Sustainable Packaging Innovation Forum USA

27th - 28th October 2026

Chicago, USA

Sustainable packaging innovation: What it means today for industry and consumers

Fireside chat
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Regulations like EPR have moved packaging sustainability onto the priority list. The companies leading the way treat sustainability as a commercial lever, not a compliance burden: this means working on innovation, stronger customer relationships, and getting ahead of costs before they’re forced on you. But doing so requires organizations to change how they operate, often faster than their structures are built for.

Don Sparaco, president of US and Canada corrugated packaging at Smurfit Westrock, has spent much of his career aligning strategy, culture and teams. In this fireside chat, we’ll discuss with him change
management and leadership challenges. We’ll reflect on how to advance sustainability in packaging, starting from a grounded read on where the sector stands today. We’ll look at:

  • The state of the industry: What’s the operational reality right now? We’ll look at trends, opportunities, and pressures on the supply chain.
  • Innovation under pressure: Rising regulatory expectations create an opportunity for innovation, but cost is still a barrier. Where should companies direct efforts, and how to spot the right solution?
  • Leadership and change management: Embedding sustainability in packaging strategy, from products to governance, helps organizations respond to regulatory and cost pressures. What does leadership need to get right, to support the change and respond proactively?
Fireside chat

What to expect from this type of session...

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Day 0

Monday 26th October 2026

Time
Session title
Session theme
Session type
5:00pm - 6:00pm
Day 1

Tuesday 27th October 2026

Time
Session title
Session theme
Session type
8:45am - 8:55am
Welcome words 
Institute of Packaging Professionals
9:15am - 10:00am
EPR compliance infrastructure: What do the rules require and what can the market deliver? 
RecycleMe | ALDI USA | Unilever | The Recycling Partnership
Plenary
10:00am - 10:45am
Plenary
10:45am - 11:15am
11:15am - 11:40am
‘Design for recycling’: Why we need more dialogue between upstream and downstream 
Kenvue | Sustainable Packaging Podcast with Cory Connors, presented by Atlantic Packaging
Breakout
11:40am - 12:20pm
Plenary
12:20pm - 12:30pm
12:30pm - 1:30pm
3:00pm - 3:30pm
3:30pm - 4:15pm
4:15pm - 5:00pm
5:00pm - 6:00pm
Day 2

Wednesday 28th October 2026

Time
Session title
Session theme
Session type
8:45am - 8:55am
8:50am - 9:30am
Case study
9:50am - 10:00am
10:00am - 10:30am
10:30am - 11:10am
Reuse at scale: What works, what doesn’t, and pathways forward 
Mastercard | Tomra | Sustainable Packaging Coalition
Plenary
11:10am - 11:50am
Circular economy as industrial strategy: How to build stronger value chains and local economies 
Martin Brower | Washington State Department of Commerce | WRAP | PR3
Plenary
11:50am - 12:30pm
Plenary
12:30pm - 1:30pm
1:30pm - 3:00pm
3:00pm - 3:20pm
Plenary