packaging industry across liquid carton, flexible and rigid packaging.
What is it about?
Peter and Günther discuss PET, its recyclability, and the availability of recycled content. They talk about the issues around heat resistance, and Greiner Packaging’s ambition to work on a PET HTS (hot temperature sterilization) solution. They also talk about the challenges around feedstock, and Greiner Packaging’s Austrian school milk project which has successfully closed the loop.
Duration: 25 mins
Wed. 03:30 PM - Climate change: Act now - with bio-circular materials
Stephan Laske
R&D Director at Greiner Packaging
Stephan Laske joined Greiner Packaging as R&D Director in 2019. He studied plastics engineering at the Montanuniversität Leoben, completing his doctorate in the field of plastics processing in 2009 and habilitation for Associated Professor in 2015. Previous roles include Principal Scientist at the Research Center Pharmaceutical Engineering, Head of R&D at Saubermacher and Managing Director of IM Polymer.
Trevor Davis
Head of Marketing at Borealis
Trevor Davis is Head of Marketing – Consumer Products, at Borealis. He has over 20 years of marketing experience, focusing on the 5P’s (Product, Price, Place, Promotion, Packaging). Prior to joining the plastics industry, he spent 12 years in the packaging industry with Amcor and 8 years as a Management Consultant with Huron Consulting Group & PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
What is it about?
Trevor introduces the topic of bio-circular materials and how the challenge of climate change can be addressed by using sustainable and renewable carbon sources. With a philosophy of ‘less talking, more doing’, Stephan then looks at the processing of bio-circular materials and why they make sense, while giving an example of a currently implemented packaging solution.
Duration: 30 mins
Wed. 04:05 PM - Plastic Bank: empowering the world to stop ocean plastic
David Katz
David Katz is the founder and CEO of Plastic Bank, an internationally recognized solution to ocean plastic. The Plastic Bank is a global network of micro recycling markets that empower the poor to transcend poverty by cleaning the environment. He is the recipient of: the UN Lighthouse award for Planetary Health; the Paris Climate Conference Sustainia community award; the Earnst and Young Lifetime Achievement award; is the Past President of the Vancouver Chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO); and named the EO Global Citizen.
What is it about?
David focuses on how Social Plastic transfers its value to the people that engage with it; and how Plastic Bank is helping to build a regenerative society. He also highlights the role of each partner in the fight against ocean-bound plastic waste.
Duration: 25 mins
Thu. 10:00 AM - How Innovation works for all
Jacob Duer
President & CEO of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste
Jacob Duer is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, a global non-profit organization that was established in 2019 to help end plastic waste in the environment. Jacob has more than 20 years of experience with the United Nations, focusing on chemicals and waste management, environment and sustainable development. Currently based in Singapore, he has lived and worked with the United Nations in Austria, Senegal, Kenya and Switzerland.
What is it about?
Innovation is often seen as something complex, being done in a lab by the brightest and smartest people in the room, involving millions of dollars and directed man-hours in an attend to develop a new idea or product. But innovation takes many forms, and can come from the simplest re-visiting of existing technologies in new circumstance. Through over 20 projects world-wide, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste is developing and deploying solutions to end plastic waste in the environment.
Duration: 20 mins
Thu. 10:25 AM - We go circular! Do you?
Paolo Glerean
President of RecyClass
Dr. Paolo Glerean is President of the RecyClass Platform. He has been a board member of the Plastics Recyclers Europe Association since 2012, a board member of the Italian plastics Recyclers Association since 2013, and a member of European Plastics Converters Packaging since 2014. Dr Glerean has been co-chairman of the PET tray working group of PETCORE Europe since 2015, and since 2019, Past President and Vice-President of PET Sheet Europe (Sector Group of EuPC). Dr Glerean has a degree in Economics from Trieste University.
Vincent Mooij
Director of SUEZ.circpack
Vincent Mooij is Director of SUEZ.circpack® within SUEZ, a world leader in smart and sustainable resource management. Vincent has over 10-years’ experience in innovation in the recycling industry. He has established multiple new recycling propositions and set up partnerships. Vincent holds a degree in Marketing from The Hague University of applied science.
Jens Krause
Sales Director and K3® Product Category Manager at Greiner Packaging
Based in Switzerland, Jens joined Greiner Packaging in 2003, and is now Sales Director and Product Category Manager for K3® products. Jens has over 25 years' experience in product management and sales of plastic packaging solutions, and a degree in systems engineering from Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences.
What is it about?
Paolo and Vincent discuss the importance of design for recycling, what makes packaging recyclable and the challenges which need to be overcome to enable plastic to stay in the economic cycle for as long as possible. They consider to use materials in order to fit with existing recycling streams, i.e. reducing the area of the packaging covered by the decoration, developing packaging that consists of a single material (monomaterial), or combining materials that are easy to separate in the recycling process. Jens joins the session and shows how K3® products can be separated more easily in the future to improve recyclability.
Duration: 40 mins
Thu. 11:10 AM - Innovations in (Waste) Material Collection
Andreas Opelt
CMO and Member of the Executive Board at Saubermacher
Dr. Andreas Opelt is CMO and Member of the Executive Board at Saubermacher, and has previously held various management positions in the areas of consulting and sales. Since 2020, he has been a board member at the Association of Austrian Waste Management Companies. Dr. Opelt has a doctorate in technical natural sciences from Graz University of Technology.
What is it about?
In the last 30 years, since separate bins have been established at household level, the waste collection is managed in quite similar ways. However, now technology and digitalization allow these processes to change substantially. Based on digital customer orders, and sensor data logistic processes can be optimized in a new manner. This brings up opportunities for new single variety sources of (waste) materials to be collected and thus recycled. In this talk an overview of some novel technologies and platforms are shown and an outlook is given how this could shape the future of secondary material sourcing.
Duration: 30 mins
Thu. 11:45 AM - Coopetition - #ForumRezyklat
Dagmar Glatz
Director of Sustainable Packaging at dm-drogerie markt
Dagmar Glatz has been Director of Sustainable Packaging at dm-drogerie-markt, since 2019. She previously spent 4 years in a plastics processing company in various positions for the automotive supply industry, and before that, spent 8 years in a mechanical engineering company for cable extrusion. Dagmar has a degree in plastics engineering from the University of Leoben, Austria.
What is it about?
When a competition develops into a cooperation, it’s called coopetition. #ForumRezyklat is an example for such a coopetition approach addressing the challenging sustainability issues of our time and thus brings about positive change for society and the environment.
#ForumRezyklat is based on the demand for closing the loop of plastic packages. The mission encourages the use of recyclable packages with recycled plastic content.
dm-drogerie markt initiated the partner network #ForumRezyklat. Within the alliance, first milestones have been reached in more than 3 years of cooperation. At the same time the way of cooperative partnership has been realigned. This contribution will highlight both, the challenges in a volatile packaging industry and the resulting fields of action and strategies that the members of the #ForumRezyklat are pushing forward.
Duration: 30 mins
Thu. 01:00 PM - How barrier packaging can support sustainability
Bettina Schrenk
Global Expert R&D at Greiner Packaging
Bettina Schrenk has been working in research and development for Greiner Packaging since 2013. Alongside the development of the R&D department, Bettina’s main task has been the development of Greiner Packaging Barrier Technologies. She has more than ten years’ experience in the plastic industry.
What is it about?
Bettina gives an overview of Greiner Packaging’s innovative Barrier Technologies and looks at developments which will support the transformation of the plastic packaging industry into a circular economy. For many years, confrontations over issues such as the environment, resources, and health have forced the packaging industry to develop new products and materials, while many preservatives have been added to food so that it can reach its required shelf life. With Greiner Packaging Barrier Technologies, it is possible to hinder or delay water vapour or oxygen permeation, significantly extending the shelf life of food without needing to add preservatives.
Duration: 30 mins
Thu. 01:35 PM - Connected packaging - Fad or Future?
Rachel Sheldon
Market Development Manager at Greiner Packaging
Rachel Sheldon is a Market Development Manager for Greiner UK & IRE, responsible for all areas of market development outside of Greiner Packaging’s traditional Dairy Sector. Focusing on sustainable innovative solutions and emerging trends. Rachel has over 20 years of experience within the packaging industry and has been a member of the Greiner UK team for the past 12 years.
Jennifer Stanley
Founder and Managing Director of Appetite Creative
Jennifer Stanley is founder of multi award-winning creative technology studio Appetite Creative, and has over 20 years’ experience in international sales management across the media, advertising and creative technology industries. An innovative and dynamic leader, in 2017 Jenny also founded Women's networking group, FemmeNiche bringing together, supporting and inspiring women from all backgrounds and industries.
James Males
Commercial Director at Appetite Creative
James has over 25 years of experience in the field of media and advertising technology. He currently leads business development as Commercial Director for Appetite Creative. Previously he ran his own boutique marketing and advertising consultancy, Activ8 Digital, James partnered with Appetite Creative, to be part of a larger organization that has allowed him to deliver exceptional solutions at scale, with a company that not only shares his vision but who also is a leader in their field with expert creative technology and forward-thinking products.
What is it about?
There are many key challenges that brands face every day, from facilitating user engagement to increasing brand loyalty and collecting customer insights. This is where connected packaging, defined as the integration of technology within product packaging design, can help.
In this session, Jenny Stanley MD at Appetite Creative and James Males, Commercial Director uncover the benefits of connected packaging. Explaining what it is, how it adds value to advertising campaigns, improves customer engagement and loyalty, encourages recycling behaviour and how to best utilise this adaptable and flexible media channel. Rachel Sheldon of Greiner Packaging will then cover how this will be adapted for use in K3® products. Jenny will Share case study insights from a range of big brand clients including Tetra Pak, CocaCola, Emmi and PepsiCo, as well as practical ways to apply connected packaging, the session will uncover the different layers of connected packaging. Jenny will also share her expert view on how connected packaging can deliver a blend of engagement and data allowing brands to make better product decisions and plan more effective marketing campaigns.
Duration: 25 mins
Thu. 02:05 PM - Digitalization starts with Serialization
Piet de Vriendt
Senior Business Development Manager at Kezzler
Piet de Vriendt is Senior Business Development Manager at Kezzler and has been with the company for two years. He has 10 years’ experience working in sales, marketing and commercial product management. Piet has a Bachelor's degree in Corporate Communication and Marketing and a Postgraduate in International Marketing.
What is it about?
Piet highlights the benefits to brand owners of applying a cloud-hosted UID (Unique Identifier) on every single product produced, so that data can be collected on an individual basis across the many steps of the product journey. He explains that each stage in this journey generate enormous silos of data, and that serialization is a method to present this combined data per individual product across these silos. He discusses how packaging technologies play an important part in applying a UID to every product, and how the information – which is data presented in a structured manner – generates insight, which then drives the decision-making process.
Duration: 25 mins
Thu. 02:35 PM - Digitalization & Packaging: Opportunities with Digital Watermarks
Larry Logan
Chief Evangelist at Digimarc Corporation
Larry Logan is the Chief Evangelist at Digimarc Corporation, the inventor of the imperceptible Digimarc Barcode identifier for all types of media. Among his industry awards and recognition, The World Brand Congress named Larry Logan among the 100 Most Influential Global Marketing Leaders. In his previous career in Hollywood, he was the recipient of over 75 Gold and Platinum records in entertainment industry marketing campaigns.
Alisa Schröer
Global Senior Project Manager Circular Economy at Greiner Packaging
Alisa Schröer joined Greiner Packaging in 2019 as Circular Economy Project Manager, having previously founded Recyclingbox in Mexico. She has a science degree in Health and Preventive Medicine from the University of Applied Sciences Emden/Leer, and a degree in Global Management from HSB Hochschule Bremen – City University of Applied Sciences.
What is it about?
Larry and Alisa address the importance of intelligent sorting and the advantages it delivers across the value chain. They look at how digital watermarks will play an essential role in enhancing future recycling capabilities. Greiner Packaging is a partner of the HolyGrail 2.0 initiative, led by the European Brands Association (AIM), promoting the use of digital watermarks on the decorative elements of various packaging systems.
Duration: 35 mins
Thu. 03:15 PM - Design and Innovation: delivering the future of packaging
Stefan Ebli
Head of Design and Prototyping Services at Greiner Packaging
Stefan Ebli has been at Greiner Packaging since 2006, starting as a Product Developer & Designer. He has always specialized in packaging design, convenience, functionalities, and improving recyclability. In 2011, he became head of the new division, DesPro – Design and Prototyping agency. With numerous packaging solutions implemented every year, the DesPro team manages to achieve the desired competitive advantage for Greiner Packaging customers.
What is it about?
Stefan discusses how the requirements and needs of packaging have changed in recent years and looks at which packaging solutions can meet these requirements without sacrificing convenience, functionality, attractive design, or the need for packaging to be sustainable. He also looks at some design concepts and ideas which can be developed for individual customers and offers an insight into current development projects for different markets.
Duration: 30 mins
Thu. 03:50 PM - Digitalization in the procurement of plastic recyclates - closing the loop with standards and technology
Christian Schiller
Co-Founder of Cirplus
In December 2018, Christian Schiller and Volkan Bilici co-founded Cirplus as a digital procurement platform for plastic recyclates. The Hamburg-based start-up initiated DIN SPEC 91446 in August 2020 and developed it together with 16 participants in the value chain, including Greiner Packaging. Previously, Christian built and scaled the ride-share platform BlaBlaCar Germany. He studied international relations and law at the Universities of Freiburg, Nice, Dresden and the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy (Boston).
What is it about?
Christian explains the interplay between the procurement platform and standardization and discusses the contribution this can make overall to closing the plastics cycle.
Duration: 30 mins
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FAQs for visitors
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