Online Event: Sustainability Tradeoffs of Thermal Packaging

ONLINE EVENT: The live webinar has passed, please access the recording below.

Sustainability has taken center stage across the biopharmaceutical supply chain, especially with cold-chain packaging. There has been notable transition towards sustainable solutions for both individual packaging components and overall packaging systems. But sustainability isn’t as easy as it looks.

During this 55-minute online event, explore how switching to sustainable packaging isn’t a ‘black and white’ choice. According to Alison Crawley and Md Abu Hasan – there are always going to be tradeoffs to consider.

You will learn:

  • The only way sustainability works: by achieving a necessary balance between environment, economy and society
  • How to update your packaging equation: adding sustainability considerations (fossil fuel use, GWP, etc.) to traditional factors (performance, cost, weight)
  • What to do when redesigning your legacy packaging isn’t as simple as it seems
  • How to balance regulatory requirements, performance and quality, environmental impact, and cost
  • To take the guesswork out of sustainability using data to make informed, holistic decisions that align with company priorities

Speakers:

Md Abu Hasan, Engineering Manager, Sonoco ThermoSafe

Dr. Hasan is an accomplished engineering leader with extensive experience in the medical device and packaging industries. Currently, he serves as an Engineering Manager at Sonoco ThermoSafe. Prior to joining Sonoco ThermoSafe, Dr. Hasan held various positions in research and development and product development within the medical device and packaging sectors. He possesses deep expertise in advanced computational modeling and is a strong advocate for sustainable packaging solutions. Dr. Hasan holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Alison Crawley, Global Sustainability Manager, Sonoco ThermoSafe

Alison Crawley is a Global Sustainability Manager for Sonoco ThermoSafe. She works collaboratively across the business to develop and implement strategies to minimize the environmental impact across the supply chain, while working closely with customers to support the progression of their sustainability initiatives. Alison has more than six years of experience in sustainability, with a specialty in life cycle assessment (LCA) of a wide range of packaging and products. She is a strong advocate of sustainable best practices and data-driven decision making to empower companies with the most effective ways to reduce environmental impact, socialize their sustainability journey and achieve CSR goals.
 
In her previous roles, she led a team of sustainability consultants, driving comprehensive resources and yearly planning initiatives. Alison’s contributions extended to facilitating third-party reviewed studies and translating sustainability metrics, underscoring her commitment to environmental stewardship. Alison problem solved through unique LCA requirements including cutting-edge materials and processes, complex co-product allocations, and reusable packaging using leading LCA software and methodologies. The environmental impact insights provided to companies aided them in making informed decisions, particularly during the preliminary design phase, charting concrete paths to achieving their sustainability goals. Alison earned her B.S. in Environmental Engineering from Ohio State University.