In late 2023, The US Plastics Pact launched a landmark agreement on Principles for Certification of PCR Material. The “Principles” are a major endorsement for brands and companies in the packaging value chain to adopt third-party certification. They also set the guidelines for companies to assess the quality and utility of the various certification programs – with particular focus on requirements for Mass Balance Accounting and Book & Claim Plastic Credits

In this webinar we’ll explore what makes these principles so critical to the growth of PCR markets, the opportunities to increase PCR utilization and certainty of product claims through certification, and innovative options brands can pursue to meet and exceed their 2025 target of 30% PCR.
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    Moderator - Dr. Laura Thompson
    Advisor - GreenBlue Navigate
    Laura Thompson, PhD, is an Advisor for GreenBlue Navigate. Laura joined GreenBlue in 2018 after serving as the Director of Sustainability for Sappi, a multi-national pulp and paper company. Laura received her BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of New Hampshire and her Masters and PhD from the Institute of Paper Science and Technology.

    Laura spent over 20 years in the pulp and paper industry in a breadth of capacities including R&D, mill environmental, coated fine paper and packaging, as well as sustainable development. When she’s not trying to save the world, you can find Laura playing pickleball, paddling a kayak or traveling with her partner Wendy.
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    Crystal Bayliss
    Director, Strategy and Engagement - US Plastics Pact
    With fifteen years of supply chain experience in the consumer-packaged goods industry, Crystal developed a passion for the circular economy after buying rigid plastics as a category manager in procurement. She has experience working with colleagues and suppliers to design materials that are more circular in nature, as well as educating and engaging business partners to understand how their individual actions were critical to collective sustainability initiatives. Crystal joined the U.S. Plastics Pact in 2022, and serves as Director of Strategy & Engagement. She is responsible for overseeing the execution of the U.S. Pact Roadmap to 2025 and engaging individual Activators on their progress toward Roadmap Targets. Crystal’s experience leading cross-functional teams and external partnerships is helping the U.S. Plastics Pact in its effort to bring together the entire value chain to move toward a circular economy and solve the plastics waste crisis.
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    Desmond VanHouten
    Senior Marketing Manager - Amcor
    Desmond VanHouten, is a Senior Marketing Manager for Amcor Flexibles North America, based in Oshkosh, WI. In his current role Desmond leads a team focused on Confection, Snacks, Nuts & Seeds, Fresh and Frozen, as well as supporting the Grocery, Consumer and Industrial team on sustainability initiatives. Prior to becoming a senior marketing manager, Desmond was the R&D Manager for Amcor Flexibles North America with a team supporting the development of polyethylene packaging including developing structures that contain PCR materials. Desmond had been in R&D roles for over 13 years with 7 years focused on flexible packaging.
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    Ross Bergman
    Director, Recycled Material Standard - GreenBlue
    Ross is the Director of the Recycled Material Standard at GreenBlue. With experience in designing and manufacturing products with sustainable and circular principles, Ross helps all participants in the recycled material value chain derive benefits from chain-of-custody certification. He has managed internal corporate sustainability programs in a range of fields, creating net-positive impacts with a lifecycle-based mindset. With a background in human-centered design, he engages wide-ranging stakeholders to ensure mutual benefits to sustainable challenges.