Marcio Amazonas is an international executive with large experience in sustainability aspects of the packaged food & beverage industry. He worked for The Coca-Cola Company, Plastic Technologies, Inc. (PTI) and other companies leading initiatives in recycling and circular design.  His current focus at NEXTLOOPP, Inc., where he serves as vice-president for the Americas, is the development of markets and technologies to recycle polypropylene for direct food contact.  Marcio has joined earlier editions of LAPET and SCAPET as speaker and moderator.  He is based in Brazil and works closely with plastic recyclers in Mexico, Colombia, and Chile, supporting their domestic rPP markets and exports.

Juliana Chala Ortega is a LATAM Senior Engineer Packaging Sustainability - Mars Snackings, where she leads packaging sustainability initiatives across Latin America. Her work focuses on advancing circular packaging solutions, including increasing recycled content, improving packaging recyclability, and integrating regulatory and quality requirements into packaging development.

With experience in innovation, sustainability, and packaging materials management, Juliana collaborates with cross-functional teams to accelerate the transition toward a circular economy, balancing performance, regulatory compliance, business viability, and sustainability goals. Her approach is grounded in collaboration, science, and continuous improvement, contributing to Mars' commitment to creating a positive impact for people, pets, and the planet.

Luz Elena Aristizábal Alviar is the Community Relations and Public Affairs Leader for LATAM at Essity. An Environmental Engineer with master's degrees in Environmental Legislation and Environmental Management, she has more than 15 years of experience in sustainability and the circular economy across Latin America. Her work has focused on increasing the use of recyclable materials in supply chains through collaboration with industry, governments, and waste picker organizations. She has extensive experience in Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy development and implementation across the region. She currently serves as Chair of the Board of Colombia's EPR Program Visión Circular ANDI, promoting circular economy solutions and multi-stakeholder collaboration.

Ksenia Portnova has served as Deputy Director of Sustainability at Walmart de México y Centroamérica since 2021. In this role, she is responsible for leading the company’s sustainability agenda and driving strategies aimed at transforming Walmart into a regenerative business, through emissions reduction, natural resource conservation, sustainable sourcing, zero-waste and recycling programs, all aligned with the company’s environmental commitments and long-term sustainability goals.

Throughout her career, Ksenia has worked in various finance-related functions, including budgeting, sales and cost analysis, and auditing, at Walmart de México, Mattel, Philip Morris International, and Deloitte.

Ksenia holds a degree in Business Administration with a specialization in International Business from Saint Petersburg State University, Russia. She also earned a Master’s degree in Sustainable Development from the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom.

José Canga, born in Oviedo (Spain) in 1976, studied Chemical Engineering and has a MSc in Environmentally Sustainable Process Technology. Since 2003, he has been working in different positions at companies delivering turn-key plants for paper making and recycling, industrial wastewater treatment, disposal of hazardous weaponised chemicals and modular pilot plants for the development of innovative and sustainable technical textiles. In 2025 he joined T.EN Zimmer (a company of Technip Energies), where he has been working as licensing manager. 

Since it was founded in 1983, EREMA has specialised in the development and production of plastics recycling systems and technologies for the plastics processing industry. Alexander joined EREMA in 2006 as an apprentice in electrical engineering.
After completing his apprenticeship, Alexander worked for several years as a startup and service technician, travelling worldwide, before moving to EREMA After Sales in 2015, where he completed his High school diploma (Austrian Matura) and an Industrial master certificate in electrical engineering.

In 2026, he moved to his current position as Business Development Manager for the PET Bottle and Food Grade recycling applications.

English Version

Ricardo Cuzziol is a Chemical Engineer with a Master's degree in Chemical Engineering specializing in Polymer Science and Technology from the University of Campinas (UNICAMP), and holds a Technical Degree in Plastics from SENAI "Mario Amato", Brazil.
A polymer specialist with 32 years of industry experience, he has worked in plastics processing, application development, technical services, innovation, business development, and leadership of multidisciplinary teams.
Ricardo currently serves as Technical Services and Application Development Manager at UBQ Materials, leading market development initiatives for sustainable materials.

He is also an international speaker and technical instructor, and the creator of a technical education platform dedicated to polymer engineering and plastics processing. His educational initiatives have reached more than 22,000 professionals, generated over 1 million content views, and trained more than 3,000 professionals through online courses and specialized technical content.

He is recognized for translating complex polymer science and engineering concepts into practical, industry-focused knowledge, helping professionals enhance performance and drive innovation across the plastics value chain.

Spanish Version

Ricardo Cuzziol es Ingeniero Químico, Magíster en Ingeniería Química con énfasis en Ciencia y Tecnología de Polímeros por la Universidad Estatal de Campinas (UNICAMP) y Técnico en Plásticos por el SENAI "Mario Amato", Brasil.
Especialista en polímeros con 32 años de experiencia en la industria, ha desarrollado su carrera en transformación de plásticos, desarrollo de aplicaciones, asistencia técnica, innovación, desarrollo de negocios y liderazgo de equipos multidisciplinarios.
Actualmente se desempeña como Gerente de Servicios Técnicos y Desarrollo de Aplicaciones en UBQ Materials, liderando iniciativas de desarrollo de mercado para materiales sostenibles.

Además, es conferencista, instructor técnico y creador de una plataforma de educación técnica dedicada a la ingeniería de polímeros y al procesamiento de plásticos. Sus iniciativas educativas han alcanzado a más de 22.000 profesionales, acumulado más de 1 millón de visualizaciones y capacitado a más de 3.000 profesionales mediante cursos en línea y contenidos técnicos especializados.

Es reconocido por convertir conceptos complejos de la ciencia e ingeniería de polímeros en conocimientos prácticos y aplicables, contribuyendo al desarrollo profesional y a la innovación de la industria del plástico.