The new £10 Billion Debate will see major names, including Iceland, Waitrose, the Packaging Society, the FPA and OPRL come together to test the limits of the government`s initiatives to manage packaging waste.
On Day 1 of the London Olympia show, which takes place on 1 & 2 December at Olympia, the £10 Billion Debate will showcase some of the leading voices in the industry exploring the impacts on packaging development, design, manufacturing, and recovery, as new regulations are introduced, including Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), and Waste Management Consistency (WMS).
Brands and packaging manufacturers alike face significant innovation, material, and business challenges over the coming years as the Government rolls out new regulations aimed at reducing the impact of packaging waste on the environment. However, with these changes come big costs and questions remain on how these schemes will be funded and how effective they will be.
Joining the sessions will be:
- Stuart Lendrum, Head of Packaging, Quality and Food Safety at Iceland
- Nikki Grainge, Packaging Development Manager at Waitrose
- Jane Bevis, Executive Chair and Director at OPRL
- Martin Kersh, Director at Foodservice Packaging Association
- Cathy Cook, Vice-Chair at LARAC
- Shane Monkman, Managing Director at One:EX Consulting
- Jude Allan, Chair, IoM3 Packaging Society
The £10 Billion Debate will make up part of a curated programme of seminar content at the show that will address the industry`s biggest questions across the food, drinks, beauty, and retail industries. The line-up includes sessions on packaging design, trends, technological advancements, and sustainability with experts from PepsiCo, WWF, and The Body Shop.
Renan Joel, divisional director of Easyfairs, said: [With so many policy changes coming into play, we are excited to take this opportunity to gather some of the leading industry voices to debate the initiatives and whether they will make the real change necessary. The debate joins our wider seminar line-up which will feature curated sessions designed to provide visitors with tangible advice. It`s an opportunity that shouldn`t be missed, and I personally can`t wait for the doors to open on 1 December."