Catherine Tays is a Project Manager in Environment and Climate Change at CSA Group (Canadian Standards Association). In her current role, Catherine supports standards development in a number of circular economy initiatives, including plastics recycling, agrifood, and bioeconomy, also managing the CSA technical committee on Circular Plastics and Waste Management and multiple sustainability-focused Canadian ISO mirror committees.

Catherine holds a PhD in Microbiology and Biotechnology from the University of Alberta, during which she researched bacteria-mediated biotransformation of greenhouse gas into biodegradable bioplastics. She has also previously worked in energy transition research and is experienced in navigating the complexities of environmental issues and engagement.

Dean Schultz is General Manager of Heartland Finance for Inter Pipeline Ltd. (IPL). In this role, Dean is a Senior Leader supporting Heartland’s business functions, including operations, financial risk management, investment, and commercial development.

Prior to joining Inter Pipeline, Dean was a Senior Vice President at Brookfield Asset Management, where he oversaw a substantial portfolio of operating companies. In his role with Brookfield, Dean supported the development of strategic direction, risk management and growth initiatives with the portfolio companies. Dean has had over 20 years of experience in finance and executive leadership, where he has led and supported corporate finance, asset development and M&A activity. Dean has also sat on numerous public, private and non-profit boards.

Dean has an undergraduate degree in Mathematics from the University of Alberta and holds a CA, CPA designation with the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.

David is currently the Director of the Waste Policy Section, Water and Waste Policy Branch, Policy Division, with Alberta Environment and Protected Areas. David has held various senior management positions within the Environment Department over the past 20+ years. Some of David’s key accomplishments have been supporting flood recovery projects in Southern Alberta communities including High River and the Foothills Municipal District No. 31 following the 2013 floods, standing up the Wetland Replacement Fund, leading the development of a new contaminated sites program and most recently providing leadership to the new Extended Producer Responsibility program. He has also helped to build a strong Occupational Health and Wellness Program within the Department. David has been married to his wife Andrea for 40+ years and together they’ve raised 3 children. They have 2 rescue mastiffs and a yellow lab (David’s hunting buddy ‘Clancy’). He is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys fishing in the Rockies and hunting waterfowl and big game across the province in the fall.

Hendrik holds a master’s degree in international management and has 10 years of industry experience. He launched plastics recycling projects on three continents including Europe, Asia, and North America since starting his career in packaging circularity. His journey began in retail recycling where he designed and executed zero waste programs for a large global grocery chain. Prior to his current role at EFS, Hendrik launched two plastic recycling plants in California and South Carolina where he was recognized with his team for high quality resins that closed the loop on many flexible packaging applications. As Vice President of Business Development at Eds, Hendrik is overseeing the commercial functions and market strategy for EFS-plastics which includes strategic supplier partnerships and brand relations.

Applied Chemist, has 12 years of academic and industrial laboratory experience, performing analytical chemistry in various sectors within Alberta including oil and gas and environmental monitoring. Within NAIT, Jeremiah studies an emerging contaminant – microplastics. His team has adapted and applied laboratory and field techniques to the North Saskatchewan River to gather data to measure microplastic concentrations within the Edmonton municipal region.  Jeremiah aims to contribute to the growing scientific understanding of microplastics in the environment and improve measurement precision and accuracy through the dissemination of methodology to the scientific community.  He was also awarded the TELUS World of Science Fellowship in 2023 and continues to communicate science to the public through this organization with hopes of inspiring prospective scientists within Alberta.

Jesus Atias is the Advanced Recycling and Bio Supply Associate Director for North America and Latin America at Dow. He has commercial responsibility on strategy implementation aligned to customer demand for circular and bio-based products as well as company sustainability targets. He has over 19 years of experience in roles ranging from research, marketing, business development and sales, including establishing circular economy models from waste aggregation to waste conversion into products. Jesus holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from Universidad Simon Bolivar (Venezuela), Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Western Ontario (Canada), and an Executive MBA in Finance from the University of Calgary (Canada). Jesus was recently featured in the American Chemistry Council’s Change Makers campaign for his work to connect material suppliers, recyclers, product designers, packagers, and  others – to bring plastics resources into a continuous loop.

Kelsey is an Industrial Surface Chemist in the Clean Technologies group at NAIT. Kelsey holds a B.Sc and an M.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Alberta and has accumulated over 10 years of industrial and applied research experience in mining, nanotechnology, and analytical chemistry fields focusing on development and characterization of complex materials.

In her current role, Kelsey leads the development and implementation of characterization methods applied to a broad range of post- consumer products, by-products, wastes, and residual materials, as well as synthetic chemicals originating from industrial processes. Kelsey has experience having worked as part of multidisciplinary teams to successfully implement both lab scale and pilot scale projects for process optimization and product development.

Meg is a seasoned change manager with over a decade of experience supporting organizational transformations for sustainability. As Director of Strategic Initiatives with the Canada Plastics Pact, Meg works directly with industry and other value chain actors to tackle the plastics problem facing society today. She holds a BSc in Chemistry, an MA in Dance, and a PhD in sustainability studies. Meg is energized by bringing together disparate fields, objectives, and organizations to collaboratively tackle big gritty challenges.

As Polykar’s Vice-President & Chief Technology Officer, Mehdi leads our R&D product development strategy to drive continuous innovation and foster growth.

He has over 20 years of experience in various polymer industries including more than 10 years in development of flexible packaging products for food and pharmaceutical industry in North America under his belt. Oriented towards continuous improvement, he has led multidisciplinary projects en route to developing more than 20 new products from ideation to launch. He is a proven leader with an impressive track record in developing products to boost sales growth and to build trust with customers by addressing their quality concerns and meeting their demanding expectations.

Mehdi holds a PhD in polymer-packaging materials from École de Polytechnique de Montréal as well as several certificates in project management.

Paul Tas is Director of Technical Services for NOVA Chemicals’ Polyethylene business. He joined NOVA Chemicals in 2003 and has held a variety of leadership positions in Innovation, Quality, Intelligence, and Sales and Marketing. Paul holds a MSc in Mathematics and a PhD in Materials Science from Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands. He serves as a member of the Advisory Board for the Canadian Plastics Pact, the CIAC Plastics Leadership Council and is an active member in the reciChain Alberta project.

NOVA’s Technical Services team is driving innovation in the packaging design for circularity, with a primary focus on making packaging mono-material. Innovations happen at the interface of product, application and technology development. To close the loop, the team also works closely with value chain partners to incorporate recycled PE in packaging, without compromising the quality, performance and functionality of the packaging.

He lives with his wife and three children in Cochrane, AB, where he is active in the soccer community, and he and his family are avid outdoors enthusiasts.

Dr. Rick Robinson is an environmental scientist with three decades of experience in the assessment and management of environmental impacts of human activities in the natural environment. He is considered a subject matter expert in the areas of aquatic resource management, environmental risk assessment, toxicology, monitoring and compliance. Rick has a Ph.D. in Environmental Toxicology from the University of Guelph, an M.Sc. in Renewable Resources from McGill University, and a B.Sc. in Ecology from the University of Manitoba. Rick joined the City of Calgary in 2015 and is currently the Team Lead for Environmental Compliance with the Water Utility.

Shannon has over 10 years of dedicated experience in the plastics industry. Currently serving as the Plastics Division Member Relations Manager at the Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CIAC), Shannon plays a pivotal role in fostering relationships within the industry and driving initiatives that contribute to the sustainable management of plastic materials.

In her current role, Shannon leads the Operation Clean Sweep (OCS) file, a program aimed at minimizing plastic pellet, flake, and powder loss in the supply chain to prevent environmental pollution. Under her leadership, Operation Clean Sweep in Canada has achieved significant success, making strides towards ensuring that plastics remain a valuable part of the economy while minimizing their impact on the environment.

Before assuming her current position, Shannon worked as a program coordinator at the Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA). During her time there, she gained valuable experience in coordinating and implementing various programs related to the plastics industry.

Richard Lapointe has been working in the plastics and flexible packaging industry for fifteen years. He holds a B.S. in engineering from the Université Laval and a M.S. in environment from the Université de
Sherbrooke. He joined Hood Packaging in 2012 and he is currently Technical and Product Development Manager for
the Calgary Plastics site. He previously held the position of Quality Assurance Manager and managed the SQF and ISO certifications of two manufacturing plants. Established in 1978, Hood Packaging is a world-class packaging supplier, with 23 plants located across North America. We make plastic film and bags, woven polypropylene bags, coated and laminated materials, and paper packaging.

Tony Moucachen is the President and one of the founders of Merlin Plastics. He is passionate about the environment, and feels blessed to have a career that is consistent with his personal environmental values.

For the past 30 plus years, Merlin Plastics has planned, developed, and built plants that process PE, PP, HDPE (flexible PE/PP), and PET.  The company began its recycling business in 1987 out of a two thousand square foot warehouse in Delta, British Columbia.  Today, Merlin owns and operates recycling facilities totalling over one million square feet in space with sister plants located in Alberta, Ontario, California and Oregon.  Merlin has also been involved in post-collection EPR programs and worked in a partnership spirit with EPR organizations to effectively manage end of life plastics packaging.

Tony is a Director of the Canada Plastics Pact, an active member of the Canadian Plastics Industry Association, and served for many years as a Director of the Association of Plastics Recyclers. In 2001, Merlin Plastics received the “Outstanding Contribution to Recycling” award from the Recycling Council of Alberta. And in 2005, the Recycling Council of BC recognized Merlin Plastics with an award “in recognition of ongoing commitment to the ideals of responsible environmental stewardship in the province of British Columbia”.

The Merlin Plastics team is dedicated and committed to providing environmental services in an economically efficient, environmentally sound, and socially responsible fashion.

Lorraine Royer is General Manager of Policy, Indigenous & External Relations for Inter Pipeline Ltd. (IPL). In this role, Lorraine oversees IPL’s policies and programs that intersect with the people, communities, governments, and organizations where Inter Pipeline seeks to operate a sustainable business, and to develop new opportunities for growth.

Prior to joining Inter Pipeline, Lorraine was Manager of Stakeholder and Corporate Relations for Williams Energy Canada, which was acquired by IPL in 2016. Lorraine also spent nine years leading the Calgary office of a national government relations consulting firm, Global Public Affairs. She joined Global from Enbridge Inc. where she managed corporate government relations and chaired an internal corporate Climate Change Task Force for the company. Prior to this Lorraine worked in Ottawa, serving as Senior Policy Advisor to the Hon. Ralph Goodale.

Lorraine has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Alberta and two undergraduate degrees, a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (Economics) and a Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing), both from the University of Saskatchewan.

Courtenay Boyda is proud to serve on the APRA Board of Directors as Vice President since April 2022. During this short time, Courtenay has taken an active role in setting and executing APRA’s strategy for day-to-day operations, promoting APRA in government and academia, co-leading negotiations for new program implementation at APRA, and is an active member of the Advocacy, Communications, and Alberta Circular Plastics Day committees. She is the Authorized Representative on the Board of Directors for Dow Chemical Canada ULC (Dow).

As Environment, Health, Safety & Sustainability (EHS&S) Regional Delivery Manager at Dow, Courtenay has responsibility for several key environmental regulatory portfolios for Dow’s Alberta Operations, as well as multiple sustainability initiatives advancing Dow’s ambitious Sustainability Goals, including Operation Clean Sweep. She utilizes her strengths as a relationship builder to develop strong well-established relationships with provincial and federal environmental regulatory agencies, as well as a broad network of industry, vendor, community, and stakeholder relationships. As a sustainability leader in the province of Alberta, Courtenay plays a critical role supporting Dow’s existing assets, while also supporting Dow’s proposed Fort Saskatchewan Path2Zero expansion project, which will create the world’s first net-zero carbon emissions integrated ethylene cracker and derivatives site with respect to scope 1 and 2 carbon dioxide emissions.

Courtenay holds a Bachelors of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering and is a Professional Engineer (P. Eng.) in the province of Alberta. She is based in the Greater Edmonton Area.

Ronda Gras is a Senior R&D Scientist of Analytical Science at Dow Canada. Since 1991, Gras has held many critical positions in manufacturing and research. Ronda is a prolific researcher with more than 70 peer-reviewed scientific publications. She holds three patents and is a co-author of several patent applications. Gras received the 2017 Edison Award and was recognized with the 2018 NAIT Alumni Award of Excellence. Gras is an active member of Analytical Science’s Global Gas Chromatography (GC) Technology Network and is responsible for the worldwide development, implementation, and effective execution of the GC technology pipeline at Dow. Gras is a steering team member of the Dow-Agilent Technologies Strategic Partnership. She is also an advisory board member of NAIT’s Ovintiv Applied Research in Energy and the Clean Technologies team. She engages in the Plastic Research in Action program with external stakeholders to monitor microplastics in the North Saskatchewan River.

Punita earned a Ph.D. in Chemistry from India and a Master of Science in Bioresource Technology from the University of Alberta. Presently serving as a research scientist/research assistant at the University of Alberta, Punita focuses on materials/biomaterials, biopolymers sourced from renewable resources, nanomaterial synthesis, and their applications in food packaging. With expertise in developing nanomaterials and biopolymer-derived materials from renewable sources, Punita has contributed to diverse industrial applications, including biomedical and food packaging.

Ben Jar is a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Alberta. Research conducted by his group is in the area of materials evaluation. Current work is focused on characterization of the load-carrying performance of materials, including polyethylene, poly (vinyl chloride), 3D-printed polymers, rail steel and steel pipe. Work presented in this poster is for evaluation of mechanical properties of recycled polymers.

Mark is a PhD candidate at the University of Alberta working on sustainable processes for bioplastic production, a topic at the intersection of chemical engineering and microbiology. His research focuses on improving the ways we separate biologically produced plastics from bacteria by using recyclable solvents. He is part of a research group which studies the production of bioplastics via the bioconversion of methane, and the development of biocomposites and bio-sourced additives to improve their properties and biodegradation. Mark is passionate about finding ways in which we can reduce our environmental burden without compromising our quality of life.

Jianbo Lu holds a Ph.D. in Bioresource Engineering from McGill University. Since joining Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation (AGI) in 2012, he has played a pivotal role in establishing and leading the biomaterial program at AGI. In his capacity as a Senior Bioresource Engineer, Dr. Lu contributes to the advancement of the bioeconomy by applying engineering principles and scientific knowledge to support Alberta & agriculture and bio-industry in bioproduct development. Jianbo actively seeks and evaluates emerging technologies related to the utilization of agricultural and forestry by-products. He also enhances and re-engineers capacities, such as pilot and lab equipment and devices, to align with project requirements from clients.

Dr. Lu has collaborated with numerous companies and industrial organizations, focusing on biomass pre-treatment, densification, compounding extrusion, and materials characterization. His projects primarily concentrate on biomaterial (bioplastics/biocomposites) development, fiber application, testing method
development, and materials characterization, encompassing the entire spectrum from proof of concept to pilot production. Additionally, Jianbo is a committee member of the Fibre Standards Subcommittee of the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance (CHTA) and the Biomaterials Subcommittee of Biomass Quality Network Canada (BQNC).

With a commitment to knowledge dissemination, Jianbo has delivered presentations at both national and international conferences and has authored articles in reputable journals such as the Journal of Food Engineering, Foodborne Pathogens and Disease, Postharvest Biology and Technology, and Transactions of the ASABE.

Muhammad Arshad, Polymer Chemist and Research Associate has an MSc in Chemistry and a PhD in Organic Chemistry. Dr. Arshad has over 10 years of experience in applied research and specialized in the fabrication and testing of novel products manufactured using both conventional and renewable polymeric materials. In his present position, Dr. Arshad oversees projects related to plastic circularity, with a primary focus on transforming plastics waste into sustainable products through processes development and optimization. His future endeavors involve ongoing efforts to apply chemistry in addressing various environmental challenges globally.

Katrina Gonzales, Laboratory technologist, has dedicated expertise in microplastic analysis. For the last 2 years she has assisted in method development on various microplastic projects and has significantly contributed to the optimization and validation of the infrared microscopes installed at NAIT. She has expert level instrumentation operation skills and proficient in hyperspectral image analysis to identify and quantify microplastics in samples submitted to NAIT.

Arash Alizadeh holds a dual Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering from Queen’s University (Canada) and University of Lyon (France). Dr. Alizadeh has over 15 years of academic/industrial experience in the polymer science and technology, particularly in the areas of polymer reaction engineering, process modeling and simulation, new plastic product development and scale-up as well as plastics recycling and sustainability.

As a senior research associate in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the University of Alberta, Dr. Alizadeh is responsible for acquisition, execution, coordination, and management of research projects funded by industry, academia, or public sector organizations. His research activities so far have resulted in numerous peer-reviewed papers published in leading academic journals, a patent, and a book chapter. His research findings have been presented both nationally and internationally at many reputable conferences.

Dr. Alizadeh is an avid educator and shares his knowledge through lectures and workshops, hoping to inspire the next generation of chemical engineers and material scientists with a passion for sustainability and the environment.

Dr. Ngo is currently working at InnoTech Alberta as principal research scientist for Bio-Industrial Services. TD has worked at InnoTech Alberta since 2014. Dr. Ngo is a project manager and technical lead for numerous industrial and academic projects at both national and international levels. His research focuses on the development of novel, eco-friendly materials using renewable, sustainable materials, and circular economy for various applications and sectors. The materials include but not limited to polymer, plastic, biopolymer, composite, biocomposite, nanocomposite, film, additive manufacturing (3D printing), corrosion inhibitor/protection, coating, shape memory/self -healing/smart materials, carbon fiber for applications as oil & gas, construction, aerospace, sport, forestry, agriculture, etc. Dr. Ngo graduated from Chemical Engineering at HoChiMinh University of Technology, in 1997 and received his Master of Chemical Engineering in 2001. In 1997, he held a position as lecturer and researcher in the Department of Chemical Engineering at HoChiMinh University of Technology. In 2001, he joined the Department of Materials Engineering as lecturer and researcher. He obtained his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Concordia University, Montreal, Canada in 2007. From 2003 to 2104, he worked as researcher at Industrial Materials Institute (IMI) of National Research Council of Canada (NRC).

Dr. Ngo holds a couple of patents and several inventions, edited 3 books and 15 scientific book chapters, 150 technical reports and published more than 100 papers for the most part published in international conference proceedings and international journals.

Professor Satya Panigrahi is a distinguished engineer, researcher, and educator based in Canada. Over the past twenty-five years, he has focused on green technologies involving natural fibres, polymers, composites, and more, contributing significantly to various fields such as waste management and bioenergy. Currently, Prof. Panigrahi holds the position of Manufacturing Research Chair at Saskatchewan Polytechnic in Saskatchewan, Canada. Before this role, Dr. Panigrahi served as a Professor and Provincial Research Chair at the University of Saskatchewan, specializing in value engineering. Dr. Panigrahi & extensive work extends beyond academia, as he also serves as an innovative engineering research consultant, technology developer, and Lean-certified coach. His numerous publications, over two dozen patents, and recognition through awards and honours underscore his commitment to advancing green technologies and fostering industry development in Canada and beyond.