Smithers Pira partners with SPC to create premier sustainable packaging event

The 2014 Sustainability in Packaging conference opened with a bang Mar. 5 in Orlando, FL. John Lewinski, head of U.S. Events for Smithers Pira, announced a partnership with GreenBlue’s Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) to create one leading event “in one place, at one time.”

Starting in 2015, the annual amalgamated event will include SPC Industry Leadership Committee meetings, site tours, an exhibition hall, conference, workshops and special receptions.

Within mere minutes of the news, I happily tweeted, “Breaking news from #SustPack14 – partnering w/SPC for game-changing event in 2015.”

See, Smithers Pira produces the Sustainability in Packaging event in association with Packaging Digest. And SPC writes a monthly column for us as well. So I’ve had the pleasure of working with both organizations for several years and can attest to their professionalism and their passion in sustainability.

In my opinion, no one is more qualified to help the packaging industry advance its sustainable progression than these two leaders.

During the announcement, Nina Goodrich, executive director of GreenBlue and director of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, remarked, “SPC was founded in 2004 to facilitate industry collaboration. So this partnership will allow us to work together to really focus on the business of sustainability. From my own perspective, we’ve done the easy stuff. We’ve taken care of the low-hanging fruit in sustainability. Now it’s time to really get down to business and help each other as an industry build the business case for sustainability and embed it into our organizations. We really feel that, through this partnership, we’ll have the reach and scope to be able to start making some real significant progress. I’m delighted and looking forward to 2015.”

Me, too! On behalf of Packaging Digest, I applaud the partnership and welcome SPC and its members to what is sure to be the must-attend, thought-leadership event in sustainable packaging.

Read the press release here.