{"667906":{"#nid":"667906","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Spring Workshop Explores Innovations in the Packaging Industry and the Circular Economy","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EOn Thursday, May 11, the Renewable Bioproducts Institute (\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.research.gatech.edu\/rbi\u0022\u003ERBI\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E) of Georgia Tech hosted a workshop on \u201cPackaging Innovation and the Circular Economy\u201d at the Bill Moore Student Success Center on the Georgia Tech campus. More than 90 attendees from academia, national labs, and industry convened and discussed the cutting-edge research and industry developments happening across the world and got an opportunity to network with leading researchers and peers.\u0026nbsp;This unique workshop featured speakers from the USDA Forest Products Laboratory, WestRock, Stora Enso, Georgia Tech, University of Maine, and many others. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe workshop started off with an introduction by \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.research.gatech.edu\/j-carson-meredith\u0022\u003ECarson Meredith\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, executive director of RBI, who gave a perspective on the institute\u2019s goals in promoting bioeconomy technology and innovation. Dr. Meredith emphasized RBI\u2019s role in \u201ccatalyzing a community of researchers who focus on solving challenges in packaging by investing in team building across interdisciplinary boundaries.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EResearch talks began with a presentation from \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/harris\u0022\u003ETequila Harris\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, professor in the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E. Harris shared her team\u2019s research on a continuous coating process of cellulose- and chitin-derived materials to create enhanced packaging barrier films. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/meisha-shofner\u0022\u003EMeisha Shofner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, associate professor and Faculty Fellow in the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Material Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E shared her work on mechanical and thermal properties of single use packaging materials and paths to improving circularity. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ECarson Meredith, professor in the School of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering and executive director of RBI informed on renewable barriers from carbohydrates as viable alternatives to plastics and the research methods involved to get more promising results for circular functional barrier packaging materials. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/joe-f-bozeman-iii\u0022\u003EJoe Bozeman\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eassistant professor in the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E at Georgia Tech presented the Systemic Equity framework as it relates to circularity. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMehdi Tajvidi, professor from the University of Maine, discussed his team\u2019s research to produce particle board and other packaging materials using nanocellulose and the audience got an opportunity to look and get a feel for his research team\u2019s samples. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EDiscussions from industry experts included material innovations to replace plastics, packaging requirements in the European Union and the United States and how brands drive innovation more than regulations, methods to optimize package size and packing speed for sustainability, paper-based packaging equipment and systems to replace plastics including plastic water bottles, dye choices and the influence of defect detection in waterborne barrier coated papers, and innovations in fiber-based cold chain packaging. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EKen Zwick from the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory discussed managing forests using methods like forest thinning such that the biomass prevents wildfires and what success looks like for his team \u2013 less plastic in packaging and less burning of wood. Their Madison building also houses the largest wood library in Wisconsin.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EParticipants had a chance to interact with Georgia Tech students and get to know their research at the student poster presentation. The dinner keynote was presented by researchers \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/anthony-j-bo-arduengo\u0022\u003EBo Arduengo\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E and \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/stefan-france\u0022\u003EStefan France\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E from the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E at Georgia Tech. The keynote provided an overview of RBI\u2019s newly created \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ER\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EeWOOD\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E research center\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E. Abbreviated from \u201cRenewables-based Economy from WOOD,\u201d research at the center focuses on using sustainable plant-based raw materials to develop industrial products ranging from jet fuel to solvents to generic pharmaceutical additives and more. The presentation provided a glimpse on the expansion of ReWOOD since its launch through research affiliations from universities across the world. ReWOOD\u2019s partnership list continues to grow as the center focuses on targeted research areas and funding \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eproposals to develop technology and \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Ecommercial opportunities\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThe workshop turned out to be a huge success with a highly engaged audience of faculty, students, national lab, and industry experts,\u201c said Carson Meredith, executive director of the Renewable Bioproducts Institute. \u201cRBI will continue to host such events as we are committed to providing thought leadership and be a catalyst of cutting-edge research in the areas of circular materials; bioindustrial manufacturing; and paper, packaging, and tissue.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EOn Thursday, May 11, the Renewable Bioproducts Institute (\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.research.gatech.edu\/rbi\u0022\u003ERBI\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E) of Georgia Tech hosted a workshop on \u201cPackaging Innovation and the Circular Economy\u201d at the Bill Moore Student Success Center on the Georgia Tech campus. More than 90 attendees from academia, national labs, and industry convened and discussed the cutting-edge research and industry developments happening across the world and got an opportunity to network with leading researchers and peers.\u0026nbsp;This unique workshop featured speakers from the USDA Forest Products Laboratory, WestRock, Stora Enso, Georgia Tech, University of Maine, and many others. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"More than 90 attendees from academia, national labs, and industry convened and discussed the cutting-edge research and industry developments happening across the world and got an opportunity to network with leading researchers and peers. "}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2023-05-26 14:53:16","changed_gmt":"2023-05-26 16:11:39","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-05-26T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-05-26T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"670877":{"id":"670877","type":"image","title":"RBI Spring2023 Workshop on Packaging Innovation and the Circular Economy","body":"\u003Cp\u003EKeynote Presentation during the Spring2023 RBI Workshop on Packaging Innovation and the Circular Economy\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1685113031","gmt_created":"2023-05-26 14:57:11","changed":"1685116254","gmt_changed":"2023-05-26 15:50:54","alt":"Keynote at the Spring2023 RBI Workshop on Packaging Innovation and the Circular Economy","file":{"fid":"253821","name":"IMG_0235.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/05\/26\/IMG_0235.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/05\/26\/IMG_0235.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3268518,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/05\/26\/IMG_0235.jpeg?itok=baLM_LZW"}},"670878":{"id":"670878","type":"image","title":"RBI Spring2023 Workshop on Packaging Innovation and the Circular Economy","body":null,"created":"1685116916","gmt_created":"2023-05-26 16:01:56","changed":"1685117400","gmt_changed":"2023-05-26 16:10:00","alt":"Keynote at the Spring2023 RBI Workshop on Packaging Innovation and the Circular Economy","file":{"fid":"253822","name":"IMG_0236.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/05\/26\/IMG_0236.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/05\/26\/IMG_0236.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3124246,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/05\/26\/IMG_0236.jpeg?itok=idBf4hqd"}}},"media_ids":["670877","670878"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.research.gatech.edu\/rbi\/spring2023-workshop-packaging-innovation-circular-economy","title":"Workshop Homepage"}],"groups":[{"id":"372221","name":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI)"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188020","name":"go-rbi"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E || RBI Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}