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PPC Webinar | Solutions Series: Scaling Regenerative Materials to Help Replace Plastics

June 17 , 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm EDT

As we work to transition away from single-use plastics, there are applications where the ideal solution—plastic-free, nontoxic reuse/refill systems—may not be immediately possible to implement. That’s where biobased and regenerative materials can help. So how can we assess which materials are truly “regenerative” and why, and which are just more greenwashing?

On June 17, Plastic Pollution Coalition will host a webinar to discuss these issues and how two promising categories of regenerative materials—hemp and agricultural byproducts—are being produced and scaled to replace plastic while providing economic and environmental benefits across their life cycle.

The panelists include Alexandra French, CEO of Xampla, producer of MorroTM materials from pea proteins, and Kimberly Kovacs, Founder & CEO of RENW, a hemp packaging company. The webinar will be co-moderated by Erica Cirino, Communications Manager, Plastic Pollution Coalition, and Aidan Maguire, Business Partnerships Manager, Plastic Pollution Coalition.

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Date: Wed, June 17
Time: 12-1 pm PT | 3-4 pm ET
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Panelists

Alexandra French, CEO, Xampla

Alexandra French (she/her) is the CEO of Xampla. She has a degree in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge. She brings extensive global experience from 25 years at Johnson Matthey and as CEO of an AIM listed business, as well as being an accredited coach. She has a proven track record of creating high performance teams, and is leading Xampla in delivering its growth strategy and as it launches Morro materials into the market at scale.

Kimberly Kovacs, Founder & CEO, RENW

Kimberly Kovacs (she/her) is the Founder and CEO of RENW, Inc., a regenerative packaging platform helping global brands eliminate petroleum-derived products and reduce Scope 3 emissions. As the former CEO of Element6 Dynamics, Kovacs accelerated industrial hemp’s commercialization across pulp, bioplastics, and sustainable building materials — directly addressing the alternative fiber supply chains challenges to displacing incumbent solutions from fossil fuels. A serial entrepreneur, Kovacs has founded nine companies and raised more than $160 million in equity capital. She is an inaugural Forbes 50 Over 50 honoree in Investing and a steadfast advocate for regenerative systems that create economic opportunity alongside environmental restoration.

Moderators

Erica Cirino, Communications Manager, Plastic Pollution Coalition

Erica Cirino (she/her) is the Communications Manager at Plastic Pollution Coalition. She translates plastic pollution science, amplifies fenceline/frontline and other expert voices, and describes real solutions in PPC’s public-facing communications. Her goal is to equip people with the information they need to take action. She has spent the last decade working as a writer, artist, and author who explores the intersection of the human and more-than-human worlds and is author of an award-winning book, Thicker Than Water: The Quest for Solutions to the Plastic Crisis (Island Press, 2021). Erica holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies with a Minor in Environmental Humanities and a Master of Science in Journalism degree from Stony Brook University.

Aidan Maguire, Business Partnerships Manager, Plastic Pollution Coalition

Aidan Maguire (he/him) is the Business Partnerships Manager for Plastic Pollution Coalition. Guided by systems theory, he believes that business can be a force for good and yet has a responsibility to balance people, planet, and profit. Aidan works with business leaders to elevate and normalize upstream solutions to plastic pollution such as regenerative materials and reuse models. He brings more than 5 years of experience in management, sales, and finance in hospitality and beverage distribution, and holds two Master’s degrees in business and public administration with an emphasis on sustainability and social justice from Presidio Graduate School.

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