A Night to Remember at Putt Shack.
If Day 1, at SPC Advance, wasn’t enough, I headed to Putt Shack with the Aura team to host a social and what a social it was! It’s probably best described as high-tech crazy golf accompanied by great food, drinks, and lots of very competitive packaging people on a night out. So much fun!
After a long, hard day of conferencing, we applied our ‘Aura social rules’ – no work talk! With my putter in hand, I navigated through the 9 holes… and despite my competitive nature, I’m not ashamed to admit I was nowhere near the leaderboard. But I laughed so hard my sides hurt and had the best time.
Day 2 – Conversations that matter
Following my main stage presentation on Day 1, we had a steady stream of people at our stand, a fantastic mix of current clients, strategic partners, existing prospects, and new contacts. We spoke to many about e-halo, our sustainable packaging platform and program, as well as proprietary insights on what the future may hold from a packaging perspective and how our consulting service can support corporate and legislative packaging goals.
One thing is for sure: we are all still facing the same challenges. Although there are differences, the struggle with data remains, what data is needed now and in the future, how to collect it, and how to report against so many data requirements globally?
Managing Packaging Proactively
Not only was it a packed-out audience, but they also asked some great, challenging questions. From “how do clients choose which platform and/or program is best for them” and “how do Aura ensure granular packaging data is relevant and accurate” to “is the e-halo recycling service fully aligned to How2Recycle and what are the benefits?”, the engagement was incredible.
Olga Kachook’s vision for EPR Innovation
During SPC Advance, Olga Kachook (SPC Director) shared her perspective on eco-modulation within EPR programmes. Rather than viewing EPR as a regulatory burden, Olga challenged us to see it as a driver for innovation. She asked:
“What if we dropped the stick (fees) and thought of EPR as an innovation carrot?”
By designing packaging more sustainably, we can avoid certain fees and redirect those savings into R&D, material innovation, and consumer education. This approach would help bridge the persistent gap in public understanding around recycling and recycled content. Olga painted a vision of a positive feedback loop: where sustainable innovation leads to cost savings, which in turn fuel further progress, accelerating the shift towards systemic change.
Closing of SPC Advance 2025 – we will get there!
Olga’s closing remarks were also powerful…
“The industry is mobilized, but movement alone doesn’t guarantee we’ll get to the right destination. During this watershed moment, in order to get it right, we need to:
• Act with urgency, even when the path forward isn’t perfect.
• Do the research — learn from history, culture, and our global peers.
• Get ahead of policy: equip your team with scientifically rigorous data and shape the future rather than just react to it.
• Treat EPR as a catalyst for moonshot innovations. It’s not easy work, but together, it’s inevitable that we’ll get there.”
I couldn’t agree more with the rally cry from Olga, so if you’d like to see a demo of e-halo or understand your regulatory obligations and how to mitigate your financial risks by redeveloping your packaging to meet eco-modulated requirements, get in touch with us at Aura.
That’s a wrap from SPC Advance but the momentum seamlessly transcends into the How2Recycle Summit… watch out for our next blog!
Photography courtesy of www.laurenlindleyphoto.com
