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Send to KindleProven innovation is the focus of Walmart's sixth annual expo
The next requirement—established early on in the history of the event—is that all of the exhibitor’s marketing materials comply with the Federal Trade Commission’s Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims, also referred to as the Green Guides. All marketing claims are audited by EPI (Environmental Packaging Intl.) to ensure there is no greenwashing. Sasine notes that a streamlined system for submitting marketing materials for audit, along with the industry’s growing understanding of sustainability claims has made the process much easier for prospective exhibitors since the early years of the expo.
“In general, the entire industry is becoming more aware and more knowledgeable about what’s expected and how to express it,” he says. “I feel pretty comfortable that what we’re asking exhibitors to do is a model that works for them and works for us and our buyers.”
Attendance limited to product suppliers, associates
Last year, the Walmart Sustainable Packaging Expo drew 2,500 attendees. This year, says Sasine, a similar number is anticipated. Attendees to the event will include Walmart and Sam’s Club buyers, merchants, and product suppliers, “including both the sales function and packaging logistics and manufacturing functions,” says Zettlemoyer-Lazar.
Invitations to the event are distributed by Walmart and Sam’s Club buyers to their product suppliers. In past years, attendees were required to walk the floor with their buyers; this year, they can explore the show floor unattended.
In addition to the exhibits, attendees can also register to participate in a number of conference sessions that will be held over the two-day event. Among the topics are sustainable packaging success stories, from both Walmart and Sam’s Club suppliers; the fundamentals of paper and plastic packaging; labeling and the FTC guidelines; and Life Cycle Analysis. “We try to get some things that are very, very core to Walmart’s commercial efforts, some things that are more general, and then some of the science that backs up both of these areas,” says Sasine.
Expo show hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tues., April 12 and from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wed., April 13. Walmart or Sam’s Club product suppliers interested in attending the Sustainable Packaging Expo are encouraged to contact their Walmart buying representative. Or, click here for more information.
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