The FRESH Food, Packaging & Sustainability Summit was held on Sept. 18-19 at the Clemson Madren Center to promote sustainable practices on Clemson’s campus. The event had over 20 sponsoring companies supporting Clemson’s efforts at both the local and national levels.

The 2023 summit specifically focused on measuring progress and driving change as many organizations near their 2025 sustainability goals and are striving to accelerate progress, according to the Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design and Graphics.

The summit itinerary included tours of on-campus facilities, such as the Kite Hill Recycling Center and the Cherry Crossing Research Center. The tours were then followed by a keynote presentation by Clemson Public Service and Agriculture, promoting on-campus sustainability.

A Fireside Chat titled “10-Year Compass: Trends and Implications for a Circular Packaging System” was presented to listeners and attendees on Sept. 19.

The National Recycling Strategy and the Plastics Strategy were the first two strategies in a series to support the Environmental Protection Agency’s vision of a circular economy.

A circular economy reduces material use, redesigns materials to be less resource-intensive, and recaptures “waste” as a resource to manufacture new materials and products, according to Clemson Public Service and Agriculture.

Following the first two national strategies, the United States 2030 Food Loss and Waste Reduction Goal is the first-ever domestic goal to reduce food loss and waste. The goal seeks to cut food loss and waste in half by the year 2030. The presentation included an overview of these strategies toward a more sustainable U.S.

Along with spreading awareness about sustainability, Sonoco FRESH worked to make its event a zero-waste event, meaning that there is a 90% diversion from landfill waste.

“Summit speakers, panels and activities spanned all sectors of the food value chain. Our holistic approach is unique to Sonoco FRESH and allows Clemson to serve as a convener of thought leaders from a broad range of industries and disciplines,” Anne Barr, the executive director of the Sonoco Fresh Institute, said.

The event was sold out, and various Clemson professors and representatives spoke at the event, representing the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences.

President Jim Clements attended the event to show his support for more sustainable practices for students and faculty, emphasizing his goals to unite the University with companies that promote sustainability at a national level.