Source Reduction Summit

Arrival & Informal Networking

Grab informal food & refreshments at Boxyard RTP when you arrive.

Breakfast Available & Networking

Check in and fuel up ahead of a sharp 9:00 program start. Light snacks & coffee/tea will be available throughout the morning.

Welcome: Why this Moment Matters

The leadership of Circle & RTI welcome participants. Understand why we're convening around source reduction plans and how the next two days are designed to help. Includes Chatham House and Anti-Trust expectations.

• Dave FordCo-Founder · Circle
• Mike KaelinChief Operating Officer · RTI

Temperature Check: How Prepared is the Value Chain for Source Reduction?

Use aggregated, anonymous data from the arrival survey to frame learning goals. Reflect on 5/31 EPR reporting experiences, gauge how prepared producers, suppliers & converters feel moving into source reduction planning, and hear organizations' priority questions.

• Rachel RyanTechnical Programs Lead · Circle
• Dr. Jamie Pero ParkerSustainability Lead · RTI
• Cary StricklandDirector of Innovation · RTI

CAA Fireside Chat

A moderated fireside discussion with Circular Action Alliance (CAA), the Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) for packaging EPR in California, focused on role clarity, program intent, and level-setting on SB 54 source reduction requirements. The conversation will distinguish statutory requirements from program guidance and clarify how producers should approach compliance.

Moderated by Dave Ford, Co-Founder · Circle

• Geoff InchSVP, Producer Services · CAA
• Dave FordCo-Founder · Circle

CAA Guidance Deep-Dive: Building Your Individual Source Reduction Plan

CAA provides a clear look at plan expectations: an overview of the 5 pathways to source reduction, deadlines, and common questions.

• Hannah CallowayProducer Engagement & Education Manager · CAA

Learning Exchange: Understanding the 5 Pathways to Source Reduction

Guided breakouts. The session helps the value chain understand the 5 source reduction pathways outlined in PRO guidance for Individual Source Reduction Plans: Reuse & Refill; Elimination; Switching to Alternative, Non-Plastic Materials; Right-sizing (Concentrating, Lightweighting & Shifting to Bulk Packaging); and PCR Content as Alternative Compliance.

In rotations, participants explore "viable actions" by pathway through practical examples. Discuss the format types organizations are struggling with. Talk through your compliance questions with these technical experts and your multi-stakeholder group:

Lunch & Networking

Learning Exchange: Understanding the Pathways Continued

Guided breakouts continue from the morning session.

Exchange Debrief with Producers: View from the Crossroads — Picking Pathways

Hear which pathways feel most relevant for producers, remaining questions about plan compliance, and where teams still need to better understand assumptions (e.g. redesign timelines, material availability) with the help of the value chain. Reflect on the rotations and engage in a moderated panel and Q&A.

Moderated by Jesse Medlong, J.D., Sustainability Attorney & Corporate Advisor · DLA Piper

• Jesse Medlong, J.D.Sustainability Attorney & Corporate Advisor · DLA Piper
• Anne BedarfDirector, Global Packaging & Plastics Sustainability · Colgate-Palmolive
• Eadaoin QuinnSustainable Packaging Sr. Manager · Mars
• Molly LavertyDirector, Sustainability Reporting & Engagement · Primo

Expert Debrief: What Does "Good" Look Like?

Technical experts synthesize key takeaways, respond to the raised questions about the pathways, and discuss group Q&A. Producers gain a clearer view of what a strong plan looks like. Suppliers, converters & co-packagers better understand how portfolio shifts may shape procurement needs. Begin to think through what needs to happen "behind the scenes" of plan development.

Moderated by Gabriela Dobrot, Consulting Director · Lorax

• Gabriela DobrotConsulting Director · Lorax
• Felicia Isaac, J.D.Sustainability Attorney & Associate · DLA Piper
• Anna KendallUS EPR Lead & Sr. Manager · EY
• Michael WassermanSenior Environmental Consultant · Eunomia
• Alyssa DizonPackaging Compliance & Sustainability Product Leader · rePurpose Global

Reminders for Day 2 & Close

Closing Happy Hour Reception

Breakfast Available & Networking

Check in and fuel up ahead of a sharp 9:00 program start. Light snacks & coffee/tea will be available throughout the morning.

Welcome & Day 2 Agenda

Hosted by Circle.

RTI Policy Scenario Planning Session

EPR policy is evolving quickly, and adapting is costly. This session explores plausible policy scenarios for the next ~5 years and prompts you to consider what they might mean for your packaging, compliance, and cost exposure. You'll hear about the methods we used to translate trends and signals into policy scenarios, use a framework to consider how you might shift plans and internal models to make "no-regrets" decisions under uncertainty.

• Keith WeitzDirector, Sustainability & Resource Management · RTI
• Cary StricklandDirector, Strategy & Innovation · RTI
• Laura MorrisonDirector, Research Economist · RTI Center for Innovation & Applied Economics

Case Study: Behind the Scenes of a Producer Packaging Transition

Featured producers share how teams aligned internally and communicated with suppliers to evaluate tradeoffs and deliver implementable packaging decisions for products recently brought to market.

Featured speakers coming soon.

Learning Exchange: Picking Your Pathways

Guided breakouts across pathway stations with time to self-select based on unique portfolio needs. Dig deeper into identifying what is an implementable transition for your portfolio.

At pathway stations, explore real-world dynamics like redesign timelines, supplier machinery & manufacturing lines, material availability, investment and infrastructure needs, and performance requirements alongside the suppliers and converters who will be central to implementing these pathways. Where is there momentum? What formats still have us stuck?

Lunch & Networking

Learning Exchange: Picking Your Pathways Continued

Suppliers, Converters & Materials: How Do We Get There?

Learn what suppliers need to know from producers to help meet source reduction goals, how and when they want to be involved in pathway analysis, and common ideas they've heard producers consider that are unlikely to be feasible in practice. Are there shifts that the supply chain and material producers are more ready to make? Reflect on the morning's pathway discussions in a moderated panel and Q&A.

Moderated by Emily Tipaldo, Program Director of Market Development · Association of Plastic Recyclers

• Emily TipaldoProgram Director, Market Development · Association of Plastic Recyclers
• Wes CarterPresident · Atlantic Packaging
• Scott DeFifePresident · Glass Packaging Institute
• Rob FloresVP, Sustainability Operations & Advocacy · Amcor
• Roxanne SharifDirector of Sustainability · Can Manufacturers Institute

Exchange Debrief with Producers: What Does "Ready" Look Like?

Understand which pathways producers are seriously considering (e.g., how they're assessing priority format shifts), what they learned about feasibility (e.g. timeline assumptions) from breakout discussions with multi-stakeholder representatives, and hear a candid discussion about internal readiness. Identify what needs to happen next to position your team to meet plan goals.

Moderated by Jason Bergquist, CEO · RecycleMe

• Jason BergquistCEO · RecycleMe
• CJ StolleHead of U.S. Circular Economy Public Policy · Amazon
• Rijosh CheruvathurSenior Project Engineer · Kohler Co.

Additional speakers to be announced.

Closing Discussion: Where Do We Go From Here?

• Allison LinGlobal VP, Healthy Planet & Chief Circularity Officer · Mars
• Dave FordCo-Founder · Circle
• Dr. Jamie Pero ParkerSustainability Lead · RTI

Learning Synthesis & Close

Hosted by Circle & RTI. Gauge where your team stands through real-time, data-driven, anonymous temperature-check on value chain readiness. Synthesize key learnings and flag where resource needs were surfaced throughout the event.

Closing Happy Hour Reception