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
7:45 am - 6:30 pm
Registration Open
7:45 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:
Darla Arians, Director of Policy and Programs, Product Stewardship Institute, Inc. (PSI)
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.
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 am
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 am
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