Getting back to business

It’s been two years since Recycling Today has been able to host its Paper & Plastics Recycling Conference (PPRC) in person because of the coronavirus pandemic. As of this summer, however, we appear to be on course to meet again in person in Chicago this October.

The PPRC, which is in its 23rd year, is scheduled for Oct. 19-20 at a new venue—the Marriott Marquis Chicago—which is near south downtown Chicago. The PPRC’s new site, which is connected to McCormick Place convention center, is designed for events like ours with 90,000 square feet of event space that feature views of the Chicago cityscape.

While we’re excited about the new space, we’re most excited to bring you an informative educational program and opportunities to network with other professionals in the municipal, paper and plastics recycling industries to discuss the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the recycling sector, including shipping and the passage of a number of extended producer responsibility laws recently. This is your opportunity to connect with industry leaders from throughout the supply chain, including brand owners, recyclers and consumers of recyclables.

Since our event was launched in 2000 as the Paper Recycling Conference, we’ve partnered with paper industry consultant Bill Moore of Moore & Associates to plan paper and packaging programming for the event. Moore is the subject of this month’s cover story, “Stronger than ever.” In this article, you’ll learn more about Moore’s career in the industry and the path that led him to form his own consultancy.

“This is your opportunity to connect with industry leaders from throughout the supply chain, including brand owners, recyclers and consumers of recyclables.”

Moore once again is assisting with PPRC programming and will be reprising his role as moderator of the Mill Buyers Panel, which is scheduled for Oct. 20 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. He leads a panel of paper mill buyers, including Johnny Newsome, director of global mill supply and trade sales at Sonoco, in a discussion about how they are responding to the challenges of recovered paper buying.

Also on the agenda is Moore’s associate Susan Cornish, who hosts a workshop Oct. 19 on packaging sustainability that requires a separate registration fee. This session, which runs from 11 a.m. to noon, examines recent trends in packaging and factors that affect the sustainability of paper packaging. The workshop covers new package types that, while promoted as “more circular,” are questionable in terms of their overall sustainability.

The PPRC also includes sessions on chemical recycling, markets for various commodity-grade postconsumer resins, transportation and the state of the economy. Learn more and register at www.RecyclingTodayEvents.com.