FRESH at Clemson University

In FRESH at Clemson University’s Thursday Thoughts webinar today, which focused on “Developing the Next-Generation Sustainability Talent,” Haley Appleby, Senior Lecturer & Capstone Course Coordinator at Clemson University and Co-Director of the The Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design and Graphics, shared her thoughts on academia’s role in sustainability: “Academia is uniquely positioned in that a lot of what we’re doing now is somewhat responding to industry and this kind of moving target that is sustainability and then also responding to the interest of this next generation. “I think this next generation is super unique and interesting, and they’re so passionate about sustainability. They’re coming in with that—that’s not something that we are prompting within them. They are curious and they’re empathetic about it, and they want to make a change. And so we’re kind of finding the balance of figuring that out. Universities across the country are doing this. They are developing program majors, minors, etcetera, etcetera, in and around sustainability. “At Clemson, we have a minor around sustainability. It’s not specific to packaging, but even within our packaging program, all of our areas that we focus on are now having elements of sustainability within it. We’re building out an entire sustainability research lab. So we are absolutely responding to both industry and this next generation’s needs and opportunities. We need to hear from industry, what are the tangible skills you want in your incoming workforce? What can we be teaching? What can we be incorporating into our classes in order to prepare the next generation? And then as far as opportunities go, continued partnerships between industry and academia. Students learn from faculty, but they’re really passionate about companies. They hear more, and they love to interact with companies. And I think when they hear from companies directly [about] their sustainability goals, what they’re doing, how they’re making an impact, they love that, and they respond really strongly to that. “So it’s a fun time to be kind of in this space within academia, and I’m excited about where we’re headed in the coming years.”

Join FRESH at Clemson University this spring at their annual Food, Packaging, and Sustainability Summit! This year’s theme is “Creating Value While Advancing Sustainability”. Filled with insights from esteemed thought leaders in both #industry and #academia, the Summit serves as a dynamic platform for exploring collaborative efforts, innovative solutions, and forward-thinking ideas through a variety of presentations and engaging events. Register NOW to join the conversation! https://lnkd.in/gDjA8uzn #food #packaging #sustainability

Join us at the Packaging Recycling Summit 2024 from September 16-18 at the JW Marriott Anaheim Resort. This is your chance to stay at the forefront of sustainable packaging innovation and connect with industry leaders. As part of our Clemson University network, you can save $200 on your registration with the code "CUFRESH"! Why Attend?: -Learn from top CPG brands and industry experts -Discover the latest trends in packaging recyclability -Network with professionals committed to sustainability Don’t miss this opportunity! Register now and use code "CUFRESH" to save. 🔗 Learn more #PRS24 #ClemsonUniversity #PackagingRecycling #Sustainability #PackagingInnovation https://lnkd.in/e38k4XhX

Finally, we have our moderator for our Developing Next Generation Sustainability Talent panel, Meredith Clem Meredith is currently an M.S. Packaging Science student at Clemson University and has a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Anderson University. At Clemson, Meredith’s research within packaging science focuses on corrugated material and its effect on the environment.

Our next panelist on August 15th is  Josh Mellinger Josh is a Food & Ag Executive, with over 15 years of experience leading food supply chain and climate-focused organizations. He has generated over 1.5 billion dollars of verified shareholder value and reduced over $500 million in food waste across global food supply chains. His approach to environmental sustainability and system-wide collaboration has been spotlighted in numerous publications as a blueprint for how innovative solutions can provide more nutritional, affordable, high-quality food that looks better, lasts longer, and feeds families (instead of garbage cans). Currently, Josh is developing food loss and waste solutions to support the implementation of proven technologies across the food value chain. He is an active advisor and board member to early-stage climate startups and frequently consults on sustainable supply chains, climate tech, regenerative agriculture, voluntary carbon markets, and decarbonization. He is a former Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), and Consulting Practice Leader, with a proven track record of designing and implementing digital products on 70+ client engagements. Josh is a graduate of the Stephen M. Ross School of Business, where he focused on Strategy & Finance. He is a recipient of the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management Diversity Fellowship and holds a B.S. in Information Systems & Decision Sciences from Louisiana State University.

Next up is Haley Appleby. Haley Appleby is a Senior Lecturer and Capstone Course Coordinator for the department of Food, Nutrition and Packaging Science at Clemson University. In addition, she serves as Co-Director of the Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design and Graphics. Appleby teaches students the importance of structural and graphic design as it relates to packaging while delivering hands on lab and internship opportunities. Her passion is providing both undergraduate and graudate students with unique, creative opportunies for experiential learning. She received her B.S. in Packaging Science in 2015 and her M.S. in Graphic Communications in 2022, both at Clemson University. Before teaching at Clemson, she worked as a Structural Designer for Chief Container, an industry leader in point-of-purchase displays.

As we near the start of our fall virtual program, Thursday Thoughts, we want to introduce our wonderful speakers for each program. First up is Elizabeth Rhue, a panelist at our August 15th program. Elizabeth Rhue is the Vice President of Global Environmental, Sustainability and Technical Services for Sonoco. Elizabeth is responsible for leading Sonoco’s global sustainability programs and environmental services for all the company’s consumer- and industrial-related packaging businesses, including working directly with Sonoco’s key customers and business leaders to achieve improved product sustainability and environmental footprint for Sonoco’s operations. In addition, Elizabeth’s team is responsible for environmental compliance, product safety and Sonoco’s consumer packaging pilot facilities, testing labs and design engineering services.  Elizabeth is a current trustee for the Nature Conservancy of South Carolina and the chair of Clemson University’s FRESH Industry Advisory Board. Elizabeth holds a bachelor’s in packaging science from Clemson University. She started her career at Sonoco as a Research and Development Engineer with Sonoco’s Rigid Paper Container business. Since then, she has held several technical and commercial roles. Some of these roles include Sustainability and National Accounts Manager for Sonoco Recycling, focusing on delivering landfill diversion solutions for major consumer product goods accounts, and Director of Marketing for Sonoco’s Flexible Packaging division, working directly with large consumer product goods customers. Elizabeth is the former chair of the board of directors for Keep the Midlands Beautiful and a Keep America Beautiful affiliate based in the midlands of South Carolina focused on beautification and litter prevention. Register NOW https://lnkd.in/eNNcUien

Join us this spring at our annual Food, Packaging, and Sustainability Summit. This year’s theme is “Creating Value While Advancing Sustainability”. Filled with insights from esteemed thought leaders in both industry and academia, the Summit serves as a dynamic platform for exploring collaborative efforts, innovative solutions, and forward-thinking ideas through a variety of presentations and engaging events. Register NOW through the link in our bio to join the conversation! https://lnkd.in/eXsCqk6J

We are officially one month away from our first (and FREE) Fall Virtual Program. The kickoff to this series will be on August 15th and feature industry sustainability leaders and how you can develop the next generation sustainability talent. Registration is still open for this program. https://lnkd.in/e7dibEar

SPC Advance, the Sustainable Packaging Coalition's fall members event, is headed to Chicago on September 30 - October 2, 2024. Building upon the theme of "Further & Faster: Carbon Reduction with Better Packaging", SPC Advance will assemble the industry's leading experts and thought leaders to examine and expand on the urgency of carbon reduction. If you're an SPC member, reserve your spot today! #SPCAdvance #SPCAdvance2024 #Sustainability #SustainablePackaging #Carbon https://lnkd.in/eVyVpQa9