SPC Advance 2023: Boston

Scaling Up Change Through Collaboration & Innovation

SPC Advance 2023 is the members fall event from the Sustainable Packaging Coalition. This exclusive event for SPC Members, is a collaboration platform for attendees to connect with fellow member companies and start spearheading projects and initiatives to advance sustainable packaging.

Tour | Ocean Spray HQ and Bog Tour

This tour will begin with a light breakfast at the Ocean Spray office, followed by an informative presentation where you will get to learn about OSC’s sustainability strategy and initiatives. Then, a bus will transport attendees to tour a local bog, where you will get to meet an Ocean Spray Grower-Owner and experience the beautiful harvest!

Tour | EREMA Tech Center

At the EREMA Tech Center in Ipswich multiple machines are available for customers to test a wide variety of plastic materials for recycling. During the tour for SPC Advance attendees, we will be running post-consumer plastic material and demonstrate how the process works and the kind of quality of processed pellets are achievable. Visitors will get a hands-on experience from the start of the process with a plastic bale, through processing and quality assessment and assurance.

Tour | KDP (Keurig Dr Pepper) HQ R&D Tour and Coffee Tasting

This visit will include both a tour, tasting and brief overview of sustainability at Keurig Dr Pepper. The tour portion of the visit will include the R&D facility, which will highlight coffee and appliance prototyping and testing. Then, there will be a curated coffee tasting to allow guests to experience a variety of coffee flavors that Keurig’s Green Mountain Coffee Roasters brand offers, as well as a deep dive with members of our product development team and a sensory scientist into the importance of packaging to preserve and ensure the taste and quality of coffee. We will also feature the opportunity to experience the latest innovations in the home brewing space, and give a brief overview of KDP’s sustainability initiatives.

Tour | Black Earth Compost

Come see the new compost facility being built by Black Earth Compost! Black Earth breaks down food scraps, leaves and compostable packaging, collected from residents, schools, supermarkets, colleges, and more, all across Eastern MA and RI. Since their start in 2011, Black Earth has steadily grown to become the leading full service compost company in New England. They are also the only vertically integrated company that composts the material too, returning it to customers and selling it in garden centers across Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire. Black Earth only accepts compostable packaging by BPI, CMA or TUV, and has also done annual testing on PFAS.  They are actively looking for distribution partners to supply our customers with certified, PFAS free compostable packaging.

Tour | Waste Management Billerica MRF

The WM Billerica MRF is a 280k SF recycling facility serving Northeastern Massachusetts and Southern NH. The facility processes over 100k tons of Residential and Commercial recyclables each year. Questions about what is recyclable in the curbside bin, or whether recycling is real, or where it all goes? Look no further than WM’s Billerica Recycling Facility. Visitors will have the opportunity to see how mixed recyclables are sorted and baled for sale into the commodities markets, where they will be turned into new products.

Tour | Breakfast and Boston Duck Tour Experience presented by Sappi

Sappi is a global renewable resource company that converts wood fiber into environmentally sustainable packaging and papers used as alternatives to single-use plastics and other fossil-based, nonrenewable materials. SPC Advance attendees will get a chance to learn about Sappi’s sustainability commitments and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, their approved Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to reduce emissions, and how they are tracking to their goals.

Following breakfast, guests can experience an “introDUCKtion to Boston” by hopping aboard a Boston Duck Tour. “Enjoy a fully narrated and guided, historic tour of Boston in a “DUCK”, a W.W.II style amphibious landing vehicle that travels on land and water… You’ll cruise by all the places that make Boston the birthplace of freedom and a city of firsts, from the golden domed state House to the Boston Common, the historic North End to fashionable Newbury Street, Quincy Market to the Prudential Tower, and more. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, it’s time for a Big Splash as your ConDUCKtor drives the DUCK right into the Charles River for a breathtaking view of the Boston and Cambridge skylines.”

Tour | Fenway Park

Since 1912, fans have flocked to Fenway Park to watch the home team play in the heart of Boston. It is referred to as, “America’s Most Beloved Ballpark” by Major League Baseball and sports enthusiasts. Home to Red Sox Legends, Williams, Yaz, Fisk, Rice, and Pedro to name a few. Take in the magnificent view atop the fabled Green Monster, standing 37 feet 2 inches high, overlooking left field. Let our experienced tour guides lead you through the hallowed walls and legendary moments of historic Fenway Park. Join us not only to see this iconic century-old baseball stadium in the flesh, but also to hear about its history, closed-loop systems and sustainability efforts implemented throughout the park.

Tour | Wellesley Recycling and Disposal Facility

Wellesley Recycling and Disposal Facility is a source separated facility that helps to give items a second life and keep them out of landfill. Now prohibited from trash disposal, nearly 100% of textiles, mattresses, old T-shirts and socks, footwear, curtains, sheets and stuffed animals donated to Wellesley RDF are reused or recycled. Join us on our trip to the Town of Wellesley and see this operation with over 30 sorts for yourself!

Tour | Harvard SEC Tour Experience

Completed in Fall 2020, Harvard’s Science and Engineering Complex (SEC) is one of the healthiest and most energy-efficient laboratory buildings globally. The SEC is a major step for Harvard toward reaching their goal of being fossil fuel-free by 2050, and is certified by two international sustainable building programs. This tour is a scripted, theatrical experience led by both a current student, who will be able to touch on their personal experiences in the SEC, as well as a representative from Harvard’s Office of Sustainability. Throughout the tour, the guides will discuss the history, culture, and sustainability initiatives of the SEC. Some of the places the tour will explore include the Engineering and Applied Science Labs, Library & Study Space, Main Atrium, Makerspace Labs, Engineering Yard, and Active Learning Labs.