It’s time to take a hard look at society’s relationship with plastic – for better and for worse.

What changes do we need to transform how we make, use, and recycle plastics, to ensure it remains in the economy and out of the environment?

The Plastics Panel on Day 2 of the Zero Waste Conference brings together leading voices to discuss and debate Canada’s path forward.

Plastic – An Unnecessary Waste

In Canada, only about 9% of the plastic we use gets recycled. Every year, three million tonnes are thrown away, representing $8 billion in squandered economic value, embedded energy and resources.

But there is nothing intrinsic about plastic that makes it garbage – on the contrary, plastic’s extraordinary physical properties give it huge potential in the Circular Economy, which focuses on maximizing the useful life and the reuse of existing materials rather than on exploiting natural resources, and the idea is catching on across government, academia, the chemical industry and more.

The Zero Waste Conference brings these threads together to chart a course to a positive future.

Rethinking the Future – A Global Commitment

The #ZWC19 Plastics Session kicks off with a presentation from Nolwenn Foray, who heads up the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Initiative, a three-year program to rethink and redesign the global plastics system.

 

Then, Michael Goeres, Executive Director of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, will describe the collaborative intergovernmental work of federal, provincial and territorial ministers of environment to address some of Canada’s most pressing environmental issues

Diverse #ZWC19 Plastics Panel

A diverse responding panel representing the interests and expertise from the many sectors involved in rethinking society’s relationship with plastic follows, featuring:

Mitchell Toomey, Director of Sustainability, BASF Corporation
Toomey leads a team working to bring BASF’s corporate purpose, “We create chemistry for a sustainable future” to life by further integrating sustainability in business strategies and collaborating with customers, value chain partners and other external stakeholders.

 

Lasse Gustavsson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ocean Wise
Ocean Wise is a conservation program whose labeling initiative makes it easier for consumers to choose sustainable seafood for the long term health of the world’s oceans.

 

Usman Valiente, Principal, Cardwell Grove Inc.
A senior policy analyst and commercial strategist with 27 years of experience in the fields of environmental science and economics as well as corporate and commercial strategy as well as public policy development.

 

Maja Vodanovic, Co-Chair, National Zero Waste Council Plastics Advisory Panel and Mayor, City of Lachine
Quebec-based Co-Chair of the NZWC’s Plastic Advisory Panel, which produced Regulatory Approaches for Priority Plastic Wastes, a guide that sets out concrete solutions to suggest specific regulatory measures to prevent and better manage plastic waste.

 

Moderator: Velma McColl, Managing Principal, Earnscliffe

 

Plastics in the Circular Economy

Businesses big and small are transforming their supply chains to reduce waste; entrepreneurs are finding ways to provide services and products that don’t generate waste, and governments are exploring new policies that foster the development of a Circular Economy.

Whether you’re totally new to the concept or an industry veteran, the Zero Waste Conference, in collaboration with the National Zero Waste Council, strikes a balance between theory and action. The conference is your guide to the people, ideas and actions that are having the biggest impact.

2019 Zero Waste Conference:
Mobilizing for Success in the Circular Economy

October 30 – 31, 2019
Vancouver Convention Centre (999 Canada Place)

ZWC19 Registration

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Keynotes Speakers: