Biography

Susan Graff is a Principal and Vice President of Global Corporate Sustainability for RRS. For over 30 years, Susan has provided individual and collaborative sustainability and materials management solutions to both industrial and government clients focused on reducing material and energy consumption while increasing recycling value capture. She led development of The Sustainability Scorecard®, an RRS analytic tool used by manufacturers to re-imagine business strategy, metrics and employee training to achieve better sustainability profiles.

Recent Team Projects

  • Materials Recovery for the Future (MRFF): An American Chemistry Council non-profit initiative, MRFF is a research collaborative working on curbside recycling for the new generation of light weight packaging via material recovery facility material flow studies, technical research, and communications.
  • MedImmune: RRS established baseline waste data with a focus on lab recyclables leading to content for a roundtable of local bioscience and commercial businesses to address gaps in collection and processing.
  • Walmart: RRS provided  recovery infrastructure assessment and diversion modeling to inform the Zero Waste 2025 strategy that included U.S. and international markets.
  • Beyond 34: RRS co-leads the project to produce a scalable, local circular economy model for improving recycling and reuse in U.S. city regions.

 Affiliations/Membership

  • Environmental Entrepreneurs
  • Green Chamber of the South

Topical Expertise

  • Corporate Sustainability
  • Material Recovery Collaborations/Partnerships
  • Circular Economy
  • Sustainable Packaging

Recent Speaking Engagements/Publications

  • Can MRFs Cash in on Film Trash While Helping Fill in Supply Chain Gaps? (2023)
  • School of Public Policy Profile on Distinguished Alumni Profile (2023)
  • On What We Must Do To Create Nationally Secure And Resilient Supply Chains (2022)
  • Supply and Demand Chain Executive Building Sustainable Supply Chains (2022)
  • Western Michigan University Fiber Recycling Course (Jul 2019): Material Recovery for the Future
  • Global Pouch Forum (Jun 2019): The Challenges of Creating a Closed-Loop Package Recycling System
  • ProAmpac (Apr 2019): Materials Recovery for the Future: How Can We Capture More Value from Recycling?
  • Plastics Recycling Conference (Mar 2019): Plastics Advances at the MRF Level
  • SWANA Wastecon/ISRI MRF Summit (Aug 2018): Deep Dive: Technology Innovations in the Waste Industry
  • International Flexible Packaging & Extrusion Division Conference (Apr 2018): Material Choices and Customer Expectations for Flexibles: Perspectives fro the Recovery Value Chain
  • Sustainability in Packaging Conference (Mar 2018):  National Sword
  • Northeast Recycling Coalition Flexible Packaging Recovery Webinar (Nov 2018): Adding New Materials to Curbside Recycling: MRF Pilot Program for Films, Bags, and Pouches
  • USCCF Corporate Citizen Conference (Nov 2017): Building New to the World and Transformative Partnerships – Beyond 34: Increasing Recovery and Recycling
  • ReFocus Summit (Jun 2017): Implementing the Circular Economy Concepts and the New Plastics Economy Principles
  • AMERIPEN (May 2017): MRF of the Futrue
  • Recycling Today (Dec 2016): Recycling Today’s Packaging Calls for Change
  • Flexible Packaging Association Executive Conference (Oct 2016): Materials Recovery for the Future Research Program
  • US Chamber of Commerce Foundation Sustainability Forum (May 2016): Applying Circular Economy Approaches to Plastic Packaging
  • ReFocus Recycling Summit (Apr 2016): Driving Industry-Led Material Recovery Solutions
  • ISRI Annual Convention (Apr 2016): Materials Recovery for the Future – Flexible packaging and MRF Recovery
  • Environmental, Health, Safety and Sustainability Roundtable (Mar 2016): Materials Recovery for the Future
  • Greenbiz (Feb 2016): The Circular Economy Move from Theory to Practice
  • Michigan Recycling Coalition Conference (May 2015): Collaboration is Key
  • The Conference Board Sustainability Summit (Apr 2015): Addressing the Gap in U.S. Materials Recovery
  • U.S. Business Council for Sustainable Development Council Meeting (Mar 2015): Scaling Up Materials Reuse

Education/Certifications

  • Master of Science in Technology and Science Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology
  • Bachelor of Science in Biology, Western Illinois University
  • ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Lead Auditor Certification
  • US EPA Risk Assessment and Hazardous Materials Management Certification

Connect

Email Susan

LinkedIn: Susan Graff

Twitter: Susan M. Graff