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INDA Webinars

Explore the key issues in the global nonwovens industry.

Get the market and business insights you need to make better decisions. The 50-minute webinars below are complimentary for everyone. More webinars will be added in 2024…stay tuned for more!

Sustainable Solutions—Donating Unsold Product for a Purpose
Tom Davis, Senior Director of Corporate Development, Good360
Wednesday, October 9th, 11 am EDT

Join us on October 9, 2024 for an INDA Exclusive Webinar: Donating Unsold Product for a Purpose. Good360, the leader in product philanthropy and purposeful giving, and INDA will offer valuable, actionable information on how you can turn your excess inventory into a sustainable solution that also helps communities. Learn how to quickly and easily take high volumes of product and move it out of the warehouse, and into the homes of people who need it.

Register today!

Industry Expert:

Tom Davis is the Senior Director of Corporate Partnerships at Good360, where he leads strategic collaborations with socially responsible corporations and organizations to provide sustainable, philanthropic solutions to companies with excess or unsold consumer products.  Tom enjoys helping brands like Nike, Walmart, Disney, and Lowe’s enhance both brand reputation and solving critical business problems. In his time at Good360, Tom has spearheaded initiatives that have led to donated goods valued in the billions. Tom serves as a strategic advisor for Alpine-X and previously held management roles at Original Equipment Manufacturers and several associations, where he was responsible for client management and business development.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): An Overview and Current Landscape in the U.S.
Marisa Adler, Senior Consultant, Resource Recycling Systems (RRS), Resa Dimino, Managing Principal, Resource Recycling Systems (RRS), and Andy Hackman, Principal Lobbyist, Serlin Haley
Tuesday, October 15th, 11 am EDT

In recent years, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws have gained significant traction, with numerous states in the U.S. and other countries having adopted programs to manage the end-of-life disposal of products such as carpets, mattresses, electronics and much more.

In the U.S., this environmental policy approach, often enacted through federal or state legislation, extends a producer’s responsibility to the post-consumer stage of a product’s life cycle. Under EPR, producers—which include manufacturers, brand owners, retailers, or first importers—are required to provide funding and services to manage products when they become waste, including the collection, sorting, and processing of these products for reuse or recycling. Recent EPR legislation also mandates producers to develop public outreach and education campaigns to encourage consumer participation in recycling programs. Additionally, many bills allocate funds for infrastructure improvements and end-market development for recycled materials. These measures impose significant obligations on producers and substantially impact the markets for materials used in targeted product categories.

Currently, EPR legislative measures for textiles and packaging are gaining momentum in the U.S., with several states considering laws to manage textile waste more effectively. Meanwhile, various states have already passed laws addressing packaging waste, creating a patchwork of sometimes conflicting state-level regulations with varying degrees of stringency. These laws are poised to have impacts on the nonwovens industry. Moreover, there is real potential for additional EPR laws in the future, as governments recognize the benefits of such policies in reducing waste and conserving resources and shifting these expenses to producers.

To prepare for an EPR future, affected companies must work to understand current regulations, be prepared to engage in industry collaborations, and invest in sustainable product innovations. The ongoing evolution of EPR policies underscores the importance of staying informed and proactive in shaping a sustainable future. Join our webinar on Tuesday, Oct 15th at 11:00 am ET to hear from top experts at Resource Recycling Systems and Serlin Haley explore these topics further, delve into the nuances of EPR, discuss the status of current textile and packaging EPR laws, and strategize for the potential expansion of EPR frameworks across different sectors.

Register today!

Industry Experts:

Marisa Adler is a senior consultant at RRS with 10 years of experience in implementing, maintaining, and developing recycling programs for local governments. Marisa utilizes her knowledge of recycling systems, policy, program planning and implementation, and the circular economy to benefit private, public, and non-profit sector clients. Marisa is also a Waste 360 40 Under 40 award recipient.

Resa Dimino joined RRS in January of 2017 bringing over 25 years of experience in waste reduction, recycling, product stewardship, solid waste management, and environmental economic development. Resa is focusing on corporate clients and collaborative initiatives to improve recovery, increase sustainability, and facilitate product stewardship.

Andrew is a registered federal lobbyist who has testified before the U.S. Senate and lobbied in over 25 state capitols. Prior to joining Serlin Haley, he served as vice president of government affairs for the Toy Industry Association, where he oversaw TIA’s advocacy programs at both the state and federal levels. Andrew also has directed the national government affairs program of the Consumer Specialty Products Association.

Andrew received a Bachelors of Science in Public Affairs from Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Bloomington, Indiana and a Masters of Business Administration from George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Hygienix 2024 Pre-conference Webinar

Navigating the 510(k) Process for Menstrual Health Products
Chris Staab, QA/RA Consultant, Regulatory and Technical Associates
Wednesday, November 6th, 11 am EST

This presentation aims to demystify the 510(k) regulatory process for menstrual health products. It will provide comprehensive insights into special, traditional, and exempt categories, and the impact of material selection on product classification. Attendees will gain a deep understanding of Class I vs Class II devices, the integration of diagnostics in menstrual health, and the upcoming transition to ISO 13485 standards. We will also explore potential changes to the 510(k) process, ensuring manufacturers are well-prepared for future regulatory landscapes. The session will conclude with a Q&A segment, fostering an interactive environment for addressing specific regulatory concerns.

Register today!

Industry Expert:

Chris Staab, a seasoned expert with over 20 years of experience in the medical device industry, will lead this presentation. Chris has a distinguished background in leading Quality and Regulatory teams, offering a wealth of knowledge and practical insights to help manufacturers effectively navigate the complex regulatory landscape.

Hygienix 2024 Pre-conference Webinar

Harnessing AI to Enhance Transparency and Trust in Brand Sustainability
Ashish Chatterjee, Principal, INNOVATEGRN and Pete Blackshaw, CEO and Founder, BrandRank.ai
Wednesday, November 13th, 11 am EST

As AI tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and others become integral to daily search habits, consumers are increasingly turning to these platforms for reliable information about a brand’s environmental efforts. Generative AI engines, diverse in their training and outputs, significantly impact consumer perceptions by providing instant answers to sustainability queries. A brand/company risks losing potential customers if its online content varies across different AI platforms, presenting conflicting information that may not fully reflect the brand’s actual initiatives.

Using the coffee industry as an example, this presentation emphasizes why it is important for brands/companies to present their sustainability efforts clearly and consistently on all digital platforms. This ensures that AI systems can easily access and display this information, thus maintaining a brand’s credibility and increasing consumer trust by aligning public claims with independently verifiable data through AI.

Additionally, brands can use AI-generated insights to compare their sustainability practices with those of competitors, identifying strengths and areas for improvement. The enhanced visibility provided by AI helps brands/companies better understand their position in the market and plan their long-term sustainability strategies.

In conclusion, generative AI not only boosts a brand’s visibility but also ensures that its efforts in sustainability are communicated clearly and effectively. This is crucial for consumers making informed decisions, highlighting the vital role of AI in improving transparency and trust in brand sustainability.

Register today!

Industry Experts:

Ashish is an accomplished global innovation executive and proven champion of open, connected, and collaborative innovation through 25+ years at Procter & Gamble. Ashish has a track record driving innovation breakthroughs and is an early AI adopter who has harnessed its power to uncover rich insights and dramatically accelerate speed to market.

He has extensive experience overseeing product innovation, sustainability, and supply chain programs worldwide. Ashish has delivered hundreds of millions of dollars in new sales revenue and cost savings, creating hyper-performant teams, using Gallup-strengths principles as a certified coach.

A passionate applied learner, Ashish empowers leaders and teams to achieve stretching innovation goals profitably, while reducing carbon footprint by use of cradle-to-grave life cycle analysis.

Ashish’s work at Cintrifuse reinforces the benefit that small, focused teams have in learning and making faster decisions in a resource-constrained environment. Thus, Ashish seeks to blend this approach with his extensive innovative experience to support you on your journey to profitable sustainability.

A lifelong student of consumer feedback, brand promise, and technology, Pete is uniquely positioned to help companies navigate this change now underway. Most recently, Pete served as CEO of Cintrifuse, a Cincinnati-based startup catalyst and venture fund supported by major corporations such as P&G, Kroger, Scripps, and Western & Southern.  In this capacity, Pete and his team served hundreds of startups.

Pete leads with two core beliefs: “Trust your inner consumer” and “Understand how startups work — how they think, design, exploit data, and iterate — and then apply that understanding to everything you do.” These beliefs have been cornerstones of his career.

Before Cintrifuse, Pete served for eight years as Global Head of Digital for Nestlé, S.A. in Switzerland, partnering with hundreds of brands including Nescafé, KitKat, Purina, Nespresso, San Pellegrino.  He created the industry-recognized Digital Acceleration Team (DAT), Silicon Valley Innovation Outpost (SVIO), and Open Innovation Platform.  

Earlier, Pete held the title of CMO at NM Incite, a collaborative venture between Nielsen and McKinsey. His career trajectory began at Procter & Gamble, where he co-founded the first “Interactive Marketing” team and shortly thereafter, was recognized as “Interactive Marketer of the Year” by Ad Age. Following his tenure at P&G, Pete launched PlanetFeedback.com, a pioneering consumer feedback portal, which eventually became a part of Nielsen after several mergers.

Pete is the author of Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3000, published by Random House, and is a frequent contributor to Ad Age. His contributions to the field have been acknowledged with numerous awards, including induction into the Word-of-Mouth Marketing Hall of Fame, MediaPost’s “Online All Star,” and the Advertising Research Foundation’s “Great Minds” Award. He has also served as a juror for the Cannes Innovation Lions twice.

Driven by his commitment to fostering trust, Pete has served as National Chairman of the National Council of Better Business Bureaus and as a member of the National Advertising Review Board. At Nestlé, he championed the creation of the industry’s inaugural “Consumer Engagement Principles,” aligning top brands and retailers around shared values.

Pete holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz. He resides in Cincinnati, Ohio with his family.

The United Nations Global Plastics Treaty: Looking at the Potential for Global Plastics Policies
Wes Fisher, Director of Government Affairs, INDA
Wednesday, December 11th, 11 am EST

In 2022, the United Nations Environment Assembly approved a resolution to “develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.” This action officially kicked off the negotiations colloquially referred to as the UN Global Plastics Treaty, formally titled the ”Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.”

While the title of the pending treaty may indicate a focus on plastic pollution, the negotiations held so far have included NGOs and high-ambition countries calling for a drastic reduction in the use and production of plastic polymers, with other nations and industries favoring an application-based approach. INDA director of government affairs Wes Fisher, who has served as an accredited observer on behalf of INDA at two in-person negotiation sessions, will explain the history of the treaty, where we are in the process, and the outcome of the final session recently held in South Korea.

Registration information is coming soon!

Industry Expert:

Wes Fisher is the Director of Government Affairs at INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, where he leads the association’s global and domestic government and regulatory affairs activities and manages strategic relationships with allied organizations, government officials, industry partners, and stakeholders in support of the nonwovens industry.

Prior to joining INDA in 2022, Wes held senior government affairs roles at the Pet Advocacy Network and the National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA).

He received a bachelor’s degree in political science from James Madison University, is a member of the Board of Directors of the Washington Area State Relations Group (WASRG) and was appointed by the Governor of Virginia to serve on the Virginia Rare Disease Council. In 2023 he was honored as a Top Lobbyist by the National Institute of Lobbying and Ethics and the Advocacy Association.

We encourage you to share webinar invitations with your peers, colleagues, and customers. If you have topics you would like INDA to explore, feel free to reach out to Misty Ayers, Marketing Adminstrator, mayers@inda.org.

If you would like to be a presenter for a webinar, fill out the form in this link.

Please note: All INDA Webinars will be recorded. By registering for an INDA Webinar, you consent to the recording.