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HomeEvents*CANCELLED* TOPIC: "Plastics: Solving the Waste Challenge and Making a Good Product Even Better"

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*CANCELLED* TOPIC: "Plastics: Solving the Waste Challenge and Making a Good Product Even Better"

*Due to travel restrictions imposed by the Coronavirus, this event has been cancelled and is rescheduled for September 16, 2020

When mass production of plastics began in the 1940s, innovation of all types of products began to accelerate at a much faster pace. This strong and light weight material enabled innovators to design products that were not thought to be possible. While plastics technology advanced, the world population doubled and with it a waste infrastructure that was incapable of growing at a pace that matched the planet’s population growth. According to the World Bank, annual waste generation is expected to increase by 70% to 3.4 billion tons in 2050. The impact of that waste is far worse in developing countries, particularly the urban poor where over 90% of waste is often disposed in unregulated dumps or openly burned. This is not only unsafe for the people of these regions, but also places a great deal of stress on the environment. Poorly managed waste serves as a breeding ground for disease vectors and contributes to global climate change through greenhouse gas generation.

So what do we do? This tremendous challenge for the plastics industry has created the burning platform to accelerate our shift to a more circular economy. Dow’s Dr. Mike Witt will discuss the challenge while noting the trajectory of some of the industry’s solutions.

SPEAKER: Michael Witt, PhD, Corporate Director, Plastics Circular Economy, Dow, Inc.



About our Speaker:
Dr. Mike Witt has corporate management and strategy responsibility for driving a plastics circular economy, in addition to leading Dow’s effort for strategic implementation of a coalition aimed at ending plastic waste. Mike serves as leadership group chair within the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA), where global industry advocacy is forged and implemented. Mike joined Dow in 1998 and has held many leadership positions throughout the company. He holds Masters and Doctoral degrees in environmental engineering from Michigan State University and a Bachelor’s degree in civil/environmental engineering from The University of Michigan. He also earned an MBA degree in management from Northwood University. He is the co-author of several publications and patents. He serves on the Board of The Dow Chemical Company Foundation, Board of the Graham Sustainability Institute at the University of Michigan, and the Board at the Chippewa Nature Center (Michigan).

When:
Wednesday, March 18, 2020, 11:30 AM until 2:00 PM
Where:
The Yale Club
Directions
50 Vanderbilt Ave
New York, NY  10017

(212) 716-2100
Additional Info:
Event Contact(s):
Danielle J Fraser
203-763-9255 (p)
Category:
Monthly Luncheon
Registration is temporarily unavailable
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