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

Markets for Ag Plastics

Ted Kaiser, 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, 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:

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, Vice President of Member Engagement, Cyclyx International, LLC

Feedstock Preparation for Advanced and Mechanical Recycling

Hartmut Bendfeldt, President, eFACTOR3, LLC (Invited)

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, Operations Manager, RLC Operations, 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