Speakers will be shared here as the program is confirmed in the next two months
Keynotes
Crystal Dreisbach
Upstream
Crystal Dreisbach has spent 15 years proving that reuse must transform from niche alternative to economic norm. As an early operator of reuse systems, she developed first-of-its-kind solutions including tech-enabled logistics, commercial wash infrastructure, and municipal integration models. Her core insight: treating reusable packaging as circulating assets — not disposable commodities — builds economically resilient systems while addressing the climate crisis. She now leads Upstream, a nonprofit organization that creates the enabling conditions for the reuse economy to scale through policy, financing, and cultural transformation. Crystal’s work has been featured on PBS, NPR, Fast Company, The Guardian, The Washington Post, and Packaging Dive. She holds an MPH and is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer.
Session Speakers
Alicia Aikens
Fashion Takes Action
Alicia Aikens is the coordinator of the Canadian Circular Textiles Consortium, a multi-stakeholder initiative conveened by Fashion Takes Action. She is a passionate organizer and researcher with nearly a decade of experience in the Environmental and Social Sustainability space. While working with FTA she has contributed to the development of resources such as the Canadian Circular Design Toolkit, a Circular Textile Map, and ongoing research for the CCTC’s Made in Canada Solutions and Circular Business Models projects.
In 2019, she co-founded Solacene, a multifaceted project dedicated to imagining and empowering a future that is sustainable, beautiful, and tactile. Inspired by the historic role of fashion in social movements, she approaches fashion as a tool for addressing the ecological and humanitarian crises we are facing today. Her work blends creative expression with interdisciplinary thinking, rooted in a belief that meaningful change must be both grounded and imaginative.
Allen Langdon
Circular Materials
As CEO, Allen is responsible for leading Circular Materials through the development of Ontario’s new blue box recycling system while expanding the organization’s operations into other provinces, including Alberta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the Yukon. His mission is to support producers with a robust not-for-profit service offering that advances the circular economy, delivers national harmonization of extended producer responsibility (EPR), and harnesses competitive procurement to provide the best value and service for producers.Prior to joining Circular Materials, Allen served as the President and CEO of Return-It, a very successful used beverage container management program in British Columbia, Canada. Allen also served as the Managing Director for Recycle BC, the first 100% EPR program for paper and packaging in North America, in which industry assumed full financial and managerial responsibility for the residential recycling system.Allen currently serves as an Advisory Board Member for the Washington State Recycling Development Centre.
Blaire Gaalaas
Circular Materials
Blaire Gaalaas is Managing Director for Alberta and the Yukon at Circular Materials. In this role, Blaire is responsible for overseeing Circular Materials’ extended producer responsibility (EPR) recycling program operations in Alberta and the Yukon, ensuring compliance with the regulatory frameworks in both regions. Her strategic vision, deep knowledge of regulatory environments and exceptional team leadership is key to driving operational success and advancing a circular economy. Prior to joining Circular Materials, Blaire spent 15 years at the Beverage Container Management Board (BCMB), including 5 as CEO, where she successfully led initiatives focused on sustainability, compliance, beverage container collection system design and innovation. Blaire values connecting with Circular Materials’ partners and stakeholders and looks forward to continued collaboration as she and her team work to develop efficient and effective recycling programs in Alberta and the Yukon.
Briana Yee
Rural Municipalities of Alberta
Briana is a policy advisor with the Rural Municipalities of Alberta, leading the rural landscapes and industry portfolio. She has more than a decade of experience at the intersection of climate, energy and environmental policy in Canada and New Zealand. Drawing on her experience, Briana brings a practical perspective on how rural municipalities, industries and government can collaborate to support sustainable economic development through effective local government.
Charles Binks-Collier
Circulr
Charles is the Chief Executive Officer of Circulr, a reuse service provider specializing in the Consumer Packaged Goods sector. In this role, leveraging his previous experience at Lactalis Canada, Charles collaborates with producers and retailers to develop highly effective reusable packaging programs. Circulr is a partner solution provider for The Reuse City Canada Project and other active reuse systems. Charles holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University.
Charlotte Genge
Charlotte Genge is an engineer, entrepreneur, and circular economy strategist specializing in the intersection of waste systems, research, and organizational strategy. As Owner and Principal of EnsembleCo Consulting and Senior Project Manager with the National Association for Charitable Textile Recycling (NACTR), she works with nonprofits, businesses, governments, and industry partners to turn complex sustainability challenges into practical strategies.
Charlotte leads applied research on textile waste, reuse, recycling, consumer behaviour, and downstream markets, including Textile Transformation Nova Scotia, a multi-phase initiative examining the infrastructure and market conditions needed to advance textile circularity. Her broader consulting work spans waste management, strategic planning, social enterprise, sustainability, and the built environment.
She is also the founder of The Great Swap, a community reuse initiative demonstrating how local action can extend product life, divert textiles, and strengthen communities.
Christina Seidel
sonnevera international corp.
Christina holds a PhD in Engineering Management and has an extensive background in Circular Economy and waste reduction. She operates sonnevera international corp., a waste reduction consulting firm, and was the Executive Director of the Recycling Council of Alberta for over 30 years, where she was very involved in the waste management policy development arena and led Circular Economy and EPR advocacy efforts. She chaired the Canadian Standards Association Plastics Recycling: Definitions, Reporting and Measuring technical committee and is also an adjunct professor in the Engineering Faculty at the University of Alberta
Claire Theaker-Brown
Theaker Co.
Claire’s work bridges industry, policy, and academia in pursuit of a scalable, inclusive Canadian circular textile economy. In her consulting practice, Theaker Co., she equips teams with internal and external circular textiles education, practice, and programming. Claire is also researching the viability of industry-scale textile repair practices, and maintains an advisory role at her B Corp-Certified brand, Unbelts.
Known for finding common ground among diverse stakeholders and for her multi-dimensional approaches to solving “wicked problems,” Claire is an Edify Top 40 Under 40 alumna, TEDxShanghai presenter, and Edmonton Community Impact Award recipient. She lives in Edmonton with her spectacular kiddos, Penelope and Theodore.
Clayton Miller
Quantum Lifecycle Partners LP
Based in Toronto, Clayton has been recycling electronics for over 25 years and has seen the industry evolve dramatically over that time, just like the technology itself. He brings a passion for business and the environmental sustainability to the table, with a particular focus on the intersection where each drive value for the other. Having had progressively senior roles at a total of 4 different electronics recyclers, he loves Quantum and is proud to work for an amazing company that creates value for customers and the planet. When not reusing and recycling electronics, Clayton spends time volunteering in the community and maintaining his farm in rural Ontario with his son.
Desiree Somers
ZeroFlow Digital Inc
Desiree Somers is a chef‑turned‑entrepreneur whose work is shaped by her diverse African, Caribbean, European, and Spanish heritage, and by the global journeys of her ancestors. Her early entrepreneurial path began in 2005 with Tropic Importers, followed by professional training in culinary arts, public speaking through Toastmasters, and performance experience in film, television, and commercial productions from 2009 to 2017. She later trained at Van Arts in acting and completed voice lessons, strengthening her communication, confidence, and on‑camera presence.
As a single mother of five, Desiree learned resilience, resourcefulness, and how to make the most out of limited household resources—experiences that shaped her understanding of waste, sustainability, and community behavior. She is the CEO and Founder of ZeroFlow Digital Inc., QRHomes.digital, and Desire Treats, where she transforms identity, lived experience, and cultural legacy into digital systems that empower households, reduce contamination, and support circular‑economy innovation across communities.
Ed Gugenheimer
Alberta Recycling Management Authority
As Chief Executive Officer of Alberta Recycling Management Authority (ARMA), Ed Gugenheimer draws on his nearly thirty years of experience in executive leadership, fiscal governance, and operational expertise to shape Alberta’s waste management future.
In his role, Ed has been instrumental in advancing the organization’s mission and long-term impact. Under his leadership, ARMA adopted its forward-looking vision, Inspiring a Future Without Waste. Thanks to his expertise in financial management, risk oversight, and building strong organizational cultures, ARMA continues to advance government and industry policy and approaches in sustainability and recycling.
ARMA’s work, guided by Ed’s leadership, demonstrates his ingenuity and commitment to delivering results for Alberta. Most notably, Ed oversaw the successful launch of Alberta’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system—an innovative program that shifts the responsibility for recycling from municipalities to producers. Ed has also led the expansion of electronics recycling to more than 500 devices and was recently selected by the Government of Alberta to steward North America’s first renewables recycling program, including solar panels, EV batteries, and wind turbine electrical components.
Looking ahead, Ed is keen to build on ARMA’s 34-year legacy through innovation and a shared perseverance to secure Alberta’s position as a global leader in the circular economy.
Ed is a Chartered Professional Accountant with strong financial acumen and a history of supporting organizations across diverse sectors. Outside work, Ed enjoys time at the lake and is actively involved in leadership, stewardship, and community development through volunteer work. He lives in Edmonton with his wife, Leanne, and their son, Addison.
Elena Mantagaris
Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR)
Elena Mantagaris has over 30 years of experience establishing partnerships with Canada’s governments and communities to advance large-scale projects subject to regulatory review and public scrutiny in the energy, chemistry & plastics, mining, transportation, technology, and cultural sectors. She has led the development of strategies, communications plans, and public affairs approaches for organisations.
As lead for Canada’s plastics industry association, she advocated for extended producer responsibility programs and investments in recycling infrastructure to divert materials from landfills and transform waste into a resource. Working with federal and provincial jurisdictions across the country, she helped reshape the relationship between the sector and governments by positioning industry as a partner and technology solution provider with a shared vision for zero plastic waste in a low-carbon circular economy.
Elena’s current work with the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) in Canada is aimed at advancing government policies focused on creating recycled content minimum requirements informed by preferred design and traceability requirements, as represented by the APR Design® Guide and APR PCR Certification program. In addition, she leads collaboration efforts with Canada’s Producer Responsibility Organisations resulting in national adoption of the APR Design® Guide and joint government advocacy on issues of shared interest, particularly as it relates to stabilising volatile recycling markets.
Emma Swabey
Delve Recycled
Emma is a community builder, emergent strategist, and micro-recycler. She founded Delve Recycled in 2024, a micro-recycling studio that collects local plastic waste and transforms it into products, programs, and possibilities. LoopLAB, Delve’s mobile recycling studio, visits classrooms and communities to chase one moment – the sparkle in someone’s eye when they flip into creativity mode around plastic waste, recycling, and climate action. Emma brings the perspective to this year’s RCA conference that small-scale actions, like micro-recycling, are a way to engage community, inspire action, and be a case study/example/experience that makes our customers, clients, and community feel that big change is possible, and that they’re part of it.
Hakim Habani
ECO Canada
Hakim Habani is a Project Coordinator within ECO Canada’s Professional Services division. For nearly two years, he has been a key contributor to Project IGNITE, a national initiative focused on advancing workforce development and accelerating the adoption of practices and technologies that support Canada’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
In this role, Hakim has delivered training programs across Canada in greenhouse gas (GHG) management, GHG measurement, reporting and verification (MRV), and low-carbon technologies. He works closely with organizations across a range of sectors, including waste management and the broader circular economy, helping them build the internal capacity to measure, manage, and report emissions in alignment with leading frameworks and standards, including the GHG Protocol, ISO 14064, and IPCC guidance.
Hakim holds a Bachelor’s degree in Earth and Environmental Sciences and a Master’s degree in Geosciences from the University of Lorraine, France. His academic background provides the scientific foundation for his practical, evidence-based approach to emissions management, climate action planning, and sustainability training.
At the 2026 Recycling Council of Alberta Circular Economy Conference, Catch the Wave, Hakim will present a session on GHG Management. Participants will be guided through the key components of developing and managing a credible GHG inventory, from establishing organizational and operational boundaries to identifying emission sources and prioritizing reduction opportunities. Drawing on a case study from the waste and circular economy sector, the session will demonstrate how organizations can transform emissions data into practical, defensible reduction strategies while supporting compliance, circularity objectives, and net-zero commitments.
Heather Stephens
Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA)
Heather Stephens, ERA’s Chief Operating Officer, has played a pivotal role in the organization since its inception in 2009. Currently, Heather oversees strategic areas including marketing and communications, investment impact, partnerships, government and industry engagement, and finance. She continues to provide leadership across ERA’s operations, drawing on her deep expertise in governance, contract management, IT, and human resources.
A Chartered Professional Accountant, Heather brings over two decades of experience from PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she worked in both Edmonton and London, UK, and was instrumental in helping establish ERA (formerly Climate Change and Emissions Management Corporation). In recognition of her leadership and contributions, Heather was awarded a Fellowship with CPA Alberta in 2025 and was recognized by the Women in Energy Transformation Series—a collaboration between the Pembina Institute and Globe Series—for her role in advancing Canada’s clean energy transition. Heather holds Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Commerce degrees from the University of Alberta.
Iris Monner
CSA Group
Iris Monner is the Manager, Standards Strategic Development at CSA Group (Canadian Standards Association) and holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Queen’s University. She has over 15 years of experience developing and applying national and international standards at CSA. In her current role, Iris is tasked with identifying opportunities for standards-based solutions within the waste management and remediation sector. Iris has a passion for community building and is a board member for her organization’s Women’s Empowerment Network. She recently completed a four-year mentorship commitment with Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Isabelle Faucher
Carton Council of Canada
Isabelle has twenty years of experience in the circular economy space, in particular waste diversion and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy and operations, primarily applicable to packaging and paper.
For the last eleven years, she has provided Managing Director services to the Carton Council of Canada (CCC), an industry coalition of food and beverage carton manufacturers working with all the actors along the recycling value chain to deliver long-term solutions to grow carton collection and recycling in Canada.
Jason Brown
Call2Recycle Canada
Jason Brown is the Director of Western Canada at Call2Recycle. Founded in 1997, the not-for-profit organization works on behalf of stakeholders to provide its battery recycling program. Since inception, Call2Recycle has recycled over 50 million kilograms of batteries, keeping them out of local landfills and recovering the valuable materials that can be used to create new batteries and other products. At Call2Recycle, Jason oversees multiple consumer battery EPR programs. He works closely with a wide range of stakeholders, including program industry members, regulators, advisory committees, service providers, and the public.
Jessica Oliver
Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
Jessica Oliver is the Environmental Systems Manager at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, leading the resort’s environmental programs, reporting, and sustainability initiatives. Her work spans waste and recycling, food waste, water and energy management, environmental monitoring, employee engagement, and more with a focus on implementing initiatives that create meaningful environmental impact while supporting the high standards of luxury hospitality.
Originally from Toronto, Jessica moved out west and began her career with Fairmont in 2022 as part of the Resort Activities team before moving into the world of sustainability. Outside of work, she spends as much time outdoors as possible—trail running, hiking, camping, canoeing, or skiing in the mountains. She is particularly passionate about exploring the backcountry and making the most of life in the Rockies.
Karolina Korzeniewski
University of Alberta
Karolina Korzeniewski is Director of Enterprise Partnerships at the University of Alberta, where she works across faculties and disciplines to build partnerships between the university, industry and community. She focuses on identifying opportunities where university expertise and external needs intersect, developing collaborations that create economic and societal impact.
Her work spans emerging opportunities including the circular economy and textiles, artificial intelligence, workforce development and community innovation. She works with researchers and academic leaders across the University to connect expertise and capabilities with organizations seeking to address complex challenges.Karolina brings experience across post-secondary education, economic development, technology, health and the social sector. She holds an MBA and a BSc in Nutritional Science from the University of Alberta and is a Registered Dietitian. She also serves on the Board of Directors of e4c, an Edmonton nonprofit working to address poverty and support vulnerable communities.
Khorcheska Batyrova
OzoneBio
Dr. Khorcheska Batyrova is the CEO and co-founder of OzoneBio, a Canadian cleantech company developing circular pathways to transform underutilized biomass and waste into high-value materials.With a background in biochemistry, industrial biotechnology, enzyme and protein engineering, Khorcheska brings a strong scientific foundation to the development and commercialization of emerging technologies. At OzoneBio, she leads the company’s technology development, scale-up, and efforts to bring bio-based materials from development toward industrial applications.
Dr. Khorcheska focuses on creating connections between waste resources, industry, and end markets. Through OzoneBio, she is working to demonstrate how materials that are often treated as waste can become valuable industrial feedstocks, creating new opportunities for resource recovery, lower-impact manufacturing, and more circular material systems.Her work brings together science, commercialization, and cross-sector collaboration to help move circular economy solutions from innovation toward practical, scalable applications.
Lea Bensaadoune
Lea started her sustainability career with EXO Travel, a leading Destination Management Company with 10 locations across South East Asia. After experiences in Indonesia and Laos, and an unfortunate covid-19 break, she joined the Fairmont brand in 2022 as the Sustainability Lead for the newly opened Fairmont Carton House in Ireland. The journey led her to more arid landscapes as she went to support sustainability leadership of the brand in Dubai. Since 2025, Lea is back in hotel operations leading sustainability for 5 beautiful properties: Fairmont Banff Springs, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, Fairmont Chateau Whistler and the Rimrock Banff, by Emblems.
Lori Koebel
ABCRC
Lori Koebel is Vice President, Sustainability & Stakeholder Relations at the Alberta Beverage Container Recycling Corporation (ABCRC), where she leads sustainability, communications and stakeholder engagement initiatives supporting Alberta’s beverage container recycling system.
She works closely with industry and research partners on practical approaches to improving recycling outcomes and advancing circularity. Lori serves on the Circular Plastics Taskforce and on boards and advisory groups across Canada’s recycling and sustainability sector.
She brings extensive experience in deposit return systems, extended producer responsibility and stakeholder engagement, with a practical perspective on how policy, system operations and industry collaboration can drive better recycling outcomes
Mackenzie Brown
Warrior Women
A multidisciplinary creative, Kamâmak is a muralist, painter, traditional crafts artist, drummer, and singer. She performs nationally and internationally with Warrior Women, a performance and teaching duo she created with her mother. Her work is grounded in Cree culture and language, which she continues to revitalize through public art, education, and weekly Cree-language classes. Recognized with numerous awards — including Calgary Mayors indigenous Artist of the Year 2025 and Avenue Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40 — she is dedicated to fostering connection, understanding, and cultural pride through every facet of her practice.
Mannie Cheung
Product Care Association of Canada
Mannie Cheung is the Vice President of Operations at Product Care Association of Canada, a not-for-profit industry association that develops, implements, and operates extended producer responsibility programs for household hazardous and special products in Canada and the USA on behalf of its industry members. Mannie has over 20 years of leadership and management experience in the extended producer responsibility sector and more than 9 years in the hazardous waste management industry, leading business and program development, compliance, optimization of operational efficiencies and program effectiveness.
Marika Smith
City of Victoria
Marika Smith is the Lead for Solid Waste Reduction for the City of Victoria’s Zero Waste Team, where she leads the single-use items reduction and reuse policy work. She has a background in industrial compost science and a MSc with a research focus on microplastics contamination in soil systems, with additional certifications in behavioural science as it applies to waste reduction.
Mark Anielski
Anielski Management Inc.
Mark’s passion in life is measuring things, particularly what contributes most to our happiness and well-being. He is the author of the award-winning-best-selling book The Economics of Happiness: Building Genuine Wealth (2007) and his second book An Economy of Well-being: Common Sense Tools for Building Genuine Wealth and Happiness published in May 2018.
As a ‘happiness economist’ Mark’s consulting work over the last 25 years has provided nations and communities like China, Singapore, French Polynesia and several First Nations with strategic economic counsel on how to develop a new economic model and governance system that focuses on well-being.Mark has conducted numerous wellbeing impact studies including analysis of Alberta’s waste management and recycling programs using his Genuine Wealth accounting model.
Mark is a world renowned expert in measuring happiness and well-being using his Soul Print of Well-being survey to assess mental, spiritual, physical and emotional well-being. His current focus is developing a Well-being Bank that does not charge interest on loans and creates a system where we are each others bankers and creators of money oriented to the pursuit of genuine happiness and well-being.
Mark lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with his wife Jennifer. Mark has two bachelor degrees in economics and forestry and a Master’s degree in forest economics.
Mark Emsden
Beverage Container Management Board
Leading Alberta’s beverage container recycling system, Mark Emsden was appointed President and CEO of the Beverage Container Management Board (BCMB) in April 2025. His goals over the coming years include ensuring Alberta’s system remains the best in Canada, and is convenient, accessible, and builds a circular economy that benefits all Albertans.
Prior to his current role, Mark served as BCMB’s Director of Operations and Compliance for five years, overseeing the organization’s operational, investigative and compliance functions. He has a distinguished career of two and a half decades with the military and in law enforcement, with ten years as a Detective focused on homicide, organized crime, and fraud. Mark is a proud and proven leader with a passion for the environment and keeping Alberta at the forefront of recycling.
Marla Orenstein
Energy Futures Lab
Marla Orenstein is Director of Partnerships and Impact at the Energy Futures Lab, where she builds collaborations that advance Alberta’s transition to a sustainable energy future. She brings deep expertise in impact assessment and energy policy, having previously served as Director of Resources, Environment and Economy at the Canada West Foundation. Marla founded and led Habitat Health Impact Consulting for 12 years, advising governments, industry, and communities worldwide on major energy and infrastructure projects. She is past President of the International Association for Impact Assessment.
Martha McCabe
Prolink Insurance
Martha McCabe (PROLINK) is a risk advisor specializing in technology and green sector organizations, helping companies turn risk management into a strategic advantage. As a two-time Olympian, and entrepreneur, she understands firsthand the challenges of building resilient organizations while pursuing growth and innovation. Drawing on her experience in elite sport and business leadership, Martha helps founders and leadership teams anticipate risk, protect company value, and focus on scaling with confidence.
Maryia Halubok
CSA Group
Dr. Maryia Halubok is a project manager in the Data and Agri-Food sector at CSA Group (Canadian Standards Association). In this role, Maryia leads standards development and research initiatives focused on food loss and waste, soil health, and agricultural data and metadata.
She holds a PhD in Geosciences from the University of Texas at Austin and has over a decade of experience in environmental modelling and data analysis in academia. Her previous work included improving wetland methane emissions modelling in Canadian climate models and applying machine learning techniques to support walnut harvest estimation.
In addition to her professional work, Maryia has volunteered with initiatives such as the UT Austin STEM Muse program, which fostered a mentorship-centered community that connected women in STEM across career stages to expand their networks, support career growth, and strengthen a sense of belonging.
Michelle Frechette
The Connected Kitchen Project Foundation
Michelle Frechette is a social entrepreneur based in Edmonton, Alberta. She is the Founder and Executive Director of The Connected Kitchen Project Foundation, a nonprofit backbone organization supporting the circular food economy, and the Founder and CEO of Connected Kitchen Management Inc., its sister corporation. The two operate in parallel as a social enterprise, both holding certified social enterprise status with Buy Social Canada.
Together, they are building a food tech platform that activates underutilized commercial kitchens in community spaces and connects the right foodtrepreneurs to them. It will also support the broader ecosystem with real-time data, so the organizations working toward the public good can operate on evidence rather than assumptions. The pilot launches fall 2026 at the TCKP kitchen at NorQuest College with a fully equipped shared community processing and teaching space for food security initiatives. Established organizations and grassroots groups alike are supported so they can focus on the strength of their communities without carrying the burden of coordination. The programming includes formal La Tablée des Chefs skills training, direct redistribution, intergenerational and cultural community building, and value retention through the creation and sale of value-added products made from rescued food.
Michelle is also the founder of the Social Impact Innovation Hub, a grassroots movement building a shared ecosystem for Edmonton’s social enterprises and mission-driven organizations. Starting with the In The Loop event series curating connections between individuals working on opposite sides of their respective loops. She and a range of stakeholders are working toward securing a dedicated space where social enterprise and social innovation aren’t the afterthought or the outliers, they’re the purpose.
Nick Ford
Beverage Container Management Board (BCMB)
Nick Ford is the Director of Communications and Strategy at Beverage Container Management Board (BCMB), Alberta’s beverage container recycling system regulator. As a member of BCMB’s senior management team since late 2024, he leads the organization’s strategy and oversees its communications, public education, and reporting functions.
Nick is building a reputation for translating complex ideas into clear, actionable insights that help organizations make confident, informed decisions. Drawing on a diverse career spanning banking, economics, institutional investing, entrepreneurship, and regulation, he combines analytical rigour with strategic communication to help organizations cut through complexity to communicate publicly and make informed decisions. As co-founder of Edmonton’s first commercial cidery, he also brings firsthand experience building and growing a business in a regulated environment.
Today, he applies a blend of analytical, strategic, and entrepreneurial experience to help shape the future of Alberta’s beverage container recycling system in a way that supports both environmental and economic outcomes.
Paul Heynen
TrueCan Industrial Technologies Inc.
Paul Heynen is the Founder and Director of Operations at TrueCan Industrial Technologies Inc., where he leads the commercialization of advanced magnetic-filtration solutions for industrial applications. A Master Electrician and former Safety Codes Officer, Paul brings approximately 27 years of field experience and spent 12 years teaching at SAIT. His work focuses on helping energy, mining, manufacturing and municipal operators remove damaging ferrous contamination from process fluids—reducing waste, extending equipment life, improving operational reliability and supporting more sustainable use of existing assets. Paul is passionate about introducing practical technologies that deliver measurable environmental and economic benefits without adding power consumption or unnecessary operational complexity.
Paul Long
ANIÁN
Paul Long has spent the last thirteen years growing his clothing brand ANIAN, and the circular economy it represents. With Humble beginnings on Vancouver Island, ANIAN has grown from a 100- square foot shed, into three (3) retail locations, (Victoria, Vancouver & Calgary) selling across North America into over 150 locations & has done work for provincial & Federal governments.
Peter Duck
Peter holds a Master Degree in Environmental Studies with a background that ranges from hydrometeorology to wildlife ecology and environmental impact assessment. He his career has included working for the Canadian Parks Agency’s interpretive program in Banff and Jasper National Parks planning and producing a variety heritage interpretation exhibits and programmes. Mr. Duck has also worked independently as an interpretive naturalist and natural history instructor for many years.
Past activities have also included serving as a wildlife technician for ecological land classifications including caribou and grizzly bear habitat evaluations. Peter is active as an advocate for environmental sustainability and has served on a number of local and national environmental advisory committees. Following his retirement from 16 years as Regional Coordinator for the Bow Valley Waste Management Commission he has continued as president of the Bow Valley Naturalist Society which has been promoting ecosystem ecological integrity in Banff National Park since 1967. In 2025 Peter was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal for his community work in environmental protection.
Rajiv Ramchandra
Recreate India Research Foundation
Rajiv Ramchandra is the award-winning founder of Recreate India Research Foundation (Re:CREATe), India’s first research and advocacy enterprise which aims to catalyze and advance remanufacturing in the nation. In December 2020, Re:CREATe received the prestigious ‘Remanufacturer of the Year’ Award from Rematec in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Rajiv is also the Regional Sustainability Lead at Hazen Canada (previously WaterSMART | A Hazen Company), a leading water stewardship consultancy in Canada. He has previously served as Assistant Vice President of a consulting firm in India specializing in corporate sustainability and policy research. He also served as the Business Manager, and in engineering roles for nearly seven years at the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I), at the Golisano Institute for Sustainability (GIS).
Rajiv holds an ME in Mechanical Engineering (2006) from the University of Sussex in England, an ME in Engineering Management (2009) from the Kate Gleason College of Engineering and an MBA (2014) from the Saunders College of Business, both at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). He successfully completed the Business Sustainability Management program of study (2017) from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) in England, and holds the Sustainability Excellence Professional (SEP) credential (2022) developed by the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) and administered by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI).
Rajiv has worked with organizations in diverse industries including food manufacturing, pulp and paper manufacturing, chemical manufacturing, metal finishing, healthcare, think tanks, and government bodies. He has guest lectured at universities in the US which include the Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University, the Saunders College of Business and the Golisano Institute for Sustainability at the Rochester Institute of Technology, Wells College, St. Lawrence University, and the Department of Earth & Environmental Science at the University of Pennsylvania.
He has spoken at numerous conferences in the U.S., Europe and India, and has previously blogged for the Huffington Post and the Good News Network. He briefly served on the editorial board of the magazine ‘SQ – Raising the Sustainability Quotient’ published by the Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), one of the oldest chambers in India, established in 1836. His articles and work have been featured by outlets such as The Economic Times, Rematec, Polymers Communique, Corporate Citizen, and Chemical Engineering World. Most recently, he was the primary author of the policy brief titled “Accelerating the Transition to a Functional Circular Economy by Mainstreaming Remanufacturing” published as part of the proceedings of the G20 hosted by Brazil in 2024.
His interests include the evolution of business models, the power of systemic changes aligning industry towards greater sustainability and circularity, sustainable finance, as well as the meeting point of science and spirituality and how it shapes problem perception and problem solving. He engages in secular and well-being-oriented practices like meditation and fasting.
Rustam Punja
Heidelberg Materials
Rustam Punja is the Alternative Fuels Manager with Heidelberg Materials who has spent more than 14 years in the cement industry advancing circular economy solutions through the beneficial reuse of waste materials. Based in Western Canada, he works with municipalities, industry partners, and suppliers to source and commercialize alternative fuels and raw materials, including RDF, plastics, and construction waste, supporting Heidelberg Materials’ Edmonton cement plant and its decarbonization goals.
Sam Punian
Alberta Bottle Depot Association
Samreet (Sam) Punian is an Edmonton-based entrepreneur who leads operations across his family’s beverage container recycling facilities in Alberta, driving the sustainability initiatives, process automation, and operational strategy behind their day-to-day recycling operations. He holds a BSc in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alberta and began his career working on large-scale infrastructure projects with EllisDon and Colas Canada, including the Southeast Valley Line LRT, the Stadium LRT Redevelopment, and Valley Line West LRT.
Samreet serves as Vice-Chair of the Alberta Bottle Depot Association, where he engages with provincial stakeholders and contributes to industry policy on behalf of Alberta’s depot operators. He also sits on the board of the Edmonton Community Adult Learning Association, a non-profit that funds adult literacy and upgrading programs across the city. Drawing on his background in engineering and infrastructure delivery, Samreet brings an operator’s perspective to the recycling and sustainability challenges facing Alberta’s circular economy — from waste diversion and material recovery to the practical realities of running a depot at scale.
Sarah Elmeligi
MLA for Banff-Kananaskis
Sarah Elmeligi has been living, working and playing in one of Alberta’s most visited and loved landscapes for nearly 20 years. She is a passionate conservationist who values the role of robust interdisciplinary science in landscape management. She values the importance of integrating ecology, social science, and cultural perspectives in tourism and recreation planning and management. Now serving as the MLA for Banff-Kananaskis, Sarah has had a diverse career working in academia, the public service, and non-profit
sector. Sarah Elmeligi completed her PhD through Central Queensland University in Australia in 2016 and her Masters with the University of Northern BC in 2008. Her research investigated the impacts of recreation on grizzly bear behaviour and visitor satisfaction/perceptions of impact in the Rocky Mountain National Parks and the west coast. Through her work with environmental non-profit organizations and with Alberta Parks, as well as being a prolific author, she is internationally renowned for her ability to balance diverse sources of knowledge to address human-wildlife coexistence, park management, and recreation planning. As an MLA and Shadow Minister for Environment and Protected Areas, she combines all of these skills and her passion for deeper learning to represent the needs of Albertans, our wildlife, wild landscapes, and watersheds.
Sebastian Naslund
Enviro-Corp Recycling
Sebastian Naslund is the Director of Product Development & Sales at Enviro-Corp Recycling, a division of United Concrete & Gravel Ltd. in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Geology and Environmental Studies and has spent his career working across resource, construction, and infrastructure industries.
After a decade working as a wellsite geologist on natural gas drilling projects throughout Western Canada, Sebastian transitioned into the construction industry, where he spent 6 years estimating and growing an asphalt paving business. He also worked in project management for civil construction and house construction.
Today, Sebastian leads product development, education, and market adoption initiatives at Enviro-Corp, helping expand the use of recycled glass in construction through products such as Enviro-Rock, a lightweight aggregate manufactured from waste glass. Passionate about recycling and the circular economy, he works to create practical end markets for recovered materials and transform waste streams into valuable construction resources.
Shawn Samborsky
CORE Environmental
Shawn Samborsky is the President of CORE Environmental, an Edmonton-based environmental services firm with operations from Whitehorse to St. John’s. He has spent 30 years in contaminated sites, hazardous materials and waste management. Shawn’s view is that the best outcomes come from getting clients, stakeholders and regulators into the same conversation. CORE’s key strength is working out an elegant solutions to difficult problems.
At CORE the focus is on valorizing waste rather than burying it. That means recovering value from the streams most people write off, designing recycling and reuse in before the first piece of equipment shows up on site, and delivering outcomes instead of paperwork. The team does the hard work in the hard places. A lot of that is in northern and remote communities, where hauling everything south was never much of an answer. CORE’s Indigenous partnerships aren’t a checkbox. They’re structural to how the company operates.
Shawn is proud of the team he has built and spends a good part of his time mentoring the next generation of environmental professionals. Outside of work he is a dad, a Rotarian, a trail runner and a traveler.
Stephanie Mah
City of Toronto
Stephanie is a Senior Project Lead, Incubation & Design in the Environment, Climate & Forestry Division at the City of Toronto. She contributed to the development of the City’s first 10-Year Circular Economy Road Map, Circular Toronto, which was adopted by Council in November 2025. As part of implementation of Circular Toronto, her work focuses on embedding circular practices into the City’s policies, procurement, design, planning, construction, and operations, collaborating city-wide to reduce waste and encourage sustainable consumption. With over a decade of experience in sustainable city-building, Stephanie brings expertise in systems thinking, strategic planning, circular construction, regenerative design, community engagement, and climate justice.
Tony Moucachen
Merlin Plastics
Tony Moucachen is one of the founders and President of Merlin Plastics. He considers himself an environmentalist and is passionate about recycling. He feels that he has been blessed to have a career that is consistent with his personal environmental values. For the past 25 years, Merlin Plastics has planned, developed, and refined the re-processing of PE, PP and PET starting in British Columbia in a 2000 square foot warehouse, and have now grown to over one million square feet of plant operations with sister plants located in Alberta, California and Oregon. Merlin Plastics received the 2001 Outstanding Contribution to Recycling award by the Recycling Council of Alberta
Usman Valiante
Cardwell Grove Inc.
Usman is a senior policy analyst and commercial strategist with 29 years of experience in the fields of environmental science and economics, corporate and commercial strategy, public policy development, regulatory and institutional design, advocacy, negotiation, consultation and communications.
Usman has provided public policy advice with specific focus on environmental regulatory design to the federal government, provincial governments, the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
Usman also provides commercial strategy and regulatory compliance advice to a number of North America’s leading manufacturing, consumer products and environmental services companies.
Usman is currently a Director of the Alberta Beverage Container Management Board (BCMB), is an advisor to the Circular Economy Leadership Coalition and was a convener of Ontario’s Circular Economy Innovation Lab (CEIL).
Wathma Jayathilake
CSA Group
Wathma Jayathilake is the Program Manager of Environment and Climate Change at CSA Group with over 8 years of standards development experience. Wathma leads the development of standards and standards-based solutions focused on areas like circular economy, reuse, recycling, climate adaptation, environmental management, social sustainability, regenerative agriculture, among other critical topics.
