Packaging Circularity Course | Virtual

Course Overview

Sustainability – Packaging Optimization, Life Cycle Approach, Material Recovery Facility, Circular Economy, Consumer Trends, Setting Up for Success

This workshop-based packaging design course provides the tools and insights to deliver better packaging solutions based on taking a life cycle approach.

Register for Full Course or individual modules.

Course Details & Pricing

Location

Virtual

Next Date

March – June 2025

1. Intro to Packaging Circularity/Sustainability – March 18
2. Elimination, Food Loss & Waste, Safety, Quality and Compliance – April 15
3. Reusable Packaging – April 29
4. Recycling (mechanical, advanced, Al, robotics, flexibles) & EPR – May 13
5. Recycled Content, Alternative Materials) – June 3
6. Measuring Sustainability: LCA, PIP360, Managing Trade-offs – June 17

Course Time

10am – 12pm EST/New York

Additional Info

Course will be held on the Zoom platform.
Courses are non-refundable, however transferrable up to one (1) year.

Price

Member

Full Course: $600 ($750 after Jan 6/25); Individual Module: $150

Non-Member

Full Course: $760 ($950 after Jan 6/25); Individual Module: $200

Register Now

Early bird rates available until Jan. 6/25. Applies to registrations received between Nov 25/24 – Jan 6/25
All prices in US dollars.

If you are unable to attend all scheduled courses, contact course administrator in advance to reschedule to next available date.
Register for full course or individual modules. See below.

Certificates of attendance will be provided to those that complete the full course only.

Learning objectives

Business case for sustainability
Life cycle assessment and approach
Optimized packaging design for waste reduction
Recycling challenges at a Material Recovery Facility (MRF)
Applying circular economy concepts

Who should attend?

Anyone working within the packaging value chain from designers, developers and decision makers to raw material suppliers, manufacturers, brand owners and retailers to waste management, re-processors and municipalities.

Course Topics

1. Introduction to Packaging Sustainability and Circularity
March 18, 2025

Registration coming soon.

Introduction to a holistic, practical framework for making packaging sustainability decisions:

Fundamental role of packaging
Life cycle thinking, sustainable materials management, circular economy, sustainability as a blend of economic, environmental and social considerations
Packaging’s impact in overall product-packaging supply chain
Package optimization
Managing trade-offs

Brief Introduction to the ecosystem of Packaging Sustainability and some Key Organization Initiatives:

Multi-stakeholder initiatives (e.g., Plastics Pacts including the Canada Plastics Pact);
Industry-led initiatives (e.g., Consumer Goods Forum Golden Design Rules for Plastic Packaging, Design Guides);
Recommended reference resources.

2. Elimination and Reduction, Packaging & Food Waste;
Safety, Quality and Compliance
April 15, 2025

Registration coming soon.

Introduction to direct and innovative packaging elimination, and packaging reduction (i.e., lightweighting), illustrated with in-market use-cases.

Builds on idea of package ‘optimization’ to:

address critical tradeoffs between the benefits of elimination/reduction and costs of product loss/waste;
focus on food packaging, including its role in preventing food waste and related upstream environmental impacts.

Introduction to the environmental impact of food contact packaging materials as it relates to safety, quality, and compliance to regulations.

3. Reusable & Refillable Packaging
April 29, 2025

Registration coming soon.

Introduction to globally-recognized definitions and types of “reusable packaging”:

clarify distinctions between reuse, return and refill;
in-market use-cases which illustrate the different types, and help demonstrate key aspects of viable reuse at scale.

With reference to current global research and practice, introduction to key aspects of viable reuse at scale:

preferred market segments and system types (e.g., open/closed);
key metrics and concepts (e.g., actual return rates, break-even point, role of comparative LCA);
role of package and system standardization;
role of collaboration.

Brief introduction to the global ecosystem of reusable packaging organizations, initiatives and resources.

Brief introduction to relevant regulation in Canada, and select global jurisdictions.

4. Recycling & Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
May 13, 2025

Registration coming soon.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in Canada and USA
- What is happening in the four states where EPR has been introduced
- What is happening with the move to full EPR in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia
Single use plastics and other bans
- Latest on Canadian regulation around plastics being toxic
Labelling Regulations
- What do we do with the mobius loop? Pros and Cons
Mechanical Recycling Capabilities
- Advances in mechanical recycling technologies, robotics
Chemical Recycling at scale in North America
- Chemical recycling for recycled content vs. fuel production
Digital Watermarking, AI?
- Improving recycling capture through advances in the industry
Brief introduction to the ecosystem of relevant organizations, initiatives and resources (e.g., PRFLEX, CEFLEX etc.)

5. Recycled Content and Alternative Materials
June 3, 2025

Registration coming soon.

Basic definitions of recycled content (PCR, PIR), and related processes (e.g., mass-balance);
In-market use-cases which illustrate the use of recycled content in various applications, including food-contact and B2B;
Summary of common challenges and opportunities, including the role of certification.
Brief introduction to relevant regulation in Canada, and select global jurisdictions.
- Health Canada and FDA-approval, Letter-of-No-Objection (LONO)
Brief introduction to the ecosystem of relevant organizations, initiatives and resources.

Introduction to globally-recognized definitions and types of “alternative materials”:

Clarify distinctions between important terms such as biobased, compostable (industrial/home), biodegradable, bioplastics.
In-market use-cases which illustrate the different types
Summary of relevant challenges (e.g., infrastructure) and opportunities, including considerations for sourcing feedstock and certification for end-of-life pathways
Brief introduction to the global ecosystem of relevant organizations, initiatives and resources.
Brief introduction to relevant regulation in Canada, and select global jurisdictions.

6. Measuring Sustainability: Life-cycle Assessment (LCA), PIP360;
Managing Trade-offs & Making Decisions
December 10, 2024/June 17, 2025

Register for Module

Introduction to the practice of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA):

types (e.g., streamlined/full; cradle-to-grave), relevant ISO standards;
basic components (scope to interpretation), and impact categories (global warming potential, energy demand, water consumption etc.)
time and cost

Brief summary of benefits and limitations:

identification of impact “hotspots” to help prioritize investment;
quantifiable comparative analysis in categories that reflect globally-recognized sustainability objectives (e.g., carbon reductions, “net zero” etc.).
critical role of underlying assumptions and interpretation of findings;
value of data transparency, peer-review and “meta” analyses.

Brief Introduction to the ecosystem of relevant organizations and resources (e.g., packaging LCA providers, open-source databases).

Introduction to PAC Global PIP360 Packaging Circularity Benchmarking Tool

Provides a score out of 360
- Measures against recycling rate, recycled content, packaging intensity, source reduction, biobased (for plastic), FSC (for fibre), certified compostable and reuse
Provides guidance against the GDRs
- Outlines where a package is offside and where to improve
GHG emissions in gr/pkg and gr/gr of package
- Based on US EPA WARM model
Estimate of EPR fees by province

PAC Packaging Circularity Course Lecturers

The PAC Packaging Circularity Course is developed and presented by industry professionals, ensuring you get the most up to date information while advancing your career.

Dan Lantz, DBA, EP, MCIWM PAC NEXT Director PAC Global
Dan has more than 30 years of experience in end of life materials management. He worked in recycling operations for six years. He worked with Stewardship Ontario in the design of the Blue Box Program Plan and in the design and operation of the current BC-wide EPR-based recycling program. Dan teaches the Packaging Circularity course for PAC Global. Dan was the strategic advisor to the Canadian Plastics Industry Association for 30 years. Dan has written and presented over 100 papers/presentations on waste diversion. Dan has specialist knowledge of EPR and stewardship, package design optimization and recycling program and facility design and operation.
Andrew Macdonald PAC NEXT Program Manager PAC Global
Andrew Macdonald manages PAC Global’s packaging sustainability and circularity program – PAC NEXT. As the lead for PAC Global on reusable packaging, Andrew tests models, tracks innovation, reviews research, summarizes findings via the PAC blog, and has a growing network of practitioners active in this space.