PA ReMaDe Conference 2024 : Advancing Circularity

Organics Track Agenda

Day 1 | Thursday, January 18

8:00a | Classic Continental Breakfast

9:15 – 10:00a
Plenary Conference Lead – EPA National Recycling Strategy
Adam Ortiz, Environmental Protection Agency Region 3 Administrator
Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz leads the PA ReMaDe Conference with a progress update in advancing the National Recycling Strategy, as the region works to build a circular economy. BIO

10:15 – 11:15a
Emerging Organics Technologies
Bob Anderson, Vice-President, Closed Loop Partners, Representing Home BioGas  BIO  LinkedIn  Case Study
Dylan Lew, CEO Ecotone Renewables  BIO
Anerobic digestion of food scraps typically occurs at large scale commercial or on-farm co-digestion operations. This session highlights two new examples of small-scale anerobic digesters designed to process food scraps generated from single family homes; various sizes of commercial, institutional, and industrial operations; as well as small communities.

11:15a – 12:15p
Biochar – The Ultimate Circularity Solution in Organics
Charles Hegberg, Infinite Solutions, Atlantic Biocarbons  BIO
Biochar is fine-grained charcoal made by heating biomass in a specially designed reactor that captures all emissions, gases, and oils for reuse as energy. Learn how this material is a circularity solution for green infrastructure projects, agriculture, renewable energy development and climate change mitigation.

12:15 – 1:30p | Lunch / Grand Ballroom –  Italian Market Buffet

1:30 – 2:45p
Applied DNA Sequencing and Microbe Evaluation in Composting
Dr. Laura Kavanaugh, PhD., Owner, Genome Insights, LLC  BIO
Learn about ongoing research in the area of DNA sequencing technologies and how this is being applied in compost operations; also in measuring the successful characteristics of finished compost and related blends. Learn how important related microbes are in these products and regenerative farming, and how to evaluate the microbes as well.

3:00 – 4:00p
Small Business Innovation and Research – Bringing a Circular Solution to Manufactured Soil
Richard Roark, Partner, OLIN  BIO
Wayne Bowen, Senior Recycling Program Manager, Recycling Markets Center Corporation BIO
After awards of Small Business Innovation and Research Phase I and Phase II grants, OLIN has set a path to successfully commercialize blends of recycled container glass with composted food waste. Learn about the Phase I and Phase II project completed with assistance of the Recycling Markets Center, to bring to market an urban landscape product that starts with ingredients from the same urban environment.

Day 2 | Friday, January 19

8:00 a | Classic Continental Breakfast

8:45 – 10:00a
Opportunities and Best Practices of Composting Cannabis Residuals
Betsy La Force, Regional Sales & Business Development, Green Mountain Technologies  BIO
From a leader in producing secure cannabis composting systems, learn what is needed to securely and systematically recover cannabis residuals.

10:15 – 11:15a
Microplastics in Composts, Digestates, and Food Wastes
Dr. Eric Roy, PhD, PE, President, Long Creek Resources LLC;
Associate Professor, University of Vermont  BIO  LinkedIn
Microplastics have been ubiquitously found in both Pennsylvania fresh and saltwater systems. Learn from a researcher and compost practitioner about the contributions, concerns, and complexities of microplastics in composting.

11:30a – 12:30p
Are PFAS the Enemy of Composting
Dr. Youn Jeong Choi, PhD, Analytical Chemist, Agronomy, Purdue University  BIO
Andrew Carpenter, Soil Scientist, Northern Tilth, LLC  BIO   LinkedIn
Learn about the complexities and migration of pfas in composting systems from both field practitioners and researchers.

12:30 – 12:45p | Wrap-Up and Take Away Lunch

Sustainable Materials Track Agenda

Day 1 | Thursday, January 18

8:00 a | Classic Continental Breakfast

9:15 – 10:00a
Plenary Conference Lead – EPA National Recycling Strategy
Adam Ortiz, Environmental Protection Agency Region 3 Administrator
Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz leads the PA ReMaDe Conference with a progress update in advancing the National Recycling Strategy, as the region works to build a circular economy.  BIO

10:15 – 11:15a
Will Your Packaging Survive the Recycling Sort?
Bill Moore, Owner, Moore & Associates
Susan Cornish, President, Principal Consultant, Insight + Action, LLC, Sustainable Packaging
Bill is an accomplished, nationally recognized senior executive and environmental expert with more than 45 years of experience across the chemical, solid waste management, recycling, paper, packaging, and related manufacturing sectors.  BIO
Susan focuses on sustainable packaging solutions that meet the needs and expectations of consumers and businesses. Her expertise is in consumer and B2B insights, package and product innovation, and recyclable and reusable packaging.  BIO

11:15 – 12:15p
Number 1 thru 7 – The Polymer Science Truth
Dr. Bryan Vogt, PhD, PE, Professor of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University
With many accomplishments in polymer science manufacturing, Bryan will address the realistic manufacturing possibilities for plastics that commonly flow through the recycling stream.
BIO   BIO

12:15 – 1:30p | Lunch / Grand Ballroom – Italian Market Buffet

1:30 – 2:45p
Polypropylene Recycling – Breakthrough or Coffee Talk
Bob Anderson, Vice-President, Closed Loop Partners  BIO   LinkedIn
Tamsin Ettefagh, Chief Sustainability Officer, Vice-President of Industry, PureCycle  BIO   LinkedIn
Matt Cougle, Chief Operations Officer, Cougle’s Recycling, Inc.  BIO
Many strides have been attempted throughout the United States to increase diversion or create capture of polypropylene. Is it the next frontier in collections? Is polypropylene fit for many existing manufacturing and packaging applications?

3:00 – 4:00p
Importance of Life Cycle Thinking in Packaging and Product Design
Ruben Nance, Program Director, Association of Plastics Recyclers  BIO
Megan Byers, Program Director, Association of Plastics Recyclers  BIO
Life Cycle thinking starts with sound design and includes validation that it has been part of the process of including packaging. In this session, be introduced to the Association of Plastics Recyclers Design Guides; the APR Design Recognition Program; and third-party, post-consumer plastic certification.

DAY 2 | Friday, January 19

8:00a | Classic Continental Breakfast

8:45 – 10:00a
Artificial Machine Intelligence: The Rescue of Recycling from Changes in Consumerism
Dr. Howie Choset, PhD., Professor of Robotics, Carnegie Mellon University  BIO   LinkedIn
Along with explanation of the basics, learn how artificial machine intelligence is not only used to operate recycling sort equipment, but can be leveraged to create an artificially communicative world in the entire recycling sort facility.

10:15 – 11:15a
Eco-Modulation: Incentives in Eco-Design for Extended Producer Responsibility
Reid Lifset, Research Scholar, Resident Fellow in Industrial Ecology, Founding Editor of the Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, School of the Environment  BIO
Setting and considering eco-fees as well as eco-modulation based metrics and measurement tools go far beyond calculating diversion or capture rates. From a lifetime of metrics management and change management in industry, learn expert considerations in creating knowledgeable, comparative eco-measurements.

11:30a – 12:30p
National Packaging Recovery Policies and Interests
Dan Felton, Executive Director, AMERIPEN  BIO
From the national organization exclusively dedicated to national policy on the packaging industry, hear about packaging and recovery policies including emerging and existing recycled content mandates; extended producer responsibility; labeling and recycling claims; and source reduction interests.

12:30 – 12:45p | Wrap-Up and Take Away Lunch