The 2019 Zero Waste Conference is fast approaching!

With an agenda stacked with entrepreneurs, experts and thought leaders, #ZWC19 is your opportunity to learn what the Circular Economy means for your sector and to meet the people making it happen.

Here are 4 big reasons to be at this year’s Zero Waste Conference:

1. Practical Examples of Circular Economy Businesses

Every year, the Zero Waste Conference aims to make complicated economic and technological concepts more tangible. This year, you’ll hear from and have networking opportunities with executives from national and international organizations at the forefront of the Circular Economy.

Hear keynote speaker Tom Szaky, an upcycling pioneer whose new company, Loop, represents a new way of shopping that eliminates single-use packaging by delivering products directly to customers in durable containers that are then collected and refilled at least a hundred times before being recycled.

Day 1 of #ZWC19 also includes a session featuring Subaru, Nature’s Path Foods, Canadian Tire and Unbuilders – diverse companies that are each stepping up to the Circular Economy in the retail, automotive, agricultural and construction sectors.

2. Research and Innovation

The Zero Waste Conference has never shied away from provocative ideas. This year’s opening keynote, Skylar Tibbits, Founder of the MIT Self-Assembly Lab, will share a bold vision of what may be the ultimate form of recycling – buildings, products and machines capable of self-assembly, repair and replication, without robotic parts.

We will present the finalists for the Canadian Innovation Showcase, celebrating homegrown entrepreneurs who are making strides in waste prevention, Circular Economy business models and material science.

Plus, the Conference will be the venue for the exclusive debut of new research from the National Zero Waste Council and Value Chain Management International which seeks to answer the question, “how does packaging affect food waste?”

And that’s just Day 1!

3. The European Connection

It’s no secret that European cities and communities are leading the Circular Economy. With a severely limited land base and resource constraints, many Europeans have recognized the transition to a Circular Economy as a way to enhance prosperity, while also meeting pressing environmental targets.

#ZWC19 is pleased to welcome a number of leading European Circular Economy voices from the Netherlands, Finland and the UK.

FINLAND:

• Anni Sinnemäki, Deputy Mayor of Helsinki, Finland – Circular Cities Panel
• Kari Herlevi, Project Director for Circular Economy at SITRA, the Finnish Innovation Fund that’s the major driving force behind the Finland’s sustainability ambitions – Day 2 Circular Canada Session.

NETHERLANDS:

• Harald Friedl, CEO, Circle Economy – Day 1 Keynote on the “Circularity Gap” and what European communities are doing to close it.
• ​​Tamara Streefland, Circular Cities Program Lead, Metabolic – Circular Cities Panel

UK:

• Nolwenn Foray, New Plastics Economy, Ellen MacArthur Foundation – Plastics Panel and Circular Cities Panel

4. Marine Pollution and Microplastics

Microplastics – tiny bits of plastic from fleece clothing, packaging and personal care items – have infiltrated oceans and waterways all over the world and are ending up in the human food web.

The issue of oceans plastics and pollution is a key topic at this Zero Waste Conference, featuring a keynote presentation from Valerie Craig from National Geographic, which is engaged in a worldwide effort to raise awareness of plastic pollution and the Circular Economy.

Plus, Lasse Gustavsson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ocean Wise, 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, is participating in the Plastics Panel on Day 2.

#ZWC19 is Your Guide to the Circular Economy

This list just scratches the surface of the dynamic and comprehensive program at the 2019 Zero Waste Conference.

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

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

ZWC19 Registration

View Past Conferences Archive

Keynotes Speakers: