2023 Spring Workshop
Packaging Innovation and the Circular Economy
Thursday, May 11, 2023 | 8:00 a.m - 5:00 p.m. EDT (Banquet Dinner at 6.00 p.m.)
Friday, May 12, 2023 | 8:00 a.m - 12:30 p.m. EDT
sponsored by
The Renewable Bioproducts Institute
Location: Bill Moore Student Success Center
219 Uncle Heinie Way Northwest, Atlanta, GA 30313
The Renewable Bioproducts Institute sponsored a one-and-a-half-day in-person workshop on "Packaging Innovation and the Circular Economy.“ Attendees learnt about cutting-edge developments in the packaging industry and an opportunity to network with leading researchers and peers from the industry. This unique workshop featured speakers from:
- Forest Products Laboratory (FPL)
- PaperBottle
- Stora Enso
- Georgia Tech
- University of Maine
- and many more...
Georgia Tech's Packaging and Circular Economy Research Community
The workshop provided an excellent opportunity for external organizations to interact with Georgia Tech students and faculty involved in renewable bioproducts research. In addition to the seminars and presentations, there were social and networking activities scheduled throughout the event.
Agenda
| THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2023 | |
| Time | Activity |
| 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. | Registration and Continental Breakfast |
| 9:00 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. |
Welcome & Introductions Carson Meredith | Executive Director, Georgia Tech Renewable Bioproducts Institute |
| 9:15 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. |
Process-Structure-Property Relationships of Encapsulants and Barrier Films: The Path Towards Roll-to-Roll Manufacturing Speaker: Tequila Harris | Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Tech |
| 10:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. |
Driving Innovation in Paper Based Packaging Speaker: Jeff Pristera | Westrock |
| 10:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. | Break |
| 11:00 am - 11:45 a.m. |
Processing and Mechanical Properties of Renewable Layered Barriers Speaker: Meisha Shofner | Associate Professor & MSE Faculty Fellow in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Tech |
| 11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. |
Renewable Barriers from Carbohydrates Speaker: Carson Meredith | Executive Director of Renewable Bioproducts Institute & Professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Tech |
| 12:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. | Lunch (Boxed Lunches Provided) |
| 1:45 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. |
Redefining the Future of Water Speaker: Brennan Besser | Paper Bottle |
| 2:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. |
Making a Sustainable Future with Forest Products at the USDA Forest Products Laboratory Speaker: Ken Zwick | USDA Forest Products Laboratory |
| 3:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. | Break |
| 3:30 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. |
Opportunities and Threats for Fiber Based Packaging in the Circular Economy Speaker: Jose Gonzalez | AFRY |
| 4:15 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. |
Can the Circular Economy Work Without Equity? Speaker: Joe Bozeman, Assistant Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering, with a courtesy appointment in the School of Public Policy, Georgia Tech |
| 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. | Poster Session & Reception |
| 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. |
Dinner & Keynote Presentation on "Xylochemistry based upon Lignocellulose as a sustainable replacement for Petrochemistry" Speakers: Bo Ardeungo & Stefan France | Georgia Tech, School of Chemistry & Biochemistry |
| FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023 | |
| 8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. | Continental Breakfast |
| 8:30 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. |
Investigation of Dye Choice and Parameters of the Dye-Penetration Test and the Influence on Defect Detection in Waterborne Barrier Coated Papers Speaker: Sharon Vuong | Dow |
| 9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. | Break Out Sessions, Report Back & Discussion on Materials, Processing & Systems |
| 10:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. | Break |
| 10:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. |
Circularity in Renewable Packaging Materials Speaker: Jonas Pettersson | Stora Enso |
| 11:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. |
Renewable Packaging Innovations Enabled by Cellulose Nanofibrils Speaker: Mehdi Tajvidi | University of Maine |
| 12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m. |
Innovation in Fiber-Based Cold Chain Packaging Speaker: Jason Cho | Ranpak |
| 12:45 p.m. | Conclude and Boxed Lunches to go |
Accommodations - Local Hotels
Student Poster Session
Students attending the workshop participated in a poster session from 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Parking Information
Parking for the Bill Moore Student Success Center was at the Visitor Area 1 parking lot at 176 North Avenue NW, Atlanta, GA. For ease and safety, please use the pedestrian sky bridge to cross over North Avenue from the top level of visitor parking area 1.
For directions and other details, please visit the Bill Moore Student Success Center Parking Information page.
About the Speakers
Redefining the Future of Water
Brennan Besser
Ecostar/PaperBottle
Brennan Besser graduated from Duke University and currently operates his company, Eco Star, from his hometown Chicago. Eco Star, is working to create the first-ever truly biodegradable bottled water product. Eco Star's superior water is the only natural mineral water source in America, certified and approved by the Water Sommelier Union, bottled in plastic-free packaging made from sustainable materials.
Can the Circular Economy work without Equity?
Joe Bozeman
Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, with a courtesy appointment in the School of Public Policy
Joe Bozeman is an Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, with a courtesy appointment in the School of Public Policy, at the Georgia Institute of Technology. His research focuses on developing equitable socioecological, urban carbon management, and food-energy-water strategies. He has over a decade of private and public sector experience, and his award-winning work has been featured in major media outlets such as Popular Science, the Geographical Magazine, and NPR.
Innovation in Fiber-Based Cold Chain Packaging
Jason Cho
Ranpak
Jason Cho is Vice President of R&D and Corporate Development at Ranpak. In this role, he leads new product development efforts around fiber-based protective packaging and automated solutions as well as driving innovation initiatives through strategic partnerships.
Xylochemistry based upon Lignocellulose as a sustainable replacement for Petrochemistry
A.J. "Bo" Arduengo
ReWOOD, Professor, Georgia Tech
Anthony J. “Bo” Arduengo is Professor of the Practice in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. He was graduated from Georgia Tech in 1974 with a B.S. in Chemistry and in 1976 with a Ph.D. He has held numerous positions in industry and academia over the course of his career. He is a co-founder of the STaNCE consortium (Technology for a Sustainable Chemical Economy) focusing on sustainable chemical technologies employing biomass. He is an administrative and technical leader with Georgia Tech’s ReWOOD center focusing on sustainable technology through xylochemistry as a replacement for petrochemistry. Current research efforts in the Arduengo group have significant focus in the pharmaceutical synthesis area, unusual bonding and structure, and sustainable chemistry.
Xylochemistry based upon Lignocellulose as a sustainable replacement for Petrochemistry
Stefan France
REWOOD, Associate Professor, Georgia Tech
Stefan France received his B. S. in Chemistry (2000) from Duke University. He then obtained his M. A. (2003) and Ph.D. (2005) degrees from Johns Hopkins University. After a postdoctoral fellowship at Emory University, he began his independent career in 2007 at Georgia Institute of Technology, and was appointed Associate Professor in 2013. His scientific interests include the development of catalytic methodologies for applications in biomass upcycling, complex molecule synthesis, and medicinal chemistry.
Opportunities and Threats for Fiber-Based Packaging in the Circular Economy
José González
AFRY
Jose has over 25 years in the industry and has significant experience in business analysis and strategic direction for Wood Products, Packaging, Hygiene, Paper and Coating based companies. He supervises strategic and complex engagements in North America and Latin America and advises CEO and Board/Senior level executives. Jose is the liaison with AFRY engineering teams.
Process-Structure-Property Relationships of Encapsulants and Barrier Films: The Path Towards Roll-to-Roll Manufacturing
Tequila Harris
Professor, Georgia Tech
Tequila A. L. Harris is a Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, at Georgia Institute of Technology. Prior to joining Georgia Tech, she earned her Masters and Doctorate degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Bachelors in Physics from Lane College. Harris’ research is focused on exploring the connectivity between thin film quality and its functionality, durability and performance, based on its manufacture. Her aim is to elucidate mechanisms that cause system failure, which may have initiated at the manufacturing stage. Harris has received several awards and honors, of note, the L. E. Scriven Young Investigator Award and the National Science Foundation CAREER Award.
Renewable Barriers from Carbohydrates
Carson Meredith
Executive Director, Renewable Bioproducts Institute, Professor, Georgia Tech
Carson Meredith is the Executive Director of Georgia Tech’s Renewable Bioproducts Institute, one of ten interdisciplinary research institutes on the campus. In this role, he is catalyzing an interdisciplinary innovation community engaged in translational research in pulp, paper and packaging, circular materials from biomass, and bioindustrial manufacturing and biorefining. His research interests are biomass-derived renewable and sustainable materials and high-throughput materials discovery and characterization. He is on the Editorial Board of the journal Green Materials and the External Advisory Boards of the Bioproducts Institute (University of British Columbia) and the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI). He is the winner of the 2023 Georgia Tech Class of 1934 Outstanding Service Award.
Driving Innovation in Paper Based Packaging
Jeff Pristera
WestRock
Jeff Pristera, with WestRock Packaging Development, is a career R&D professional in the packaging industry. He originally graduated from Georgia Tech (BSMSE 2002). He then earned a Master’s in Polymer Physics from Penn State and eventually an MBA from Butler University. After spending much of his career in plastics packaging, he now focuses on paper application development. WestRock’s Packaging Development team applies the company’s innovative paper science and coating developments to real world solutions for brand owners. While not working, Jeff loves to cook for his family at their home in Richmond, VA. He also enjoys long walks on the beach, and he is a Pisces.
Circularity in Renewable Packaging Materials
Jonas Pettersson
Stora Enso
Jonas Pettersson has a worked for 25 years in various Sales Leadership positions in Stora Enso in 4 different countries. He was also Vice President for Product Management and Marketing for Stora Enso’s Packaging Materials Division prior to his current position as the Regional Head for North America for Stora Enso based out of Alpharetta, GA. On his free time he spends time with his wife, 3 children + dog, is passionate about food and coffee, restores an old vintage BMW motorcycle, plays tennis and learns ball room dancing with his wife Anette. Jonas holds a Masters in Economics and Business Administration from Abo Akademi University in Finland, speaks 5 language and is a dual citizen of Sweden and Finland.
Processing and Mechanical Properties of Renewable Layered Barriers
Meisha Shofner
Associate Professor and MSE Faculty Fellow in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Tech
Meisha L. Shofner is an Associate Professor and MSE Faculty Fellow in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She joined the Georgia Tech faculty, following post-doctoral training at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and a Ph.D. in Materials Science from Rice University. Prior to graduate school, she was employed as a design engineer at FMC in the Subsea Engineering Division. Shofner’s research interests include processing strategies for polymers and nanocomposites, auxetic and tensegrity structures, bio-based polymers, and additive manufacturing.
Renewable packaging innovations enabled by cellulose nanofibrils
Mehdi Tajvidi
University of Maine
Mehdi Tajvidi joined the School of Forest Resources at University of Maine in September 2013. He started his scientific career at Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI in 2001 where he worked as a visiting scientist working on his dissertation on dynamic mechanical analysis of wood plastic composites. After completing his Ph.D. program in Natural Resources Engineering at the University of Tehran in 2003, Mehdi worked as an Assistant and later an Associate Professor at the Department of Wood and Paper Science and Technology, the University of Tehran for 8 years. In 2007 Mehdi received the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) award to do research at the Department of Biomaterials Sciences, the University of Tokyo, Japan where he worked as a Visiting Professor for two years. Upon moving to Canada in 2011, Mehdi worked as a Visiting Professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, ON, Canada before Joining the School of Forest Resources in September 2013. Mehdi’s areas of research interest are production, characterization and performance evaluation of renewable nanomaterials and their composites. Mehdi’s core research area at University of Maine is focused on utilization of cellulose nanomaterials in high volume applications such as coatings, packaging and building products. To date, Mehdi has published over 160 papers in academic journals, presented over 70 presentations at international conferences and advised/co-advised over 60 graduate students and postdocs.
Investigation of Dye Choice and Parameters of the Dye-Penetration Test and the Influence on Defect Detection in Waterborne Barrier Coated Papers
Sharon Vuong
Dow
Sharon Vuong joined Dow in 2014, focusing on architectural binder development for non-drip paints with Dow Coating Materials. In 2017, she transitioned over to Core R&D Formulation, Automation, and Materials Science, where she is currently a Research Scientist supporting the development of fundamental understanding and technical expertise for a broad range of application areas including coatings, home and personal care, packaging and specialty plastics, silicones, and polyurethanes. Sharon enjoys using her colloid and interface science background in combination with Dow’s high throughput equipment and capabilities to identify solutions with a tailored product performance profile. She also takes an active role in developing and supporting her workgroup culture, and has served as the Safety Action Committee Leader, Ph.D. recruiter, and mentor during her time at the company. Prior to joining Dow, Sharon received her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, where she conducted research under the advisement of Shelley Anna. She studied the phenomena governing crystallization and gelation of particle suspensions using microfluidic techniques. Sharon holds a bachelor’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Chemical Engineering.
Making a sustainable future with forest products at the USDA Forest Products Laboratory
Ken Zwick
USDA Forest Products Laboratory
Ken Zwick joined the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) in 2021 as Assistant Director for the Wood, Fibers and Composites Research (WFCR) Division. WFCR explores ways to efficiently break wood down into smaller parts, and then transform those parts into higher value products. Ken joined the FPL after 22 year at Kimberly Clark Corporation where he most recently led product technology strategy for the tissue and towel business. Ken holds over 45 U.S. utility patents in tissue mechanics, structures, absorbency, and drying, as well as several patents in gasoline fuel injection. He holds a B.A. and BSME from the University of Michigan, and an MSE and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.
Student Posters - Details
| Name | Major | Poster Title | Advisors |
| William Berkey | CHEM |
Unprotected Carbohydrate Derived Furans for the Synthesis of Value-Added Chemicals |
Stefan France, Christopher Jones |
|
Woosung Choi |
MSE | Renewable, Biodegradable Polyesters with Barrier Properties for Next-Generation Packaging | Zhiqun Lin, Vladimir Tsukruk |
|
Caria Evans |
CHEM | Photodegradable Polymers for Recyclable and Sustainable Towels and Packaging | Stefan France, Blair Brettmann |
|
Elyssa Ferguson |
ME | Sustainably Sourced Natural Fibers for Thermal Insulation in Buildings | Akanksha Menon |
|
Qiang Fu |
ChBE | Recovery and Purification of High-Value Organic Acids from Kraft Black Liquor | Sankar Nair, Scott Sinquefield |
|
Danae A. Chipoco Haro |
MSE | Electrocatalysis for a Bio Economy: Nitrate Reduction and Lignin Oxidation for Added Value Products | Marta C. Hatzell, Faisal Alamgir |
|
Tanner Hickman |
ChBE | Making Cellulose-Based Films Work in High Humidity | Carson Meredith, Natalie Stingelin |
|
Elnaz Jamshidi |
MSE | Bioadhesive for OSB wood | Kyriaki Kalaitzidou |
|
Kwangjun Jung |
ME | Process-Structure-Property Relationships of Chitin Nanofiber and Cellulose Nanocrystal Bilayer Barrier Films | Tequila Harris |
|
Hsiang-Ju (James) Kai |
ChBE | Unraveling the Physical Chemistry of Polyolefin-Cellulose Interfaces | Thomas E. Gartner |
|
Dogukan Karahan |
ME | Analysis of Fiber Orientation in Converging Channels | Cyrus Aidun, Devesh Ranjan |
|
Jungin Kim |
ME | Design of Biodegradable Polymers with Quantum Optimization | Yan Wang |
|
Geng-Sheng Lin |
ChBE | Triboelectric Membrane Sensor for Heavy Metal Ions Removal and Detection | Zhaohui Tong |
|
Opeyemi Ojelade |
ChBE | Lactic Acid Upgrading on CeZrOx catalysts • | Christopher Jones, Sankar Nair |
|
Jimin Park |
ChBE | Mechabochemical Hydrogenation and Acetylation of 4-nitrophenol to Paracetamol in a Multi-Phase Ball Mill Reactor System | Andreas Bommarius, Carsten Sievers, Marta Hatzell |
|
Kim Anh Pham |
MSE | High-Performance Lightweight Nanocellulose Composites through Scalable Manufacturing for High Volume Applications | Kyriaki Kalaitzidou, Tequila Harris, Karl Jacob |
|
Erin Phillips |
CHEM | Mechanocatalytic Depolymerization of Lignin and Lignin Model Ethers | Carsten Sievers |
|
Arjun Thangaraj Ramshankar |
CEE | Life Cycle Assessment for Nanocellulose Production - An Overview and Future Direction | Joe Frank Bozeman lll |
|
Michael Rettstatt |
ChBE | Mechanism of Aqueous Phase Reforming of Organics over Bimetallic Catalysts | Carsten Sievers |
|
Fariha Rubaiya |
MSE | Elucidating Connections between the Piezoelectric and Auxetic Responses of Nanocellulose | Meisha Shofner, Lauren Garten |
|
Javaz Rolle |
ChBE | Nanochitin/Nanocellulose Coatings for Paper Packaging | Carson Meredith, Natalie Stingelin |
|
Harsh Kumar Verma |
MSE | Regenerated Silk Fibroin for a Biodegradable Thin and Flexible Vibration Transducer and a New Approach Towards Sustainability | Josiah Hester, Blair Brettmann |
|
Andrew Wu |
ChBE | Bio-Based Covalent Adaptable Networks of Thermoset Polymers to Improve Recycling of the End-of-Life Waste | Natalie Stingelin, Kyriaki Kalaitzidou |
|
Kaung Su Khin Zaw |
CHEM | Effects of Graphene Oxide Membrane Thickness Reduction on Microstructure and Crossflow Separation Performance in Kraft Black Liquor Dewatering | Sankar Nair, Meisha Shofner |
|
Li Zhang |
MSE | The Effects of Atomic Layer Deposition on the Enzymatic Degradation of Cellulose Fabrics | Mark Losego |
