Agenda
Wednesday, August 13, 2025
Note: Session titles and names highlighted in GREEN are linked to pages that contain speaker/moderator profiles.
2:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Registration Open
2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Exhibitor Set-up
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Reception - Mission Bay Ballroom Terrace
Thursday, August 14, 2025
7:15 am - 6:30 pm
Registration Open
7:15 am - 8:30 am
Continental Breakfast
8:30 am - 10:00 am
Opening Session
Welcome: Eugene (Gene) Jones, Executive Director, Southern Waste Information eXchange, Inc.
Moderator: Sam Sugerman, Sustainability Manager, Toro Ag
Ted Kaiser, President, Dock 7 Materials Group, LLC
Beyond the Field – Rethinking Ag Films for a Circular Future
Neil Weisensel, Director of Marketing ‑ C&I, Charter Next Generation
Utilizing Recycled Agricultural Plastic Mulch in Asphalt Pavements
Dr. Yuefeng Zhu, Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Civil Engineering, California State University, Chico
10:00 am - 10:30 am
Break: Exhibit Hall
10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Session I:
The Role of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in Agricultural Plastics
Moderator: Mark Hudson, Executive Director, Ag Container Recycling Council (ACRC)
Panelists:
Scott Cassel, CEO, Product Stewardship Institute
Jan Bauer, Managing Director, RIGK GmbH
Wesley Porter, Business Development Director | Sustainability & Innovation, Berry Global, Inc.
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Lunch (Provided)
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Session II:
Closing the Loop: Circular Strategies for Ag Plastics and Packaging
Moderator: Marty Metro, CEO, UCB Environmental
Recycled Content Packaging - A Success Story for IBCs
Don McKenzie, Owner and Sales Manager, McKenzie Begin and Associates
Plastic Pipe – Improving Agriculture and Improving Recycling
Kristen Rinehart, Vice President / General Manager - Recycling, Advanced Drainage Systems (ADS)
Circular Economy of Agricultural Films – Practical Solutions and Economic Advantages
Daniel Szymanek, Area Sales Manager, HydroDyn Recycling GmbH
2:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Break: Exhibit Hall
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Session III:
Breaking New Ground: Pyrolysis and Advanced Recycling for Ag Films
Moderator: Ron Sherga, Sustainability Advisor, CheckSammy
Feedstock Preparation for Advanced and Mechanical Recycling
Hartmut Bendfeldt, President, eFACTOR3, LLC
Agricultural Films and Flexible Plastics – Opportunities and Challenges
Kevin DeWhitt, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, PDO Technologies, Inc.
Novel Pyrolysis Process for Agricultural Film
Dr. Robert Schucker, President, P2C Technology Corp
Ag Films and Advanced Recycling
Jeff McMahon, Managing Director, Freepoint Eco-Systems LLC
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Networking Reception: Exhibit Hall
Friday, August 15, 2025
7:45 am - 11:30 pm
Registration Open
7:45 am - 8:30 am
Continental Breakfast
8:30 am - 10:00 am
Session IV:
Ag Plastics Recycling in Action: From Strategy to Operational Success
Moderator: James duBois, Senior Environmental Manager, Driscolls
The Advancements of Mechanical Removal of Agricultural Plastics
Ben Andros, President, Andros Engineering Corporation
Advancing Ag Film Recycling: Innovations and Strategies for a Circular Future
Theron Smith, President, Flipping Iron, Inc.
Recycling Agricultural Mulch Film: An Overview of an Operational Facility
Ismael Rodriguez, CEO, 2nd Recycling, LLC
10:00 am - 10:30 am
Break: Exhibit Hall
10:30 am - 11:30 pm
Session V:
Closing the Loop on Mulch: Engineering Recovery and Biodegradable Advances
Moderator: Jazmine Mejia-Muñoz, M.S., Research, Education and Outreach Associate, California Marine Sanctuary Foundation
Row Mulch System Designed for Post Season Retrieval
Chris Wagner, Vice President of Engineering, Viaflex
Soil-Biodegradable Mulches: An Outlook of its Use in California
Alena Anousinh, Water Quality Program Associate. California Marine Sanctuary Foundation, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
11:30 am
Adjourn