eSummit Agenda

Three Packed Days of Learning, Networking, & Collaboration

A WHOLE LIFECYCLE APPROACH WITH ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS, ALL IN ONE PLACE

See what awaits you! Here is a glimpse of some of the sessions and activities you can explore and engage at the inaugural eSummit in Austin.

THE LINEUP AND SCHEDULE

Welcome to the inaugural eSummit! You are amongst the brightest minds and most forward thinking companies in the industry as we move ahead toward electronics sustainability. Prepare to be inspired!

Tuesday, October 22

AFTERNOON SESSIONS

MAIN STAGE

  • Carolyn Hoskinson, Director, Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery, U.S. EPA

    Enforcing the law to prevent pollution from e-waste management has historically been the primary function of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, but realizing a circular economy requires more forward-thinking leadership. Hear how the US EPA leads through policy and programs to help the US transition to a sustainable future for electronics.   

  • Jeff Seibert, Chief Provocateur, SERI

    The disruptors. The challengers. The leaders. They go above and beyond what is required or expected. They dare to ask “what if” because doing the same things in the same ways gives us more of the same. We’re debuting a new awards program to recognize and celebrate these organizations and their ReThinking. 

  • Sarah Kim, Director, Electronics Sustainability Summit

    Invitation Extended, To Be Announced

    This session is all set, but we can’t announce it just yet. More information coming soon but trust us, you won’t want to miss this session! 

  • Meet with friends and colleagues in the eSummit Expo for networking and engaging with a wide range of exhibitors

Wednesday, October 23

MORNING SESSIONS

MAIN STAGE

  • Kris Hesson, Partner, VP Market Engagement, ERM Shelton

    Consumers play a big role in the quest for sustainability. What are we seeing in the market regarding consumer behavior towards more sustainable choices, and how does that translate to the B2B space when it comes to electronics? 

  • Panel discussion, invitations extended, speakers to be announced

    Smart appliances, connected homes, EV's, wearables, batteries, and AI… IOT has integrated smart technology into all kinds of things that would not traditionally have been thought of as electronics. Hear what’s coming next from those who will bring it to you!

  • Kevin Meredith, Circular Supply Chain Network  

    The future of resilient and sustainable supply chains will take on a different shape than those that got us to where we are today. The transition to circular economies will provide exciting new pathways and opportunities for the electronics industry to continue its historic century of growth and position it to charge ahead for the next hundred years. Hear about circular supply chain strategies and get a glimpse of emerging innovations that are reimagining value opportunities across electronics lifecycles and its most important industry stakeholders.  

AFTERNOON SESSIONS

BREAKOUT STAGES

FIRST USE STAGE
REUSE STAGE

  • John Leiser, Director of Global Value Recovery Services, Lenovo

    Get an inside look at Lenovo's Programs that support the Circular Economy, from Asset Recovery Services to Recertified and management of obsolete product, designed to enable reuse from desktop to commercial data centers. 

  • Jennifer Foxworthy, Senior Manager, HP Certified Refurbished Partner Program, HP Renew Solutions

    Hear how HP's new certified refurbished program is driving consumer confidence in buying refurbished. 

    More details to come!

  • Susan Krautbauer, Senior Director, Advancement, Digitunity

    Invitations extended, more speakers to be announced!

    When we hear about the impacts of used electronics, too often it’s framed as an e-waste story, talking about harm to the environment. But what we don’t hear enough about is all the good that’s being done, especially the positive impacts from used electronics right in our own communities. Hear the real stories of how used electronics are getting into the hands of people who most need them, and the positive impacts that are being made.

  • Panel Discussion:

    Steve Mellings, Founder and CEO, ADISA

    Jonmichael Hands, Secretary, Circular Drive Initiative

    Sunil Chandra, President Stellar Data Recovery

    From phones to desktops to data centers, using electronics longer is critical to sustainability. But to reuse electronics, the previous data needs to be properly sanitized to prevent data breaches.  The fear of a breach is causing organizations to destroy storage devices instead of wiping them, which works directly against sustainability.  This session will explore the progress being made in data sanitization, the purpose that data recovery can serve in creating confidence, and the opportunities to handle data to enable reuse.

RECYCLE STAGE

  • Invitations extended, speakers to be announced

    Innovation is key to enabling the greatest volume of materials recovery from electronics.  Learn about developments in technology and processes that are enabling more sustainable recycling of electronics.

  • Meet with friends and colleagues in the eSummit Expo for networking and engaging with a wide range of exhibitors

MEETINGS AND WORKSHOPS


  • The Global Electronics Council will launch its next generation EPEAT® Ecolabel criteria for ICT products in 2025 setting the market expectation for sustainability of ICT products for several years to come. Join GEC and guest speakers for this session to learn about the updated EPEAT criteria covering four priority sustainability areas: climate change, circularity, chemicals and responsible supply chains.

    Stakeholders – from purchasers to component suppliers and recyclers – will share their perspectives on the criteria, directional alignment with organizational goals, and implementation challenges with a focus on circularity criteria. Participants will then be asked to join one of several interactive breakout groups to take a deeper dive into several new EPEAT requirements and share experiences, challenges and implementation strategies.

    Breakout session topics will include:

    • Moving beyond plastics to inclusion of recycled content metals and its challenges.

    • Challenges in creating supply and demand for reused/recycled critical raw mineral and rare earth element content in ICT products.

    • Accounting for recycled material content in components/products and chain of custody challenges.

    For more information or questions, please contact criteria@gec.org.

    Wednesday, October 23, 2 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, October 24

MORNING BREAKOUT SESSIONS

FIRST USE STAGE
REUSE STAGE

  • Invitations extended, speakers to be announced

    From warranty repairs to trade-in programs, this session takes a deeper look behind the scenes of the mobile industry to reveal how mobile devices are being reused over and over again to maximize life. 

  • Ben Daniels, Author, SMART

    Aakshay Kripalani, CEO, Injured Gadgets

    Invitations extended, more speakers to be announced!

    This session explores what’s new and innovative in reuse, from managing product license keys to the case for used and aftermarket parts, robotics, and more.

  • Invitations extended, speakers to be announced

    From B2B platforms enabling the bulk sale of working electronics to B2C channels enabling the resale of fully refurbished devices, this session will explore marketplace opportunities for the recommerce of electronics.

RECYCLE STAGE

  • Christopher Newman, Electronic Waste Management Specialist, U.S. EPA Region 5

    Carlos Hernandez, UNIDO Columbia

    Adiliz Barrera, Consultant E-Waste Latin American Project PREAL, Panama

    Learn from regulators from countries around the world about new efforts to enable the collection of used electronics and the recovery of materials to manufacture new products and prevent pollution from irresponsible recycling.

  • Invitations extended, speakers to be announced

    A look forward at where recycling may be headed in the future including new product streams, new systems, and new markets.