Coast Waste Management Association (CWMA) began in 1995 as a collaborative effort between the Capital Regional District (CRD), the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD), and the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) to discuss and find solutions for managing solid waste, particularly in the unique coastal environment of British Columbia.
Today, CWMA has grown to be a highly regarded membership association, serving a network of thousands of industry professionals. It continues to foster environmental leadership through a variety of forums, including ongoing working groups, roundtables, a resource library, and a well-established annual conference.
As a proud CWMA Heritage Preservation Partner at its upcoming Annual Conference in Victoria, we had the pleasure of speaking with four community members who have had a front-row seat to the progress CWMA has made and where it is heading.
Carey McIver, a Founder and former Board Chair, is a solid waste management specialist with over 30 years of experience. As the former Manager of Solid Waste for the RDN, she implemented an award-winning zero-waste program and has since started her own consulting firm.
Peter Grant, the longest-sitting board member with CWMA, is the Recycling Depot Program Manager of Salt Spring Island Community Services and has been since the early ’90s. Born in Norway and raised in Montréal, Peter has a storied career which spans oil and gas and hospitality.
Tera Grady is the Manager of Solid Waste for the Cariboo Regional District. Additionally, Tera is Co-Chair for the BC Product Stewardship Council, sits on advisory committees for two stewardship agencies, and works with IZWTAG and Recycle BC to help facilitate recycling for First Nation communities.
Sheila Molloy is an independent contractor with her current key role as Executive Director of the Coast Waste Management Association. Formerly a partner in a venture team and entrepreneur with three businesses under her belt, Sheila holds many educational and professional credentials.
What inspired the creation of CWMA back in 1995, and what was the association’s original vision?
Carey McIver (CM): The mayor of Nanaimo at the time, the late Joy Leach, directed the Association of Vancouver Island Municipalities (AVIM) to set up a task force to establish cooperative marketing of recyclables on Vancouver Island. I was the staff person leading the task force. While we didn’t establish cooperative marketing, we did create CWMA as a vehicle for networking, education, and information sharing.
Peter Grant (PG): Most of us involved with CWMA were trying to accept and market materials that had a changing value in the marketplace. The goal posts kept moving. Before the BC Recycling Regulation came into effect in late 2004, prices and markets were everywhere (and at times nowhere). When it did take effect, we also saw it would be many years before the various [extended producer responsibility programs] would actually be up and running.
In those early years, what was the biggest waste management challenge you were focused on solving?
CM: In the ‘90s, the biggest waste management challenge was the introduction of residential curbside recycling, as well as commercial recycling by way of disposal bans on readily recyclable materials such as cardboard and office paper.
Over the past three decades, what milestone or turning point has stood out most to you?
CM: For me, the biggest milestone was when the RDN achieved a diversion rate of 70% and a disposal rate of 300 kilograms per capita. This achievement set an example for other mid-size local governments.
PM: That would be the Packaging and Printed Paper (PPP) Legislation, and a few years later, its implementation. This brought so much of what was being recycled under extended producer responsibility.
Tera Grady (TG): The rocket ship that took off during COVID-19 that took us all on a trip to virtual: working groups, info sessions, conferences, and webinars!
Sheila Molloy (SM): I think the pandemic was a turning point, expanding our role as a connector and information hub. The CWMA’s success has always been rooted in its ability to serve as a neutral and welcoming association for all sectors of the waste management industry. Having to pivot to all-virtual forums opened the doors for greater connections, which have been instrumental in creating new collaborations, learning, and the creation of best practices for managing and reducing waste in British Columbia.
How has CWMA’s mission evolved to address today’s environmental and waste challenges?
PG: We started out trying to have an association that could find ways to market materials together to get optimum results. Then, over the years, it became more focused on networking and finding best practices, which is still our focus today.
Everyone (E): Overall, we have expanded our focus from traditional waste management to a comprehensive approach that prioritizes waste reduction, addresses new challenges, and actively integrates environmental and social values. We now serve as a key resource and catalyst for change, helping our members and the broader community navigate and solve the complex waste challenges of the 21st century.
With over 70 events and meetings annually, it’s clear CWMA is very active. Which recent initiatives or gatherings are you most proud of?
E: Every event we organize matters—whether it’s an intimate working group of 10 or a dynamic roundtable bringing together 140 people to share knowledge and learn from one another. The History of EPR event, however, held special significance. It marked the beginning of our vital work to document and preserve our collective story. In a rapidly growing sector where retirements and constant movement are inevitable, we risk losing the rich history of our achievements and hard-won lessons. Taking time to archive our shared journey is essential for honouring our past and guiding our future.
How do you approach balancing industry priorities with environmental responsibility?
E: The balance can be tough, given that we need to foster a collaborative environment within a diverse industry. Our members—ranging from businesses to government organizations and individuals—all have different approaches and priorities when it comes to environmental issues.
Our approach is to act as a translator and convener. We aim to understand each member’s core focus and environmental values, bringing everyone to the table with mutual respect. While we don’t expect everyone to agree, our goal is to help bridge these perspectives and facilitate a shared understanding.
As an organization, we also work to lead by example. We are committed to thoughtful environmental practices in all we do, from implementing food waste reduction at our events to ensuring every event is fully accessible to all participants.
Looking ahead, what do you see as the most pressing waste management challenge(s) in the next decade?
CM: We still haven’t managed to change our consumer culture. It will also be more difficult to get beyond 70% diversion.
TG: Expansion of extended producer responsibility, management of demolition waste, asbestos abatement related to natural disasters.
E: It boils down to behaviour change and consumption, construction and demolition waste, and disaster debris management.Optimistically, the solutions exist for most of these challenges, but they require coordination between technology development, policy frameworks, and community engagement. This requires collaboration, cooperation, and relevant information for decision makers in our industry and with others.
What role do you hope CWMA will play in shaping the future of waste management in BC and beyond?
TG: Continuing to provide relevant webinars and bringing waste managers together to network and learn.
E: We want to keep fostering a vibrant, action-oriented, problem-solving community by building forums and having resources at everyone’s fingertips. We also want to archive the history and work we are all doing to ensure it lives on as a point of comparison and a reflection of our successes.
When CWMA reaches its 40th anniversary, what accomplishments would you most like to be celebrating?
E: That we are still a leading industry resource for developing best practices in waste management and reduction.
From Bold Ideas to a Better World: A Review of the 2025 Victoria Forum
Just over 10 years ago, on September 25, 2015, representatives from all 193 member countries gathered at the UN in New York to adopt the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with a promise to fix everything from climate change to gender inequality by 2030.
With just five years left, most countries, including Canada, are falling short of meeting their Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets. As the 2025 UN report on the SDGs put it – “progress has been fragile and unequal.”
While there is clearly lots of work still to be done to achieve the targets set a decade ago, the recent 2025 edition of the Victoria Forum highlighted how much is being done and centred around what can be done, from individuals to businesses to governments, to bend the trajectory towards a better world for all.
A Quick Background on the Victoria Forum
Founded in 2017 as a joint production between the University of Victoria and the Senate of Canada, the Victoria Forum is genuinely unique among gatherings in Canada. As of 2024, this forum is now an annual event, taking place in late August at the beautiful University of Victoria campus.
Aside from being a confluence of changemakers working at all levels of government, the economy and civil society, it also offers a rare opportunity to connect and exchange ideas directly with members of the Senate of Canada. It’s safe to say that the Victoria Forum is probably the among most important crucibles of positive impact to be found in Canada.
As a marketing agency whose purpose is to accelerate awareness and adoption of things that are better for the world, sending Sparx team members Hamish Khamisa and Alexandra Nikitina back to the Victoria Forum this past August again was a no-brainer.
The focus of the 2025 Victoria Forum was ‘Towards a Better Future: Shifting the Trajectory’ and centered around the challenges and opportunities in meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by exploring three key interconnected themes of building a regenerative economy, equity and social justice, and peace and democracy.
The forum managed to compress 50 different sessions featuring over 200 different speakers, into (just) two and a half days. There was more on the agenda than we would possibly have time to attend, and with close to 700 registrants composed of systems change advocates, influencers and leaders from Indigenous communities, government, civil society, academia and the private sector, there were more people we would have loved to connect with that we simply couldn’t get to.
The format of this forum was also very similar to last year. There was a mix of mainstage programming in the mornings followed by breakout sessions in the afternoons, all of which took place at the beautiful University of Victoria campus. Having done it all once before a year earlier, we were well-practiced when zig zagging between sessions, knowing where to find great seats, and, helpfully, how best to beeline to the food. The evening reception was held once again at the Victoria Museum where we had the opportunity to connect with fellow attendees in a more casual setting as well as meet up with old friends.
Victoria Forum: A Bold Idea Buffet
In terms of content, the Victoria Forum is a bold idea buffet.
Headline topics included planetary health and Canada’s role; transitioning Canada to a zero carbon economy; democracy’s digital future; confronting the meta-crises and moving from talk to action on systems change to name but a few. Our strong recommendation is to check out the Victoria Forum’s YouTube channel for recorded sessions from the mainstage for some of the keynote talks.
Of course, summarizing all of the fascinating conversations and takeaways from all of the presentations would be nearly impossible, even if we limited it to what we attended or found interesting.
Instead, we’ve taken a slightly different approach by providing three interesting throughlines or arcs that we think could characterize the experience. Additionally, we’ve included some purpose-driven marketing perspectives to understand how we see this year’s Victoria Forum shaping the work we do.
Arc 1: Progress as a Catalyst for More Progress
Despite there being a rich selection of new topics this year, it was truly remarkable to see how much progress has been achieved on the topics we learned about last year. One story in particular that stood out was the advancement of planetary health and the growing number of opportunities for positive impact well beyond the healthcare system. Seeing the shift in momentum, and rapid evolution of tactical approach over the span of one year is something, as the marketers in the room, we took note of.
A specific example of the planetary health multisolve opportunity was the campaign for eliminating desflurane, an anesthetic gas that is approximately 2,500 times more potent in terms of greenhouse gas potential than carbon dioxide.
The progress of getting 100 hospitals on board is a great headline, but with somewhere in the order of 1,100 hospitals and health care facilities in Canada, there is still considerable work to be done. The biggest takeaway, however, is that progress is possible. There is now a clear link between procurement decisions, health systems impact and planetary health all moving in the same direction. The cure shouldn’t be more harmful than the disease.
A second interesting angle on moving away from desflurane (and waste reduction thinking in healthcare more generally) is the cost saving.
It’s worth noting that as well as being far more polluting than than its alternatives, desflurane is about 4.4x more expensive than sevoflurane per bottle and about 15x more expensive for equivalent anesthetic effect when looking at the cost per hour. Similarly, we learned through discussions on planetary health, that between 85% and 99% of purchased nitrous oxide is estimated to be (and shockingly) lost through piping leaks in Canadian hospitals before it makes it to clinical use.
Waste, almost by definition, is unnecessarily expensive. However waste or unnecessary use of greenhouse gases, at this point, not only seems irresponsible, but frankly unconscionable, especially against the backdrop of cost pressures faced by the Canadian healthcare system and through the lens of planetary health.
The compound gains for the healthcare system both in terms of emissions reductions and cost savings make moving away from desflurane or piped-in nitrous oxide as close to a no-brainer for positive impact as possible. Bonus points for being better for the planet (which in turn, has better downstream health outcomes).
Role of Marketing in Advancing the Planetary Health Agenda
Given the cost difference and impact profile of desflurane, it raises a few questions as to why it is in such widespread use to begin with?
Desflurane rose to clinical prominence in the early 1990s because of perceived speed advantages and illustrates that once a practice is adopted within a healthcare system (especially one that values quick turnaround), changing things that seem beneficial in the short term but are harmful to long-term wellbeing for all can take many (many) more years than it seems like it should.
One of the culprits for its rise, in some narratives, being pointed out is “marketing” – which is interesting as a conceptual exercise because, if it is true that marketing is responsible for persuading an industry to adopt this particular solution, then it is also true that “marketing” can do the opposite. Marketing is not unidirectional in its importance.
As a purpose-driven marketing agency, it underscores the necessity of educating those who work in marketing – perhaps one step upstream of procurement or product development – to understand the consequences of the products they help to scale into the market.
Procurement’s role goes beyond just healthcare, however. HP Canada’s Head of Sustainable Impact, Frances Edmonds, in the day two opening plenary panel on SDG progress, took the position that better procurement can be a very strategic lever to advancing positive impact at scale, in particular on SDG 12 for responsible consumption and production.
Certainly HP Canada’s story of sustainability progress – and bold (but, as we were told, legally defensible stance) proclamation as Canada’s most sustainable tech company, reflectsthe work that would have had to be done to support that claim. As a recognizable figure in the technology landscape, this particular story of progress will hopefully light the way for other adjacent firms to see what’s possible.
Fortunately, changes in how purchase decisions are made, as we often point out, don’t have to be big.
Case in point, this year the Victoria Forum switched their transportation provider to the Community Action Bus. The coach bus last year was functional and typical. This year, however, it was (more) fun, memorable and better for the local community. The result of putting procurement alongside purpose and getting people where they needed to get to was a much more memorable and engaging experience – and doing so on used french-fry grease felt like a bio-diesel bonus.
Arc 2: Co-Creation as a Hidden Force for Positive Change
Another key element to the Victoria Forum which maybe didn’t get as much attention is the presence and power of co-creation.
Almost from the outset, co-creation surfaced at this year’s forum during the opening day session which was held in the beautiful Songhees Wellness Centre of the lək̓ʷəŋən People, known today as the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations. Hip hop artist Zoe Slusar aka ZHE the FREE infused music and freestyle into a room filled with people that didn’t quite match that music’s typical youthful demographic, and that seemed to be precisely the point.
Though she typically works with marginalized youth through freestyle and cypher – a powerful application of the concept of being in circle and embracing different ideas and forms – bringing freestyle hip hop to the forum opening offered an energetic activation of the Victoria Forum crowd and drove home the point that different approaches to engagement can invite in an emotional connection to the task of building a better world. Too often working against ‘doom and gloom’ narratives is taxing at best, so injecting positive energy and music (and, dare we say fun?) into the work was a welcomed shift.
Co-creation also took centre stage at the day three opening keynote panel on digital democracy. This session featured a mixture of pre-recorded message, livestream video attendance, on stage panelists and a real-time technology-driven exercise in stakeholder engagement through the Ethelo software platform.
While the session itself was a great reflection of co-creation in action, some of the campaigns highlighted by one of the panelists, André Côté, Director, Policy and Research, and Head, Secure and Responsible Tech Policy program at Toronto Metropolitan University, pointed to the role that marketing will undoubtedly play to advance participation in democracy via activation in the workplace and driving healthier lives through improvements in managing screen time, particularly among youth.
Arc 3: Leadership – Spoken and Shown
From Indigenous elders and leaders to former Canadian Prime Ministers to CEOs and senior executives from impact driven organizations to changemakers of all stripes, another remarkable aspect of the Victoria Forum was the critical mass of wisdom and impactful leadership in attendance.
Certainly on stage and in panel discussions, it was in plain view. However, as is often the case, it was the smaller moments of leadership we noticed that spoke loudest to us.
From senators running mics for Q&As to CEOs teaming up to tackle ventilation issues in unusually hot classrooms to making spaces for voices that don’t often get the chance to speak first, the countless examples of small acts of support reflected the character that so often defines leadership. Seeing leadership surface in these tiny, unscripted actions, gives us hope that our fellow attendees will ultimately be out in the world combining and compounding small actions to shift the trajectory toward a better world. Progress, not perfection, is the way forward.
It is also important to note the critical role of wisdom in the room. From Indigenous and non-Indigenous elders as well as from the voices of youth that were intentionally incorporated into the agenda, the rich tapestry of lived experiences, offered participants of the Forum opportunities to reflect on the common threads that challenge and inspire leaders. And, if there was a common thread in many of their stories, it was simply this: seeing a need and simply going about trying to address it.
One session, as a purpose-driven marketing agency, that we were keen to attend was the session on building the purpose economy. This was the second consecutive year in which building the purpose economy was on the agenda and there were many familiar faces in the audience.
This year’s panel was moderated by Spring co-founder Keith Ippel, and featured Coro Strandberg, co-founder of the Canadian Purpose Economy Project, Bianca Freedman CEO of Edelman Canada and Janet Austin, former Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.
The panel explored stories of businesses taking a leadership role in advancing a better way of doing business and doing so in a way that doesn’t sacrifice financial sustainability. Janet Austin’s experiences leading the YWCA Vancouver as CEO, for example, offered some truly fascinating windows into the decisions that purpose-driven organizations are better able to navigate as well as the resulting outcomes.
Another series of interesting points on the state of the efforts to grow the purpose-driven economy came from Coro Strandberg. Specifically, she cited the recently published TSX60 Social Purpose Report Card, prepared by the Canadian Purpose Economy Project, that reviewed some of the largest, publicly-traded companies in Canada, in particular those on the TSX60, to assess the degree to which they have any form of social purpose in their corporate communications or governance.
Encouragingly, 24 out of the 60, or 40%, of those organizations reviewed had what could be considered to be a social purpose, and further, of the 24 who were deemed to have a social purpose, nine have social purpose integrated in some way into the governance at the board level.
The takeaway here is that social purpose, whether or not it is explicitly labelled as such, is making its way into business of all sizes across the country. Over 300 business and civil society leaders have signed the Call to Purpose as a signal of their support for a world in which business can be a force for positive change, and hopefully the leadership shown by companies willing to pursue or integrate social purpose into a public-facing position, serves as a catalyst to peers and adjacent organizations and boards to consider following suit.
Role of Marketing in Advancing Social Purpose
The task of leading a change in the system requires a certain comfort with building public view. Because “purpose businesses” have not been well-established, there is a perception of risk – and that is precisely the point. By challenging the existing way of operating, the system that seeks to keep things the way they are (i.e. business as usual) would push back with a narrative of “this might not work.”
From a purpose-driven marketing viewpoint, it is encouraging to see larger companies publicly positioning themselves to work for a better world. Like claims related to sustainability, however, the true measure of how purpose surfaces in a company will be measured in actions as well as words.
Purpose isn’t something you opt into and out of based on convenience. Rather, it adds clarity as to who would be a good fit for the company (and who would not). Ultimately, other companies, clients, employees and the rest of society, will be paying attention to actions over time, not single events or intermittent activities.
Marketing, therefore, will be central to creating cohesive narratives of how purpose, specifically, enables the organization to unlock and create additional value. What a great story that would be for the future generations of shareholders to get as part of the quarterly and annual reporting.
Parting Thoughts
With so much at stake, it’s tempting to view the shortening runway to 2030 in a pessimistic light. After all, “missing” the goals and targets doesn’t seem like a win. We have a different point of view, however.
While there is still much work to be done domestically and internationally to achieve meaningful progress on the SDGs, we cannot discount what has been accomplished to date. As we know, progress is not always linear and based on the imagination, efforts, achievements and momentum of the purpose-driven leaders at this year’s Victoria Forum, there are considerable forces at work looking to shift the trajectory in the right direction.
As marketers, one of the core principle questions to ask in relation to the SDGs is how we can create the conditions for that better world to come to be?
Certainly, creating spaces like the Victoria Forum can help. Convening purpose-driven leaders who can provide progress updates and insights on work that matters is regenerative to those who are travelling along a similar path. Community is an affirmation that they’re not doing this work alone.
Amidst an overwhelmingly positive forum, however, there are some cautionary notes and if there is room for improving the recipe for the Victoria Forum, it might be found in working to include more diverse perspectives and to include more action-oriented sessions.
As the former Canadian Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Joe Clark, said as he reflected on his greatest lesson learned from his time in politics: “We all depend upon people with whom we disagree.” Progress requires listening to different, and at times, dissenting opinions and working towards consensus.
Also, convening in and of itself is not enough to achieve meaningful progress. The Victoria Forum still had a lot of dialogue and discussion, however it would be interesting to explore more hands-on opportunities to solve problems, raise questions or address new challenges, all in real-time. Creating spaces for solutions – perhaps akin to the wildly fun session run by POWER – that result in knowledge-translation resources that can help train “the others,” would offer another great ingredient for future conferences.
This year’s Victoria Forum created an enabling environment for those doing important work to be able to report on it effectively through compelling stories, embedding co-creation and demonstrating leadership. In so doing, the Forum is creating the conditions to accelerate awareness and adoption of the myriad bold solutions to addressing pressing global issues that formed the agenda for this conference. The visionaries at the Victoria Forum, with the support of the Senate of Canada, have created something very special.
Like many others, we’re keen to see what other ingredients are part of the mix next year. And, we’re probably also not alone in our excitement to bring with us our own interesting updates in the world of purpose-driven marketing to add to the medley.
Certainly we left this year’s conference reaffirming our thesis of the important role better marketing can play in shifting the trajectory towards a better world. And, as we disperse again to push, in our own ways, to bend the world towards better, we do so with the renewed optimism that we might just succeed.
There’s been a groundswell of awareness and support for a circular economy in recent years as a sustainable alternative to the traditional “take-make-waste” economy, thanks to the incredible work of world-changing individuals and organizations, such as Circular Innovation Council.
First established as Recycling Council of Ontario in 1978, Circular Innovation Council (CIC) began with a focus on a more environmental and economical way of redefining waste and reintegrating it back into production as valued resources. Today, CIC is progressing the circular economy through a variety of national programs, pilots, and events, including the Canadian Circular Economy Summit, Circular Economy Month, and many more.
As big fans and collaborators of Circular Innovation Council, including the first-ever issue of Circular Economy Magazine, made in collaboration with CIC and Circular Economy Leadership Canada, we are thrilled to partner with them again to tell their story and share insights on Circular Economy Month, which takes place every October.
Keep reading for our exclusive interview with Circular Innovation Council.
For those unfamiliar, what is Circular Economy Month, and why is it important for Canadians?
Circular Economy Month is a national campaign every October that celebrates and promotes circular solutions. Practices like sharing, reusing, repairing, and recycling are important because they highlight how, as a society, we need to transition from a “take-make-waste” model of consumption to one that keeps resources in use longer. Everyday actions, big and small, can make our communities more sustainable and resilient. It’s an annual invitation to learn, take action, and celebrate progress.
How did Circular Economy Month first come about, and how has it evolved since launching in 2022?
Circular Economy Month is an evolution of the Waste Reduction Week in Canada campaign that we activated with partners across the country in October every year since 2001. The momentum started in the mid-1980s, when recycling councils and municipalities started coming together to coordinate recycling education and collection events.
Over the years, Waste Reduction Week became an annual celebration and reminder to take action, engaging thousands of Canadians across the country each year. In 2022, we expanded it into Circular Economy Month to reflect a bigger vision and keep the momentum going longer than one week.
How does Circular Innovation Council’s mission align with the goals of Circular Economy Month?
Our mission is to put circular economy concepts into action, and the Circular Economy Month campaign helps us do that. The goal of the campaign is to promote action, inspire innovation, and celebrate our successes.
Do you have a favourite success story or moment from past Circular Economy Months?
Our favourite moments are always seeing communities come together to plan events that promote circular action — from repair cafés to swap events to public art installations. As the organizers of the campaign, we’re always thrilled by all the creative and impactful initiatives that organizations and governments implement each year!
What are the main goals you hope to achieve this October?
This year, our main goal is to highlight how circularity strengthens communities and builds economic resilience. We want people to see that it’s not just about the environment; it’s about an entire systems change that strengthens local supply chains/economies, creates jobs, builds skills, and makes life more affordable. By spotlighting stories and solutions from across Canada, we hope to inspire people to take action in their homes, schools, workplaces, and communities.
Within the overall annual campaign theme, communications each day during the month focus on the following key topics: Monday is construction, Tuesday is textiles, Wednesday is electronics, Thursday is plastics, Friday is food, and the weekend is share, reuse, repair. Can you explain why you chose daily themes?
The daily themes were started during Waste Reduction Week 2017, and over the years, have become a very popular part of the campaign, as they help participants focus their education and communications efforts. Each weekday educates on key material streams, and the weekend promotes hands-on action, like swap events, repair cafes, and community sharing.
How can individuals and organizations get involved and make a difference?
There are so many ways to participate. Individuals can start small: repairing something instead of replacing it, organizing a swap with friends, or choosing reused or recycled products. Organizations can join by hosting events, engaging employees through activities like the Circular Canada challenge, and joining the conversation on social media using the program hashtag #CircularEconomyMonth. A great first step is visiting circulareconomymonth.ca, where you’ll find promotional resources, ideas, events, and educational information about the circular economy.
What are some of the key activities, events, or campaigns people can expect to see in October?
This October, expect to see a mix of local community events, webinars, and inspiring social media content. The 2025 campaign theme is “A Stronger Community for All,” which will focus on the socioeconomic benefits of circularity as a solution to build stronger communities, strengthen Canada’s supply chains, and make life more affordable for Canadians. Follow along through the hashtag #CircularEconomyMonth to see educational content and videos that highlight community action across the country!
We are also running a Circular Canada challenge that calls on Canadians to take a series of circular actions throughout the month of October.
In your view, what’s the biggest barrier to adopting circular economy principles in Canada?
One of the biggest barriers is the way that our current systems — from how products are designed to how waste is managed — are still built around a “take-make-waste” model. Shifting to a circular economy requires collaboration, new infrastructure, policies, and business models, as well as public awareness and behaviour change. The good news is that momentum is growing, and campaigns like Circular Economy Month help build the transition by showing what’s possible.
How do you see Circular Economy Month evolving over the next few years?
We see it continuing to grow as Canada’s leading platform for educating about the circular economy and encouraging action at every level. As more Canadians, governments, and organizations embrace circularity in their daily lives, policies, and business models, we’ll have more stories to share. Our future is about making circular solutions mainstream and celebrating Canada’s progress.
As summer heats up, so does the momentum behind purpose-driven events. From climate summits to conversations on reconciliation, sustainable innovation, and inclusive leadership, the next few months are packed with opportunities to connect, learn, and take action.
We’ve tracked down over 25 learning, collaboration, and networking opportunities, both online and in-person, in Canada and globally, so you can stay engaged and inspired all season long.
Keep reading to learn all about the purpose-driven events happening this July, August, and September.
Date: July 8, 2025, from 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET Location: Online
Description: Amid rising anti-2SLGBTQIA+ rhetoric, this panel explores the barriers 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals face in the workplace and offers strategies to foster equity, dignity, and inclusion across all levels of employment.
Date: July 9 – 10, 2025 Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Description: This event explores how apparel and footwear companies are advancing supply chain transparency to meet ESG goals, protect brand integrity, and drive ethical, sustainable growth.
Description: Join the brightest minds, influential decision-makers, and the biggest names in pop culture to drive immediate action on pressing issues like climate change, gender inequality, and the global food crisis.
PNW Climate Week Date: July 16 – 25, 2025 Location: Various Pacific Northwest cities in Canada and the United States
Description: This week-long series brings together innovators, advocates, and climate-curious citizens in over 10 cities to celebrate regional climate leadership, spark new ideas, and inspire collective action.
Date: July 19, 2025, from 7:00 AM – 5:15 PM CT Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Description: Healthcare and sustainability leaders will gather for a one-day summit focused on cross-functional strategies to advance decarbonization and sustainable hospital practices.
Description: Learn the fundamentals of climate science and low-carbon action in this introductory course designed for professional services, with the opportunity to become certified as “Carbon Literate” upon completion.
Date: July 24, 2025, from 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM ET Location: Montréal, Québec
Description: Global experts, innovators, and policymakers gather to explore transformative climate solutions, from renewable energy to circular economy models, at this collaborative summit on sustainability and resilience.
Description: This event brings together researchers, policymakers, and industry experts to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and explore emerging trends in water, waste, and environmental management.
Date: July 31, 2025, at 1:00 PM ET Location: Online
Description: Explore how Canada’s new federal mandate is reshaping reconciliation and Indigenous workforce strategies in 2025, with insights on emerging policies, funding priorities, and practical steps for organizations to strengthen Indigenous partnerships and employment initiatives.
Date: August 4 – 6, 2025 Location: Denver, Colorado
Description: This three-day conference gathers over 500 recycling professionals to explore market trends, policy developments, and practical strategies for advancing resilient and effective municipal recycling programs.
Date: August 5, 2025, from 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET Location: Online
Description: Explore how integrating diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) principles with ESG and traditional ecological knowledge can help organizations enhance corporate social responsibility, drive sustainability, and build community resilience in the face of Canada’s environmental challenges.
Description: This one-day virtual event convenes cross-sector leaders to explore sustainability, ESG, green tech, inclusive climate action, and the role of media, marketing, and commerce in accelerating the green transition.
Description: Hosted by the Canadian Institute of Geomatics, this global gathering explores the future of cartography and GIScience with a focus on innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability. It unites professionals across disciplines to share insights, advance technology, and shape how we map and understand our world.
Description: Bringing together environmental leaders and professionals, this three-day conference features sessions, panels, workshops, and tours focused on advancing sustainability practices and fostering collaboration across sectors.
Description: Co-hosted by the University of Victoria and the Senate of Canada, this forum gathers global leaders, academics, and changemakers to foster dialogue and collaboration around impact investing, reconciliation, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Date: August 28, 2025, at 1:00 PM ET Location: Online
Description: As Indigenous communities assert self-determination across Canada, Senior Consultant Nicole Huska explores how organizations can build authentic, respectful relationships by aligning practices with Nation-led priorities.
Description: This interdisciplinary conference brings together researchers, scientists, policymakers, and industry experts to share innovations, discuss challenges, and collaborate on solutions in environmental engineering and climate change.
Date: September 9 – 10, 2025 Location: London, United Kingdom
Description: Join sustainability leaders from global corporations to startups to share insights, foster collaboration, and drive innovation shaping the future of sustainable business worldwide.
Date: September 15 – 17, 2025 Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Description: Celebrating its 20th anniversary, this premier event brings together corporate social impact professionals for inspiring sessions, workshops, and networking focused on actionable strategies to navigate societal shifts and embed social impact into business success.
Date: September 18 – 19, 2025 Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Description: This conference addresses the challenges and opportunities of building diverse and inclusive workforces, focusing on overcoming barriers to equality and empowering underrepresented voices for organizational growth and innovation.
Date: September 21 – 28, 2025 Location: New York City, New York
Description: Bringing together government leaders, business innovators, academics, and civil society, this week-long event fosters collaboration and discussion on clean tech investments, competitive strategies, and urgent climate action in a rapidly changing world.
Date: September 21 – 24, 2025 Location: New York City, New York
Description: Marking its 15th year, this inclusive, non-partisan forum convenes global leaders from government, private sector, and NGOs alongside the UN General Assembly to foster dialogue and collaboration for a more equitable and sustainable future.
Date: September 22, 2025 Location: New York City, New York
Description: This CPD-accredited event gathers global sustainability leaders and innovators for a day of insight, collaboration, and impact, offering opportunities to influence dialogue, build partnerships, and earn CPD points while shaping the future of sustainable business.
Date: September 23 – 25, 2025 Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Description: Canada’s national CCUS convention brings together industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators for strategic sessions, workshops, and an extensive exhibition to advance carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies critical to accelerating decarbonization.
Description: Learn the fundamentals of climate science and low-carbon action in this introductory course designed for professional services, with the opportunity to become certified as “Carbon Literate” upon completion.
Date: September 25, 2025, from 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM ET Location: Online
Description: Marking a decade since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, this panel webinar examines the shift from truth-telling to long-term, systemic action, and explores how individuals and organizations can advance reconciliation over the next ten years.
Date: September 25, 2025, at 1:00 PM ET Location: Online
Description: Senior Consultant Nicole Huska leads this webinar on place-based reconciliation, exploring how aligning organizational strategies with community priorities fosters stronger partnerships, sustainable relationships, and Indigenous-led workforce development.
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How do we accelerate Canada’s transition to a circular economy? That’s the challenge and opportunity that brought changemakers together for the Canadian Circular Economy Summit (CCES).
In April, Sparx Publishing Group team members Hamish Khamisa, President, Alexandra Nikitina, Head of Growth, and Meghan O’Neil, Copywriter, travelled to Montréal to attend this year’s summit, organized by Circular Economy Leadership Canada (CELC) and the Circular Innovation Council (CIC). The event brought together industry leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and researchers to share strategies and align sustainability efforts on a national scale, all working toward the common goal of advancing the circular economy.
This marked Sparx’s second time attending the summit, and it was our most involved yet. Keep scrolling for key highlights, from the launch of Circular Economy Magazine to top takeaways from panels, workshops, and immersive textile and sensory experiences that brought circularity to life.
Advancing Canada’s Circular Economy
The sold-out, three-day CCES welcomed over 900 delegates and 550+ organizations from across sectors and industries. The summit featured a dynamic mix of keynote speeches, solution-focused panels, thematic workshops, cross-industry roundtables, and immersive experiences, all aimed at accelerating Canada’s transition to a circular economy.
As highlighted by the Council of Canadian Academies’ Turning Point: The Expert Panel on the Circular Economy in Canada report, Canada is among the world’s highest consumers of materials, energy, and water, with 73% of its waste ending up in landfills or incinerators. The urgency to reduce waste, shift toward circularity, and redesign our current economic system is clear. For Canada, adopting a circular economy model is a critical pathway toward environmental sustainability, economic prosperity, and social equity.
Showcasing Sparx’s Mission at the Summit
As an official sponsor, Sparx was proud to play an active role in this year’s event. Our dedicated networking lounge served as a hub for dialogue, idea exchange, and meaningful connection between sessions. We welcomed entrepreneurs, executives, and thought leaders, helping to spark new conversations and collaborations.
At the summit, we also launched the inaugural edition of Circular Economy Magazine, presented by Sparx’s Make The World Better Magazine and published in collaboration with CELC and the CIC. This new publication spotlights the exceptional organizations, governments, and businesses driving awareness and adoption of circular economy practices across Canada. To celebrate the launch, we hosted an intimate dinner at LOV in Montréal, bringing together contributors and supporters to reflect on the magazine’s debut and the momentum built during three impactful days at the summit.
Learning From Insightful Panels and Workshops
We attended many sessions during the summit, and one standout was the “SME Showcase: Canada’s Circular Economic Engine.” This panel highlighted small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the backbone of Canada’s economy, which contribute over 50% to the nation’s GDP. Speakers shared how SMEs are driving the shift to a circular economy by designing low-carbon products, rethinking supply chains, and building more resilient business models.
One highlight came from Rashmi Prakash, CEO of Aruna Revolution. Based in Nova Scotia, this company is transforming the disposable hygiene sector with compostable, high-performance natural fibres. Rashmi shared how her background in biomedical engineering and sustainable materials helped shape a company that’s securing major funding, launching B2B partnerships, and pushing an industry toward regenerative design. Her energy and vision for scaling circular solutions left a lasting impression on us.
Another highlight was the panel, “Tech-Driven Transformation: Harnessing the Fourth Industrial Revolution for a Circular Economy,” which explored how emerging technologies like AI, robotics, digital platforms, and bio-based materials are driving new circular business models. Eric Camirand, CEO of Waste Robotics, spoke about transforming the recycling industry through AI-powered robotic solutions that are redefining efficiency and sustainability. His passion for automation and his vision for scaling smart waste management globally underscored the critical role technology will play in building a more sustainable, low-carbon economy.
One thought-provoking session was “Identity Crisis: The First Step in Solving for Textile Circularity,” which tackled one of the biggest challenges in the textile industry: understanding what garments are truly made of. Amelia Eleiter, Co-Founder and CEO of Debrand, shared how the complexity of modern textiles, often made from mixed materials and adorned with embellishments, makes recycling and reuse difficult. Amelia’s insight into solving the “identity crisis” was a standout moment. Her take on how brands need to rethink how they design, use, and repurpose products, including sharing Debrand’s journey into circular economy initiatives, was definitely a highlight.
Understanding the Impact of Textiles and Apparel
The Textiles & Apparel Track, hosted by Fashion Takes Action, was a transformative conference held alongside the summit and focused on advancing circularity specifically in the textiles and apparel industry. With 85% of textiles ending up in landfills, these sessions were well-attended, with many delegates eager to explore sustainable practices, ecodesign frameworks, circular business models, and innovations in recycling and materials. Discussions also delved into policy development, including the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and extended producer responsibility (EPR).
To see circular design in action, we got an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Cirque du Soleil’s Atelier, where over 400 artisans create more than 25,000 pieces for their performances. This rare experience gave us insight into their textile innovations, intricate dyeing techniques, and sustainable garment life cycles. The tour also included a visit to Vestechpro’s mechanical recycling facility, where textiles are transformed into new materials, along with a lab focused on testing garment durability and performance.
Experiencing Circularity Through Five Senses
RECYC-QUÉBEC hosted a special edition of its Québec Circular Economy Conference during the summit. Under the theme “Experience the Circular Economy Through Your Five Senses,” this unique event offered a hands-on perspective on circularity across sectors, led by a provincial organization managing recycling and recovery programs.
At the Centre de transfert technologique en écologie industrielle (CTTÉI) booth, we were able totouch a fascinating library of materials and objects produced through circular strategies. One standout was the wave-breaking concrete blocks made from crushed clam, lobster, and crab shells, created at CTTÉI’s pilot production plant in the Magdalen Islands, Québec. As part of its Green Concrete program, this innovative use of residual materials saves virgin raw materials and offers a more economical alternative to importing.
We also had the chance to tastefood products made through circular strategies, with delicious offerings from La Transformerie, The Pretty Ugly Company, and more. A unique standout was TriCycle, a Montréal-based edible insect farm, which creates sustainable snacks using by-products from the agri-food sector, organic fertilizer, and more. It was eye-opening (and surprisingly tasty!) to see how these companies are innovating in food production while supporting sustainability.
Applying Key Takeaways to Future Strategy
The summit left us energized and optimistic about Canada’s potential to lead the circular transition. While the work is well underway, collaboration across businesses, governments, and organizations is crucial to unlocking its full potential.
This experience also reinforced our belief that content is a catalyst for change and that storytelling belongs in the sustainability space. We’re inspired to integrate circular thinking into even more of our own creative and strategic processes, driving impact both within our work and the broader community.
Ready to tell your circular story? Sparx can turn your vision into impact. Contact us for a free marketing consultation today.
Faire progresser l’économie circulaire n’est pas seulement un effort mondial — cela doit aussi se produire au niveau local. Si les villes peuvent mobiliser les parties prenantes à l’intérieur de leurs limites pour adopter des approches circulaires, l’impact qu’elles pourront réaliser ensemble sera sans limite. Une ville en particulier montre la voie à suivre au Canada.
Nous avons discuté avec Marie-Andrée Mauger, membre du Comité exécutif de la Ville de Montréal, de la manière dont la Ville collabore avec les entreprises et des partenariats stratégiques pour réduire son empreinte écologique et renforcer son développement économique.
Quel rôle la Ville de Montréal joue-t-elle dans la promotion de l’innovation et le soutien à la transition vers une économie circulaire à l’échelle locale ?
Avec des objectifs ambitieux comme devenir une ville zéro déchet d’ici 2030 et carboneutre d’ici 2050, Montréal ne se contente pas de suivre le mouvement, elle en est une force motrice.
En coordonnant la mise en œuvre de la Feuille de route montréalaise en économie circulaire, le Service du développement économique (SDÉ) s’assure que l’écosystème d’affaires soit le moteur de la transformation.
Grâce à une collaboration étroite avec les entreprises locales et au développement de partenariats stratégiques avec des acteurs clés comme PME Montréal ou Fondaction et en mettant à profit les leviers à sa disposition, la Ville de Montréal pose les bases pour propulser les entreprises et organisations locales vers un modèle économique circulaire.
Mais ce n’est pas tout. Tous les leviers municipaux sont mis à profit par les unités d’affaires de la Ville, qui sont mobilisées dans cette transition. Ensemble, les unités d’affaires mettent en place des politiques incitatives, des infrastructures adaptées, des initiatives de sensibilisation et prêchent par l’exemple pour faire de Montréal une leader incontestée de l’économie circulaire.
En créant un environnement propice à l’innovation durable, que ce soit par le soutien à des projets pilotes ou par son approvisionnement responsable, Montréal s’assure non seulement de réduire ses empreintes carbone et matérielle, mais aussi de renforcer son développement économique.
Montréal ne se contente pas de rêver d’un avenir durable, elle le construit activement, inspirant d’autres villes à suivre son exemple.
Quelles politiques et réglementations la Ville de Montréal a-t-elle mises en place pour encourager la réduction des déchets dans les différents secteurs et l’utilisation de matériaux plus durables ?
L’approvisionnement et la modulation du cadre réglementaire sont d’importants leviers dont dispose la Ville pour développer une économie locale circulaire et sobre en carbone. Bien que sa marge de manœuvre soit parfois limitée par la Loi sur les cités et villes, en tant que grand donneur d’ordre, avec plus de 3 milliards de dollars de biens et services achetés annuellement, Montréal utilise son pouvoir d’achat pour influencer le marché.
Cette approche est soutenue par sa nouvelle Politique d’approvisionnement responsable, qui encourage des produits ou prestations respectant des critères de durabilité et de circularité, et qui vise de manière sous-jacente à influencer ses fournisseurs à devenir plus responsables et à réduire leur empreinte écologique.
Dans le cadre du plan d’action de la Feuille de route montréalaise en économie circulaire, la Ville favorise la circularité dans des catégories d’achat clés comme les infrastructures, les textiles, le mobilier de bureau et la logistique.
Pour accélérer la transition, la Ville souhaite aussi adopter et modifier des règlements visant à optimiser la gestion des ressources et réduire à la source. Les efforts se concentreront dans les prochaines années sur la réduction du gaspillage alimentaire, la diminution des articles en plastique à usage unique et la gestion des résidus de construction, de rénovation et de démolition.
En lien avec le Plan d’urbanisme et de mobilité 2050, la réglementation dans les secteurs industriels sera également adaptée pour favoriser des aménagements durables et la transition vers une économie verte.
En 2023, le Règlement interdisant le plastique à usage unique dans les commerces alimentaires et restaurants a été adopté. Après un an et demi, 90 % des établissements inspectés utilisaient des contenants réutilisables, recyclables ou encore compostables, contribuant directement à la réduction des déchets à la source dans la métropole.
De plus, le Règlement adopté en 2022 visant la réduction des impacts environnementaux associés à la distribution d’articles publicitaires a permis de diminuer de 40 % les imprimés reçus dans les centres de tri montréalais et l’élimination complète des plastiques d’emballage utilisés pour leur distribution.
La mise en place de ce Règlement à Montréal et la volonté d’autres villes québécoises de modifier leur réglementation ont entraîné un changement majeur du modèle papier de Publisac.
Comment la Ville de Montréal suit-elle les progrès et mesure-t-elle l’impact de ses politiques en matière d’économie circulaire ?
L’économie circulaire étant un concept relativement récent, les connaissances pour la mesurer sont encore en développement. En tant que grande métropole, Montréal souhaite contribuer à cet avancement des connaissances, en devenant l’une des premières villes canadiennes à avoir officiellement adopté une Feuille de route en économie circulaire.
Ce leadership se manifeste également au plan international : Montréal est la 2e ville au monde à s’être doté d’un indice de circularité, un outil important pour évaluer et guider ses efforts.
En collaboration avec l’organisme néerlandais Circle Economy, la Ville a élaboré en mai 2024 le Rapport sur l’écart de circularité de Montréal afin d’évaluer objectivement la situation de départ et de déterminer le chemin à parcourir à travers la Feuille de route. Ce rapport a révélé que seulement 3 % des 58 millions de tonnes de ressources consommées annuellement sont réintroduites dans l’économie par le recyclage ou d’autres stratégies.
Montréal vise à doubler cet indice de circularité d’ici 2030 et à atteindre 17 % d’ici 2050. Le rapport propose cinq scénarios pour réduire l’empreinte matérielle de Montréal de 38 % ainsi que son empreinte carbone de 46 %. Ces données seront mises à jour en 2030 pour évaluer les impacts de la transition circulaire.
La Ville a commencé à développer d’autres indicateurs pour mesurer l’intégration de la circularité au sein de son économie. Par exemple, le nombre d’emplois montréalais qui contribuent directement ou indirectement à l’économie circulaire qui s’élève aujourd’hui à 7,6%. L’objectif est d’identifier les secteurs à fort potentiel de croissance pour stimuler l’économie circulaire et tirer parti de la main-d’œuvre locale.
Pour s’assurer d’avancer dans la bonne direction et de bien mesurer les impacts des actions de la Feuille de route, Montréal entend développer de nouveaux indicateurs et mettre en place un cadre d’évaluation ainsi qu’une structure de gouvernance rigoureuse.
Comment la nouvelle feuille de route de l’économie circulaire de Montréal favorise-t-elle la collaboration entre les acteurs publics, privés et communautaires pour faire progresser les pratiques d’économie circulaire ?
La Feuille de route montréalaise en économie circulaire est un bel exemple de collaboration. Elle repose sur un réseau de partenaires et d’entreprises de toutes tailles, tous mobilisés pour avancer ensemble vers la circularité. La vaste consultation publique qui a précédé son adoption a permis de fédérer l’écosystème d’affaires autour d’une vision concertée, assurant ainsi une large adhésion et un engagement collectif.
Avec sa Feuille de route, la Ville souhaite créer des boucles de circularité en réunissant les parties prenantes publiques et privées autour d’une vision commune et en mettant en place les conditions nécessaires à son opérationnalisation. La mobilisation de l’écosystème d’affaires et des partenariats stratégiques est essentielle pour amplifier l’impact de cette initiative.
La Feuille de route invite également à collaborer avec les autres paliers gouvernementaux et entités publiques pour assurer la cohérence et la complémentarité des actions, maximisant ainsi les synergies et multipliant les impacts positifs. Cela permet de saisir les opportunités pour accélérer la circularité dans les secteurs clés.
La collaboration avec l’ensemble des parties prenantes, y compris les entreprises, la recherche, la finance, l’économie sociale et autres membres de l’écosystème d’affaires, est au cœur de la stratégie montréalaise pour accélérer le déploiement de l’économie circulaire.
Un exemple concret de cette innovation collaborative est la création du Fonds Économie circulaire, un partenariat entre Fondaction, un fonds d’investissement privé, RECYC-QUÉBEC, une société d’état, et la Ville de Montréal. Ce fonds finance et accompagne des entreprises innovantes au Québec, optimisant l’utilisation des ressources et réduisant les émissions de GES.
En somme, la euille de route de Montréal met en avant la nécessité de travailler ensemble, de mutualiser les ressources limitées et de collaborer étroitement pour réussir la transition vers une économie circulaire. Chacun a un rôle à jouer, et c’est en unissant nos forces que nous pourrons atteindre nos objectifs communs.
Pouvez-vous partager quelques-unes des politiques ou initiatives clés décrites dans la feuille de route de l’économie circulaire de Montréal qui, selon vous, auront l’impact le plus significatif à long terme ?
Pour doubler l’indice de circularité de Montréal de 3 à 6 % d’ici 2030, l’action municipale est primordiale afin de structurer durablement les chaînes de valeur circulaires dans des secteurs comme la construction, les textiles et le bioalimentaire. Parmi les mesures clés, l’adoption de règlements pour favoriser la déconstruction plutôt que la démolition et l’intégration de la circularité dans les clauses d’approvisionnement public sont essentielles.
Par exemple, dès l’évaluation des besoins d’achat, la Ville de Montréal mettra en place des formations et des mécanismes pour promouvoir l’écoconception, les solutions de rééemploi, les articles en matières recyclées et les modèles d’approvisionnement basés sur l’économie de fonctionnalité.
Des mesures de soutien aux entreprises sont aussi prévues. Montréal entend notamment mettre en place des programmes finançant, par exemple, des diagnostics circulaires ou encore l’innovation circulaire pour les entreprises émergentes. Outre le soutien financier, l’accompagnement des entreprises est une condition essentielle à la transformation de l’économie. La Ville prévoit ainsi soutenir différentes initiatives en ce sens dont la symbiose industrielle « Synergie Montréal », qui aide les entreprises à optimiser l’utilisation de leurs ressources et à redéfinir leurs modèles d’affaires.
En quelque dix ans, Synergie Montréal a accompagné près de 2 300 entreprises et en a sensibilisé plus de 4 200. Ce sont des initiatives comme celle-là qui permettront d’accélérer la transition des 64 000 établissements d’affaires montréalais d’un modèle d’affaires linéaire à un modèle circulaire. Et ce n’est que le début !
Quels sont les principaux défis pour mettre en place l’économie circulaire à Montréal ?
La transition vers une économie circulaire implique une transformation profonde de l’ensemble du modèle économique. Pour atteindre la circularité sur son territoire, Montréal ne peut y parvenir seule, son économie dépend notamment des chaînes de valeur et d’approvisionnement mondiales.
Elle doit également compter sur la collaboration des autres paliers gouvernementaux et de l’ensemble de l’écosystème pour réussir cette transition. Le principal défi pour Montréal est d’utiliser ses compétences pour accélérer le déploiement de l’économie circulaire, tout en mobilisant l’ensemble de l’écosystème. Il est crucial de maintenir et d’augmenter la compétitivité des entreprises et de l’économie locale.
Montréal ne pourra progresser vers une économie circulaire et durable qu’en adoptant une approche collaborative et en tirant parti de ses atouts.
En regardant vers l’avenir, quels sont vos espoirs pour l’économie circulaire au Canada au cours de la prochaine décennie, et comment la Ville de Montréal envisage-t-elle de contribuer à cette vision ?
Le Canada possède tous les atouts pour mener la transition circulaire en Amérique et devenir un acteur mondial de premier plan. Nous pouvons renverser la tendance actuelle et intégrer la circularité dans nos modèles économiques.
Les pays ont un rôle crucial à jouer en assurant la durabilité des processus de production et de consommation. C’est pourquoi la Ville de Montréal collabore avec le gouvernement fédéral dans le cadre de diverses consultations. La France en est un bel exemple, faisant preuve de leadership avec l’adoption de sa loi anti-gaspillage pour une économie circulaire, qui a impulsé une transformation économique significative.
La Ville de Montréal entend également exercer ce leadership en accompagnant son écosystème d’affaires dans la transition vers des modèles plus circulaires et en encourageant sa population à adopter de nouveaux comportements de consommation.
L’accueil du deuxième Sommet canadien de l’économie circulaire s’inscrit dans cette volonté de sensibilisation de l’écosystème. En tant que palier gouvernemental le plus proche du terrain et l’une des grandes métropoles du Canada, Montréal a le devoir de tracer la voie et d’être exemplaire. Elle s’engage donc à continuer d’innover et à être une pionnière dans l’avancement de la circularité au Canada. La Ville entend faire sa part en doublant son indice de circularité d’ici 2030 et le portant à 17 % d’ici 2050, tout en réduisant les empreintes matérielle et carbone.
Notre monde continue de croître et d’évoluer, avec des structures qui sont constamment en construction. C’est un exploit pour l’humanité de construire à un rythme aussi rapide, mais cela signifie également qu’une quantité exorbitante de matériaux est laissée derrière et se transforme en déchets. Et si ces résidus pouvaient trouver une nouvelle vie sur un autre chantier ?
Nous avons parlé avec Vincent Croteau, Directeur du développement des affaires chez Twenifor, de la manière dont la plateforme numérique de cette entreprise autochtone permet aux entreprises de construction de vendre leurs matériaux de construction excédentaires afin de générer des revenus supplémentaires et de favoriser l’économie circulaire.
Dites-nous-en plus sur Twenifor et sur ce qui a inspiré votre entreprise à se concentrer sur le soutien des pratiques d’économie circulaire dans le secteur de la construction.
Nous croyons que les meilleures inspirations viennent d’un problème que l’on vit au quotidien. Nous sommes dans le domaine de la construction à travers d’autres entreprises depuis plus de 10 ans. Nous avons réalisé au fil du temps et des projets qu’énormément de matériaux restaient en surplus soit parce qu’ils étaient en trop ou parce qu’il n’était plus utilisé.
Nous avons réalisé qu’il y avait un besoin criant pour développer la filière du réemploi à grande échelle. Nous avons donc créé notre plateforme marketplace dans l’optique de réduire le 30 à 40% de déchets mondiaux qui proviennent de la construction.
Twenifor est donc à la base une plateforme numérique qui permet aux entreprises de la construction de vendre leurs surplus de matériaux de construction. Les items que l’on retrouve sur la plateforme peuvent passer des matières premières comme le bois ou le métal et par de l’équipement comme de la machinerie ou de l’équipement spécialisé.
Ces entreprises peuvent vendre à d’autres entreprises ou à des particuliers qui peuvent profiter d’excellent prix tout en encourageant l’économie circulaire dans leurs achats. Les acheteurs peuvent même se faire livrer les items directement à leur porte grâce à notre système de livraison intégré à la plateforme.
Quels sont les plus grands défis pour promouvoir davantage les pratiques d’économie circulaire dans le secteur canadien de la construction ?
Comme beaucoup le savent, les métiers reliés à la construction sont très prenants et demandent beaucoup d’investissement en temps et en énergie. Le défi principal est donc de faire de la place pour développer et implémenter de nouvelles initiatives. Plusieurs parties prenantes voient toujours l’économie circulaire comme un fardeau en argent et en temps.
Chez Twenifor, nous croyons que c’est l’inverse, les entreprises peuvent générer des revenus supplémentaires à travers notre plateforme et cela en toute simplicité.
Quelles solutions et innovations développez-vous chez Twenifor pour accroître l’impact et accompagner la prochaine phase de développement de votre entreprise ?
Nous avons créé un nouveau service de conteneurs afin de mieux nous intégrer à la réalité des entrepreneur(e)s. Nos conteneurs sont dédiés aux matériaux réutilisables et permettent aux chantiers de faire du tri à la source.
Nous entreposons ensuite les matériaux pour les revaloriser à travers notre plateforme. Considérant que les entreprises sont habituées avec le système de conteneurs traditionnels, commander un conteneur Twenifor n’est pas plus compliqué.
Quels défis uniques les startups comme Twenifor rencontrent-elles pour faire évoluer leur modèle d’affaires axé sur l’économie circulaire, et comment avez-vous travaillé pour les surmonter ?
Pour nous, un élément important est de suivre les réglementations dans notre industrie. Nous croyons (nous savons) que les réglementations environnementales par rapport à l’économie circulaire sur les chantiers de construction cognent déjà à nos portes.
C’est donc le moment parfait pour développer nos initiatives et notre plateforme afin de pouvoir offrir une solution complète lorsque les entreprises seront obligées de respecter ces clauses. Nous le voyons déjà apparaitre avec des certifications LEED ou dans certaines villes où l’économie circulaire devient une priorité.
Comment restez-vous motivés et maintenez-vous l’élan dans votre travail, en particulier lorsque les progrès semblent lents ?
Pour donner une idée de grandeur, mondialement, on construit l’équivalent de la superficie de Paris chaque semaine. Le problème est donc loin d’être réglé et Twenifor est la solution.
Ce qui nous motive beaucoup, c’est de voir la réponse très positive d’une grande quantité d’entreprises qui veulent utiliser des plateformes comme la nôtre. Nous voyons à quel point le besoin est présent, surtout d’avoir une solution adaptée à leurs besoins qui s’éloigne des plateformes traditionnelles comme Facebook Marketplace par exemple. Vous seriez tous surpris de la quantité de matériaux ou d’équipements que les entreprises ont le potentiel de revaloriser !
En regardant vers l’avenir, quels sont vos espoirs pour l’économie circulaire au Canada au cours de la prochaine décennie, et comment votre entreprise envisage-t-elle de contribuer à cette vision ?
Comme mentionné précédemment, les réglementations et les politiques en place vont exercer une influence énorme sur l’économie circulaire dans notre secteur d’activité.
Il faudra également que les grandes entreprises de l’industrie commencent à emboiter le pas et permettre d’implanter des plateformes comme Twenifor dans leurs opérations.
Nous vivons dans une industrie où les gros joueurs ont le pouvoir d’influence radicalement les pratiques des autres et donc l’impact global du secteur.
Twenifor est une entreprise avec un potentiel mondial, nous allons être implantés sur tous les chantiers de construction et aider les entreprises à pratiquer l’économie circulaire. Il également important de mentionner que Twenifor est une entreprise autochtone de Mashteuiatsh (Québec) et une partie importante de notre mission est de créer de l’emploi pour les communautés autochtones et de faire rayonner notre communauté. D’autant plus que l’économie circulaire s’aligne parfaitement avec les valeurs autochtones.
The circular economy is all about creating a system where resources are used efficiently, waste is minimized, and materials are reused or recycled back into the economy. And data plays a crucial role in this transition.
We spoke with Brad Wright, Executive Vice President of RLG Americas, about how data is driving progress in the circular economy. With over 30 years of experience in environmental services, Brad shares how data is helping businesses navigate sustainability challenges and go beyond compliance.
Tell us how Reverse Logistics Group (RLG) and Reconomy are working to advance a circular economy in Canada and globally?
Reconomy is an international business that operates in 80 countries, supported by 26 local offices. We are a tech-enabled, asset-light business that relies on advanced technology and flexible operations to deliver our services. Our focus is to help customers fulfill their extended producer responsibility (EPR) obligations, optimize their supply chains, and transition toward a circular economy. Essentially, our mission is to help businesses move toward a more sustainable and resource-efficient model through our three key service offerings, or “loops”: Recycle, comply, and reuse.
In Canada, we have a significant role to play. For example, RLG is the operator of Ontario’s Blue Box Common Collection System. We also serve as a producer responsibility organization (PRO) in Ontario for information technology, telecommunications, and audio-visual equipment (ITT/AV) and offer consulting services to guide companies in environmental compliance and enhance their sustainability practices.
We recognize that transitioning to a circular economy isn’t something we can achieve alone — it requires partnerships with businesses, governments, and communities. Working together, we aim to create a more sustainable future and ensure resources are used efficiently.
From your experience, what are the untapped opportunities where data can play a transformative role in advancing circular economy practices globally?
Having the right data helps us make informed decisions that bring us closer to a circular economy. A great example of this is per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) reporting. PFAS are a class of human-made substances called “forever chemicals” because of their propensity not to break down in the environment. Their persistence, combined with growing evidence of their adverse effects on the environment and human health, has governments looking for solutions.
However, before governments can propose new regulations, they need an abundance of high-quality data to help inform their decision-making. We use digital tools and data-driven insights to quickly adapt to customer needs for PFAS reporting requirements. Accurate data provides quantifiable evidence that can drive legislative change against substances harmful to our health and the environment around the globe.
How does data empower organizations like RLG and Reconomy to support the optimization of circular economy supply chains and practices?
Data is a key driver in optimizing circular economy supply chains. Our Supplier Data Hub is instrumental in collecting and managing data from various suppliers within the supply chain. It allows us to make informed recommendations on supplier performance, material sourcing, and composition, ensuring that every partner in the supply chain is aligned with circular economy goals.
Our Data Insight Platform allows us to gather and analyze data related to packaging and its contents. One of its most powerful features, enabled by our 50+ million SKU product database, is its ability to benchmark our customers against their peers. This helps our customers understand how they stack up in the industry, which then allows them to identify respective areas for improvement.
On the financial side, we assist clients with forecasting fees and anticipating compliance costs by analyzing historical data and market trends. Additionally, we analyze end-of-life disposition data to recommend best practices for managing products at the end of their life cycle, including recycling and recovery options. Our goal is to guide companies in their environmental compliance journey and maximize resource recovery, which are fundamental aspects of the circular economy.
How do you collaborate with governments, businesses, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to standardize and share data in ways that benefit all stakeholders?
Good data is critical to any decision-making process. Canada’s Federal Plastics Registry, for example, will require large amounts of data that not every business is equipped to collect. This is further exacerbated by the diversity of sectors that are obligated to report. Its scale is too large for any one entity, necessitating industry associates to begin collaborating to manage it efficiently and effectively.
RLG plays a large role in these kinds of collaborative efforts. Working closely with both government officials and obligated producers, we have a deep understanding of the concerns of producers and the opportunities where both producers and the government can meet in the middle. We help facilitate conversations between the right people, know where we can iterate, and understand when new solutions need to be created.
In this way, our global expertise and years of experience support progress toward a more circular economy.
Are you seeing technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, and digital platforms play a bigger role in accelerating the transition to a more circular economy globally?
Technology is really at the heart of driving this change. We’re seeing a significant increase in the use of technologies like AI and data analytics for collecting data and analyzing trends.
We believe that sustainability and data analytics go hand-in-hand. By leveraging advanced technologies like our Supplier Data Hub and Data Insight Platform, we help businesses collect, organize, and analyze critical data. Whether it’s reporting under packaging EPR or PFAS, data plays a key role in driving efficiency and effectiveness in all sustainability efforts. With the right analytics, businesses can answer key questions and identify clear paths forward, enabling smarter decision-making and stronger outcomes throughout the entire supply chain.
Technology is becoming increasingly important in connecting stakeholders across the supply chain, and AI is now being used by companies to collect information and answer questions about the material composition of their products. These technologies enable collaboration between manufacturers, recyclers, and consumers, making it easier to share data and insights.
What insights have you gained from working with data that challenge common assumptions about waste, materials, or resource use globally?
A common assumption is that high recycling rates equate to effective material recovery. However, data often reveals significant losses in the recycling process due to contamination, inefficient sorting, or lack of processing infrastructure for certain materials. This highlights the need to design products with end-of-life recovery in mind and promote circular economy principles.
Another key insight is the importance of assessing the full life cycle of materials when making design choices. It’s often assumed that materials like bioplastics are inherently more sustainable than conventional options. However, data reveals that their production can involve significant environmental impacts, such as high land use, water consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, without proper industrial composting facilities, bioplastics may not break down as intended, which can lead to pollution challenges similar to those of conventional plastics.
This challenges the assumption that alternative materials are always better and highlights the need to evaluate the environmental, social, and economic impacts of materials across their entire life cycle — from raw material extraction to end-of-life disposal. It also emphasizes the critical role life cycle assessment plays in making informed and truly sustainable material choices.
Looking ahead, what opportunities do you see for the circular economy in Canada over the next decade, and how do RLG and Reconomy envision being part of this future?
As sustainability becomes more important to businesses and consumers in Canada, we expect to see a growing demand in numerous areas of the circular economy.
For example, we recognize a significant opportunity for sustainability as a service. This is especially useful in tackling scope 3 emissions, which come from a company’s entire supply chain. We expect that addressing scope 3 emissions will help businesses meet their sustainability goals while responding to growing pressure from regulations and consumers who want more transparency, as well as positively impacting the environment.
Circular take-back programs are also becoming increasingly important. We believe there’s a strong market for establishing systems that encourage consumers to return products at the end of their life cycle. This not only helps reduce waste but also allows us to reclaim valuable materials for reuse, refurbishing, and recycling.
There’s certainly a growing demand for textile take-back programs, where clothing and other fabric materials can be collected, refurbished, and reintroduced into the market. In fact, Reconomy has recently set up a textiles PRO in Italy and launched a tech-enabled service called ReDress, an innovative solution that helps businesses understand their global textiles obligations, legislative timelines, and reporting requirements. We believe it’s only a matter of time before similar legislation is enacted in Canada, and we’re ready to assist the industry and consumers in this important take-back initiative.
When it comes to reuse, we’re noticing a shift toward this important practice across various sectors. For example, Reuse Ottawa, a reusable food container pilot, launched by the Circular Innovation Council and its partners, is a great initiative aimed at eliminating single-use plastic waste.
We’re also excited about the continued growth of EPR in Canada. By holding producers accountable for the entire life cycle of their products, we can encourage innovation and the shift toward more sustainable practices. At RLG and Reconomy, we envision being at the forefront of these initiatives, collaborating with businesses and communities to develop effective take-back systems and improve recycling processes.
Just like nature’s ecosystems, humans and our economic systems are intrinsically linked to all the interconnecting facets. That’s why circularity can’t happen in a silo — we need to take an approach from the top down and look to all stakeholders to make real change happen.
We spoke with Maya Colombani, Chief of Sustainability & Human Rights, in collaboration with Patricia Miotto, Communications & Engagement Manager, Sustainability & Human Rights, at L’Oréal Canada, about how this beauty giant is centring circularity, from its formulas to merchandising and its customers to suppliers.
What inspired your organization to engage in circular economy initiatives?
The idea that the world has infinite resources does not hold anymore. For now, materials that are cycled back into the global economy after the end of their useful life account for 7.2% of all material inputs into the economy. This means that more than 90% of materials are either wasted, lost, or remain unavailable for reuse for years.
We must evolve from the current “take-make-waste” linear economic model to a circular “reduce-replace-reuse-recycle” model, transforming what is today our waste into new resources is our goal.
With leadership comes responsibility, and L’Oréal is resolutely committed to adopting the circular economy model. We have the responsibility to contribute to our society by respecting planetary boundaries and promoting social justice.
Sustainability, including circularity, should be the centre of our business as the top priority, at the centre of all the decisions that we make, in order to engage the whole value chain and the full ecosystem.
Thanks to our deep business transformation, we are the only company in the world that has for nine consecutive years been recognized by CDP on its annual “A” list, which rates on climate change, waste management, and forest preservation.
We have also been awarded a platinum medal from EcoVadis,thus appearing in thetop 1% of companies assessed (out of 100,000 companies), rewarded on four major themes: environment, ethics, social and human rights, and responsible purchasing.
To do so we have a strong governance with a chief sustainability officer as part of the executive committee reporting directly to the president, as well as a sustainability committee, with 32 experts from all across the value chain.
What do you consider to be your biggest circularity success? Can you share any stories of the impact your work has had that have surprised you?
We want to be a laboratory for good, by transforming our business inside and outside, with our ecosystem and with a 360 transformation. We integrate circularity inside our own business, and we stretch it to the full ecosystem.
From research and development of ingredients to product packaging, we are rethinking our actions and interactions to make circularity the centre of our ecosystem.
In every step of our value chain, we act to reduce, replace, reuse, and recycle. We create new sustainable beauty routines accessible to all and raise awareness to help our consumers to make more informed choices.
Circularity starts from the inside. In terms of circular innovation in our product offerings, we promote eco-design product innovation in all of our portfolio, with 99% eco-design products.
We also promote circularity andresponsible packaging: 100% Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, 85% polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycled (2023). We will launch the new sustainable bottle for L’Oréal Paris with 27% less plastic, 100% recycled plastic, and 56 tonnes of plastic saved. By 2030, we target to have 100% recycled or bio-sourced.
Additionally, we are shifting traditional products torefills. Currently, we lead the luxury market, with an average of 72% less plastic versus products, 45% less glass, and 66% less metal.
Furthermore, we’re progressing the optimization of packaging by reducing the weight of boxes and instruction sheets, continuously increasing the use of recycled plastic, maximizing recyclability, and mobilizing consumers by proposing, when possible, refillable containers versus single-use packaging.
Last but not least, we promote circularity andresponsible formulas, today with 65% of natural ingredients in our products, and by 2030, we’ll reach 95% with green science, 100% sustainably sourced.
Among many initiatives, the sourcing of plant-based ingredients promotes regenerative agricultural practices that ideally require reduced surfaces.
However, we also go beyond with a 98.5% responsible eco-design merchandising.
When it comes to circularity, there’s a recycling process on all our sites. The downtown offices, distribution centre, and factory are certified Ici on Recycle by Recyc-Québec. In fact, our headquarters, distribution centre, and factory all run on 100% renewable energy. We also promote sustainable infrastructure with LEED Platinum Certification for our downtown offices.
Going forward, we are planning our Waterloop Factoryfor 2026, not wasting water in any steps of the production process.
How do you feel that transitioning to the circular economy will benefit Canada and the world?
The circular economy will focus on reusing and recycling products and slow down the use of natural resources. It will reduce landscape and habitat disruption and help to limit biodiversity loss. It is an opportunity to create a positive movement to engage our full ecosystem into circularity in order to scale up our impact.
We encourage our suppliers to offer new solutions promoting circularity. For example, we recycle all industrial pallets with our supplier, IPS Greenergy, we recycle our merchandisingwith our supplier, Array, and we give a second life to all our stretch wrap with our supplier, Carrousel.
We commitwith our suppliers toward zero deforestation through the 100% FSC certification.
We have embedded sustainability throughout our value chain and today, the L’Oréal Professional division is going even further with the launch of the Hairstylists for the Future program. This initiative in partnership with the NGO Green Circle Salonswill continue to transform the hairstyling industry and embark hairstylists around the world on a sustainable journey.
Green Circle Salons is the industry’s first sustainable salon solution dedicated to fighting beauty waste. This award-winning program empowers salons to offset their emissions and recover up to 95% of their beauty waste. In 2024, we reached 800 salons in all of Canada with this program.
What are some of the challenges you typically face working in the circular economy space?
To engage even more of the full ecosystem to gain scale, meaning all the suppliers, our consumers, and our retailers, and to make the circular economy the new normal, we need to go further and expand new technologies as we do with our partnership with start-up Carbios which promotes circularity and biotechnology.
As part of their commitment to promoting the circular economy through innovative plastic recycling solutions, L’Oréal and Carbios have signed an agreement to jointly found a five-year consortium to bring the bio-recycling technology designed and developed by Carbios to market on an industrial scale. The partnership is open to industries from other sectors looking to develop new plastic bio-recycling solutions.
Carbios has developed an enzymatic bio-recycling process for plastics that breaks polymers down to the basic components (monomers) originally used to create them. Once separated and purified, the monomers can be used again to create virgin plastic, without losing any value through the recycling process. This biological process is free of the constraints facing conventional recycling techniques and is the first step to developing a new way of managing the plastic life cycle — in line with the circular economy.
L’Oréal and the other manufacturers in the consortium will benefit from the development of this Carbios innovation and will be first in line to receive the first available units. L’Oréal will use this new technology during the design phase for new packaging, thereby promoting the circular economy.
We also partnered with the NGO EcoSchools to promote sustainability in Canadian schools. EcoSchools Canada offers a certification program for elementary through secondary schools, nurturing environmental learning and climate action. Their innovative and bilingual certification program is freefor publicly funded schools; it helps to incentivize, track, and reward environmental actions that reduce energy and waste; and it raises awareness and incorporates environmental learning into the curriculum.
In terms of partnership, we support their objective of growing their awareness amongst teachers and parents in Canada. We also worked with teacher influencers to create content for EcoSchools on TikTok. Thanks to our partnership, EcoSchools, reached 39,000 users versus 13,000 the year previous.
Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects related to the circular economy you’d like to share?
We promote circularity through disruptive start-ups that create solutions. L’Oréal dedicated €50 million in funds with Canadian partner, Cycle Capital, and Demeterto support start-ups with solutions to recycling or creating new materials that promote the circular economy. Through this fund, two start-ups, Evoco and Aplantex, have been supported and accelerated for their solutions to promote circularity.
Evoco, a disruptive Canadian company, is transforming the material landscape with its innovative bio-based solutions. Their shared vision highlights the importance of collaboration in addressing one of the largest contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions: materials.
Aplantex’s industrial green biotech platform aims to mass-produce locally and throughout the year, in a controlled environment, the phytochemical ingredients in demand by the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and agrifood industries. The process uses renewable hydroelectric power, generates no waste, and the phytoreplicators capture and assimilate up to 40 % of their dry weight in atmospheric carbon dioxide. Aplantex thus joins the circular economy frontrunners.
What can people do to help spread the word about or take action toward advancing the circular economy in Canada? How can they support your mission?
The circular economy needs a deep culture shift in terms of internal process and EcoConception but also the full commitment of the people that belong to the company. It’s fundamental to change our mindset from linear to circular in each decision we take, in each department, from the top until the operational frontline.
The change will be, of course, progressive, but the point is to not give up on each improvement. Creating a movement for goodand upskilling the full ecosystem is necessary to scale up a positive impact on the circular economy.
The circular economy is a long journey but the only way to respect the limited resources on earth. It’s a unique opportunity to be creative, reinvent our business, and process collectively.
Consumers are purchasing and disposing of new clothes more than ever before, creating a massive textile waste problem and releasing synthetic microfibres into our environment. To help the fashion industry shift toward a more sustainable way of working, we need to shift from the harmful “take-make-waste” model.
We spoke with Kelly Drennan, Founding Executive Director of Fashion Takes Action, about how Fashion Takes Action (FTA) and the Canadian Circular Textiles Consortium (CCTC) are advancing circularity and driving sustainable impact in the Canadian textile industry.
What inspired you to start Fashion Takes Action (FTA) and the Canadian Circular Textiles Consortium (CCTC)?
IstartedFashion Takes Action (FTA) in 2007 out of a desire to see a more sustainable future for my two daughters. It began with Green Gala events showcasing 20 sustainable Canadian designers and has since grown to work with over 2,000 businesses globally. FTA advances sustainability, ethics, and circularity in fashion through awareness-building, education, collaborations, and research, furthering change across the entire fashion system and empowering both citizens and businesses to take action.
The Canadian Circular Textiles Consortium (CCTC) was founded in 2023 to address fragmented circular economy efforts and drive systemic change in Canada. Built on eight years of work in textile circularity and growing demand for post-consumer waste solutions, FTA recognized the need for collective action to support climate and biodiversity goals. With funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada and strategic support from Deloitte, the CCTC unites stakeholders to foster collaboration, reduce duplication, and accelerate Canada’s transition to a circular textile system.
What unique challenges does the textiles industry face in adopting circular economy practices?
Key challenges include transitioning to circular models like resale, repair, and rental, complicated by the widespread use of synthetic fibres, which shed harmful microfibres, and when blended with other fibres, are hard to recycle. The fast production cycles and poor garment quality further hinder durability and repairability.
To address these issues, the industry must adopt circular design principles — creating durable, repairable, and recyclable garments with safer materials and green chemistry, while considering end-of-life components like buttons and zippers. This shift will help the fashion industry move toward sustainability and long-term value.
What are some of the most promising innovations in the circular textiles space that you think will influence the future of the industry?
The circular textiles space is experiencing transformative innovations that are set to redefine the fashion industry. There are four key developments of note. The first is fibre-to-fibre recycling, which includes chemical recycling: advanced technologies that break down textile waste, including blended fibres, into high-quality raw materials like cellulose and polyester for reuse; and mechanical recycling: improved processes that enhance the efficiency and quality of recycled fibres, particularly for cotton and wool.
The second development is bio-based and regenerative fibres. This includes lab-grown alternatives: materials like mycelium leather and spider silk that offer sustainable substitutes to traditional textiles; agricultural byproducts: fibres sourced from food waste or industrial byproducts that provide innovative, eco-friendly inputs; and regenerative agriculture: improved farming methods for natural fibres such as cotton and hemp that enhance soil health and sequester carbon.
The third development is AI and data-driven solutions. This includes digital product passports: technologies like RFID and blockchain that improve transparency by detailing materials, care instructions, and recyclability; waste sorting: AI-powered systems that enhance the sorting of textile waste for effective recycling; and demand prediction: data tools that optimize production, reducing overproduction and associated waste.
The fourth development is policy and collaboration. This includes initiatives like extended producer responsibility (EPR) that encourage accountability for a garment’s entire life cycle.
These innovations signify a shift in how textiles are designed, produced, and managed, enabling a transition to a more sustainable and circular future.
In what ways has the CCTC brought together diverse stakeholders across the textiles value chain to tackle waste and promote circularity?
We are taking a collective action approach to tackle the deeply flawed textile waste system, uniting over 120 stakeholders from across the entire value chain to drive meaningful change. United by a common goal, we aim to divert textiles from landfills — both locally and in the Global South — and extend their use for as long as possible.
Systemic change requires collaboration among the public and private sectors, as well as civil society. Each of our projects involves diverse stakeholders, ensuring that decisions are informed by their potential impact across the value chain. This cross-sector collaboration enables us to design solutions that create shared value and drive meaningful, sustainable change.
What are some innovative projects or partnerships within the CCTC that are rethinking end-of-life solutions for textiles?
The CCTC envisions an integrated, circular system that eliminates global textile waste and advances the transition to a regenerative economy. Our goal is to optimize resource use across Canada’s textile value chain and enable a sustainable circular textiles system.
To achieve this, we focus on four core approaches. These are 1.) policy influence: advocating for industry standardization, regulations, and policies to support textile circularity; 2.) education and behaviour change: promoting circular economy principles and encouraging action through public education and awareness campaigns; 3.) data and insights: addressing gaps in data on material flows, policies, initiatives, and their impact in Canada; and 4.) innovation and pilots: driving innovation by supporting pilot projects to test circular business models and explore new solutions.
Our efforts are guided by an action-oriented roadmap that identifies key initiatives, assigns responsibility to stakeholders, and prioritizes impactful actions. This roadmap has enabled the CCTC and its partners to collaborate on the following projects:
Circular Design Guidelines: Voluntary guidelines to inspire brands and manufacturers to adopt best practices, reduce their impact, and lay the groundwork for future eco-design policies in Canada.
Circular Business Models Capability Map and Report: A comprehensive overview of the capabilities needed across the value chain to implement circular business models, identify gaps, and overcome barriers to circularity.
Youth Education: Expansion of the “My Clothes My World” program, teaching the “7Rs of Circular Fashion” to students in grades 4–12 across Canada.
Public Awareness Campaign: Providing citizens with tools and resources to participate in the circular economy, prioritize the waste hierarchy, and make more responsible purchasing decisions.
Textile Waste Opportunities Assessment: Identifying gaps and barriers in recycling non-wearable and non-usable post-consumer textiles in Canada.
Textile-to-Textile/Fibre-to-Fibre Recycling Pilot: Exploring alternative recycling pathways to create outputs that benefit other manufacturing sectors, including a pilot project testing the use of biochar from post-consumer textiles as a soil amendment.
Through these initiatives, the CCTC is building a foundation for systemic change in the Canadian textile industry, advancing circularity, and driving sustainable impact.
How important is the role of policy and regulation to advancing circularity within the textiles and apparel industry?
Policy and regulation are crucial to advancing circularity in Canada’s textiles and apparel industry, providing the framework, incentives, and enforcement mechanisms necessary for sustainable change.
A potential policy could include the establishment of standards and regulations that require circular principles to be embedded in design, production, and disposal processes, compelling manufacturers to use safer materials and adopt eco-design practices.
Extended producer responsibility (EPR) holds producers accountable for their products’ life cycle, driving recycling, reuse, and eco-design. It supports recycling infrastructure and circular business models, and reduces environmental impact while aligning with consumer demand for sustainability and fostering green economic opportunities. We now see EPR for textiles in both the EU and California.
Tax incentives and grants can stimulate innovation in textile recycling, bio-based materials, and circular business models. Additionally, there are public awareness campaigns and regulations that can educate consumers on the environmental impact of fast fashion, promoting responsible purchasing, repair, and recycling, and ensuring transparency through clear labelling.
Of course, cohesive national strategies are needed to ensure consistent implementation of circular initiatives across Canada, streamlining efforts and enabling collaboration.
As other countries strengthen circularity regulations, Canada must act to remain competitive and meet international sustainability standards.
Looking ahead, what are your hopes for the circular economy in Canada over the next decade, and how does FTA envision contributing to this vision?
My hope is that in 10 years’ time, Canada’s circular economy for textiles will be characterized by a robust system where garments are designed for longevity, reuse, and recyclability, with a significant reduction in waste. By then, textiles will be part of a well-established circular supply chain that prioritizes local processing and recycling, with advanced technologies in textile-to-textile recycling and waste management. EPR will be widely implemented, ensuring that manufacturers are accountable for the entire life cycle of their products, driving eco-design and fostering innovation in recycling infrastructure.
Fashion Takes Action will continue to play a crucial role by driving this transformation. Through its leadership in policy advocacy, education, and collaboration, FTA will help shape regulations that promote sustainability across the textile value chain. Its initiatives, including research, public awareness campaigns, and support for pilot projects, will guide the industry toward circular models like resale, rental, and repair. FTA will also be instrumental in building industry-wide partnerships, helping align stakeholders from the public, private, and civil sectors to create a truly circular textile economy in Canada.
