Standards can have an essential role in transitioning to a circular economy. On the heels of Circular Economy Month, Circular Innovation Council, in collaboration with CSA Group is hosting a webinar to celebrate the launch of CSA R117, Plastics Recycling: Definitions, Reporting, and Measuring. Join us to learn about the standard and why it is important for Canada’s transition to a circular economy for plastics. You will hear from a panel of experts about how the standard can be used to support policy making, monitor performance, and how it can be applied. Register today!

Details

Date: November 28th, 2024

Time: 1:00 – 2:30 PM (ET)

Where: Online, Zoom webinar

Register: Click here to register on Zoom

Featuring

Panelists:

Michael Leering, Director of Environment & Business Excellence, CSA Group

Michael Leering is the Director of Environment & Business Excellence Standards for the Canadian Standards Association (operating as CSA Group). His main responsibilities include oversight of three primary programs: Environment and Climate Change, Natural Resources and CSA Group Registries. He oversees all national standards efforts in these areas including circular economy, forestry, mining, flood resilience and water management, life cycle assessment and ESG. Michael has been working in the climate change and environmental field for over 15 years and focused his expertise in greenhouse gas management, ESG and circular economy and has recently joined the Board of Directors of the Circular Innovation Council. Michael holds a Bachelor of Environmental Engineering from the University of Guelph and is a licensed environmental engineer in Ontario.

Christina Seidel, Owner of 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 was a member of the National Zero Waste Council and the Canada Plastics Pact, and chaired the Canadian Standards Association Plastics Recycling: Definitions, Reporting and Measuring technical committee.

David Lynch,  Director / Owner, Get Green Solutions Incorporated

David Lynch is the Managing Director and Owner of Get Green Solutions Incorporated and is a recognized leader in biofuel development and advanced chemical recycling. With over 30 years in product development David is pushing the boundaries of renewable energy and advanced recycling technologies. His core competencies lie in intellectual property strategy, technology development, and bringing breakthrough innovations to market and maximize sustainable environmental impact.

Neil Menezes, Packaging Sustainability Policy Manager at General Mills

Neil Menezes is the Packaging Sustainability Policy Manager with General Mills, supporting the company to achieve its packaging goal of designing 100% recyclable or reusable packaging by 2030 through effective policies and programs. Neil is also serving as the Vice Chair of Circular Action Alliance, the first producer responsibility organization (PRO) for paper and packaging in the US.

Prior to joining General Mills, he worked for over 10 years as a consultant in the recycling and waste management industry. He has worked closely with a broad range of stakeholders including brand owners, municipalities, producer responsibility organizations (PROs), associations, and government agencies in Canada, the US, Europe and South America.

Additionally, Neil has been extensively involved in extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs in Canada. He was involved in the data collection and verifying of municipal cost and tonnage data for several provinces. Neil has also been involved in developing and updating recovery and financial fee models for multiple PROs, and has on-the-ground experience having conducted various inbound and MRF audits to better understand how packaging flows through recycling systems.

Jean Couture, Certification Program Leader at Bureau de Normalisation du Québec (BNQ)

Host & Moderator:

Jo-Anne St. Godard, Executive Director of Circular Innovation Council