Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Sustainable Plastics
  • Rubber News
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Processor News
    • Suppliers
    • More News
    • Digital Edition
    • End Markets
    • Special Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Injection Molding
    • Blow Molding
    • Film & Sheet
    • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
    • Rotomolding
    • Thermoforming
    • Recycling
    • Machinery
    • Materials
    • Molds/Tooling
    • Product news
    • Design
    • K Show
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Sustainability
    • Public Policy
    • Material Insights Videos
    • Numbers that Matter
    • Automotive
    • Packaging
    • Medical
    • Consumer Products
    • Construction
    • Notable Leaders in Sustainability
    • Processor of the Year
    • Best Places to Work
    • Women Breaking the Mold
    • Rising Stars
    • Diversity
    • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
  • Opinion
    • The Plastics Blog
    • Kickstart
    • One Good Resin
    • Pellets and Politics
    • All Things Data
    • Viewpoint
    • From Pillar to Post
    • Perspective
    • Mailbag
    • Fake Plastic Trees
  • Shop Floor
    • Blending
    • Compounding
    • Drying
    • Injection Molding
    • Purging
    • Robotics
    • Size Reduction
    • Structural Foam
    • Tooling
    • Training
  • Events
    • Plastics News Events
    • Industry Events
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Livestreams/Webinars
    • Editorial Livestreams
    • Ask the Expert
    • Plastics News Events Library
    • Plastics News Executive Forum
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Plastics Caps + Closures: A Global Online Event
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
    • Bioplastics Live
    • Numbers that Matter Live
    • PFAS Live
    • Plastics in Politics Live
    • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Polymer Points Live
    • Sustainable Plastics Live
    • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
    • Plastics in Healthcare Library
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
  • Rankings & Data
    • Injection Molders
    • Blow Molders
    • Film Sheet
    • Thermoformers
    • Pipe Profile Tubing
    • Rotomolders
    • Mold/Toolmakers
    • LSR Processors
    • Recyclers
    • Compounders - List
    • Association - List
    • Plastic Lumber - List
    • All
  • Directory
  • Resin Prices
    • Resin Prices Overview
    • Commodity Thermoplastics
    • High Temperature Thermoplastics
    • Engineering Thermoplastics
    • Recycled Plastics
    • Thermosets
    • Europe - Virgin
    • Europe - Recycled
    • Europe - Feedstock
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
    • Conair Sponsored Content
    • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
    • ENGEL Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • Classifieds
    • Place an Ad
    • Sign up for Early Classified
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
News
August 01, 2016 02:00 AM

Flores looks after sustainability for Berry

Plastics News Report
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    Robert Flores
    Flores

    Berry Plastics spent six years developing Versalite, a polypropylene alternative to polystyrene foam insulated drink cups. A critical part of the project was proving that the new cups were environmentally responsible.

    That's where Robert Flores, director of sustainability for the Evansville, Ind., company, stepped in. The result is his greatest career achievement to date: winning a Responsible Innovation Achievement award from the Association of Plastic Recyclers.

    “When I was first asked to test the recyclability of Versalite, I didn't realize how much attention it would get. I just did what I felt was common sense for verifying whether or not something was recyclable,” Flores said.

    “But it had apparently never been done before, at least not that had been publicized. I was very humbled that anyone outside of Berry Plastics took notice of my work, especially APR — the voice of plastics recycling.”

    Age: 35.

    Education: Bachelor's degree in chemical engineering, Iowa State University.

    Tell us about your family: I'm married to someone who also works in the plastics industry — Amanda Flores at Sabic Innovative Plastics in Evansville. We have two wonderful daughters: Elizabeth (5) and Mackenzie (3).

    First job in plastics? Working for Dow Chemical's research assignments program. My first rotation was in the styrenics pilot plant in Midland, Mich. I really became interested in plastics during my third rotation, in flexible packaging technical service and development in Freeport, Texas. I got to work directly with packaging, which I found to be much more personally meaningful than making resin pellets.

    Biggest failure and what it taught you? When I worked for Dow, I spent a year and a half in Kankakee, Ill., learning about automotive sealants manufacturing so I could start up a new plant in Midland. I then spent four months commissioning said plant.

    Shortly after making our first batch, Dow announced it was getting out of the automotive sealants business. Even though it was not a personal failure, at the time, I was absolutely crushed, having really dedicated nearly two years of my life to this project.

    I learned that it is just business and not to take business decisions personally. It was an amazing learning experience, both commissioning and decommissioning plants, that some engineers don't get in their careers, much less in that short of a period of time.

    What is your current challenge at work? As anyone that works in sustainability will tell you, getting complete and accurate data. We have electricity, natural gas, greenhouse gas, water and waste reduction goals. With 100-plus facilities around the world, it can be a challenge obtaining all the data and verifying its accuracy.

    What emerging technology most interests you? I'm very interested in renewable energy. I have been researching it for most of the last year, trying to identify opportunities for Berry Plastics. Stay tuned…

    What is the best advice you've received? It's not enough just to do a good job. You also have to communicate to others what you are doing and the value you add to the company. Market yourself!

    What job do you really want to have in the future? Is it too early to put chief sustainability officer out there?

    What do you do to relax? Having two young children, the primary thing I do to relax is sleep. During the summer, my family really enjoys going to see the Evansville Otters play baseball at historic Bosse Field.

    Read Editor Don Loepp's take on the Rising Stars of 2016 and find a link to other profiles.

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Play Mart expanding in Kentucky, adding jobs
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Plastics News would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor at [email protected]

    Most Popular
    1
    Superior Die Set seeks sale of Wisconsin plant, may be forced to close
    2
    Numbers That Matter Live September 2023: Plastics recession: Short-term blip or intermediate-term problem?
    3
    An 8,000-ton dream for Milacron, 20/20 Custom Molded Plastics
    4
    Flexible packaging firms highlight changing views on sustainability
    5
    Nova declares force majeure for PE resin at second Ontario site
    SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Find more newsletters at plasticsnews.com/newsletters.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe today

    Subscribe to Plastics News

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Plastics News covers the business of the global plastics industry. We report news, gather data and deliver timely information that provides our readers with a competitive advantage.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI 48207-2997

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1723

    Resources
    • About
    • Staff
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Media Kit
    • Data Store
    • Digital Edition
    • Custom Content
    • People
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Sitemap
    Related Crain Publications
    • Sustainable Plastics
    • Rubber News
    • Tire Business
    • Urethanes Technology
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Processor News
        • Injection Molding
        • Blow Molding
        • Film & Sheet
        • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
        • Rotomolding
        • Thermoforming
        • Recycling
      • Suppliers
        • Machinery
        • Materials
        • Molds/Tooling
        • Product news
        • Design
      • More News
        • K Show
        • Mergers & Acquisitions
        • Sustainability
        • Public Policy
        • Material Insights Videos
        • Numbers that Matter
      • Digital Edition
      • End Markets
        • Automotive
        • Packaging
        • Medical
        • Consumer Products
        • Construction
      • Special Reports
        • Notable Leaders in Sustainability
        • Processor of the Year
        • Best Places to Work
        • Women Breaking the Mold
        • Rising Stars
        • Diversity
        • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
      • Newsletters
      • Videos
      • Podcasts
    • Opinion
      • The Plastics Blog
      • Kickstart
      • One Good Resin
      • Pellets and Politics
      • All Things Data
      • Viewpoint
      • From Pillar to Post
      • Perspective
      • Mailbag
      • Fake Plastic Trees
    • Shop Floor
      • Blending
      • Compounding
      • Drying
      • Injection Molding
      • Purging
      • Robotics
      • Size Reduction
      • Structural Foam
      • Tooling
      • Training
    • Events
      • Plastics News Events
        • Plastics News Executive Forum
        • Injection Molding & Design Expo
        • Plastics Caps + Closures: A Global Online Event
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
      • Industry Events
      • Injection Molding & Design Expo
      • Livestreams/Webinars
      • Editorial Livestreams
        • Bioplastics Live
        • Numbers that Matter Live
        • PFAS Live
        • Plastics in Politics Live
        • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
        • Polymer Points Live
        • Sustainable Plastics Live
      • Ask the Expert
      • Plastics News Events Library
        • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
        • Plastics in Healthcare Library
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
    • Rankings & Data
      • Injection Molders
      • Blow Molders
      • Film Sheet
      • Thermoformers
      • Pipe Profile Tubing
      • Rotomolders
      • Mold/Toolmakers
      • LSR Processors
      • Recyclers
      • Compounders - List
      • Association - List
      • Plastic Lumber - List
      • All
    • Directory
    • Resin Prices
      • Resin Prices Overview
      • Commodity Thermoplastics
      • High Temperature Thermoplastics
      • Engineering Thermoplastics
      • Recycled Plastics
      • Thermosets
      • Europe - Virgin
      • Europe - Recycled
      • Europe - Feedstock
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
      • Conair Sponsored Content
      • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
      • ENGEL Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
      • Classifieds
        • Place an Ad
        • Sign up for Early Classified