Toye Oyedun is a professional chemical engineer and accomplished research project manager, boasting over 17 years of expertise in project management, operational process development, process integration, and research engineering, focusing on sustainability and circularity.
He holds a Master’s degree in Advanced Chemical Engineering with Process Systems Engineering from Imperial College London, UK, and a PhD degree in Chemical Engineering with a concentration in Energy from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Throughout his career, Toye has contributed to diverse projects globally, spanning Academia, Government and Industry. His areas of specialization include greenhouse gas emission reduction, life cycle assessment, plastic waste/municipal solid waste management, clean energy, water footprint analysis, and clean fuel production. Notably, Toye was part of the team that played a pivotal role in advancing bio-economy initiatives in Alberta while working as a research/program analyst for the Government of Alberta.
Currently, Toye holds the position of Senior Project Manager (Research) for the Plastics Research In Action (PRIA) partnership at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT). In this capacity, he oversees the entire portfolio of projects under PRIA and serves as the research lead for some projects. One notable project is the Testing of Recycled Plastics in Asphalt to determine its viability under Alberta’s climate conditions.
Mehr Nikoo is a seasoned professional engineer with dual master’s degrees and over two decades of experience in process and research engineering, as well as project management. Her career includes roles at EPCs, InnoTech Alberta, and various start-up companies. Since June 2018, Mehr has been with Alberta Innovates, where she manages projects focused on utilizing agricultural and forestry residues, diverting plastics and municipal solid waste from landfills, and advancing clean technologies.
In her current role as Program Director for Bioindustrial and Circular Innovation, Mehr leverages her expertise to drive impactful initiatives that promote sustainability and innovation. Recently, she was elected as a board member for the Recycling Council of Alberta, where she advocates for a circular economy in the province.
Peter Mirtchev has over 6 years of experience in regulatory advocacy working with industry associations in the chemicals sector. Prior to joining the CIAC Plastics Division, he worked for the Canadian Paint and Coatings Association on multiple regulatory files impacting industry such as Chemicals Management under CEPA, VOC emissions, and Extended Producer Responsibility. He has also worked with the Chemical Institute of Canada where he developed relationships with leading chemistry researchers across all Canadian universities. Prior to transitioning to policy, he obtained a Ph.D in Chemistry, carrying out research on novel materials for renewable energy applications.
Meg is a seasoned change manager with over a decade of experience in economic development, supporting organizational and business transformations for sustainability. As Director of Strategic Initiatives with the Canada Plastics Pact, Meg works directly with industry, government, and other actors to tackle the plastics problem facing society today by creating a circular economy of plastics. She is energized by bringing together disparate fields, objectives, and organizations to collaboratively tackle big gritty challenges.
Paul Grenier started as Manager of Government Affairs at Clorox Canada in 2020 and is responsible for building relationships and partnerships with all three levels of government. He has been focused on sustainability issues since joining Clorox including the transition to EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) in most Canadian Provinces.
Mr. Grenier has also been a leader in consultations on Federal legislation for use of recycled plastics and accurate labelling of compostable and recycled packaging. Prior to Clorox he served 15 years as an elected Councillor in the Niagara Region of Ontario.
First elected to Welland Ontario City Council in 2003, he began three consecutive terms. Grenier was the Chair of Corporate Services Committees from 2009 to 2011 and in 2014. He also served as a director of Welland Hydro Corporation, Chair of Conservation Committee (2006-14). He completed his 11-year tenure on City Council with perfect attendance of 409 consecutive meetings.
As a member of Niagara Regional Council was Chair of Niagara Housing Corporation. Mr. Grenier started his term on Regional Council in 2014.From 2005-14, was a member of the Ontario Small Urban Municipalities (OSUM) Board and Chair from 2010 – 2012 and concurrently served a member of the AMO (Association of Municipalities in Ontario) executive.
Mr. Grenier, a graduate of Brock University in Economics, has had a long career in business development and advocacy for Waste, Recycling and Compost industries. He lives in Welland and is married to Wendy Ward, Professor at Niagara College. They have two adult children, Luc, and Claire.
Chemical recycling has been touted as the solution for managing our plastics problem, though we’ve heard this before with mechanical recycling claims and still have a long way to go. Join Antoinette Smith, Reporter for Plastics Recycling Update in the US, to learn about chemical recycling; how is it progressing in other jurisdictions around the world, and what lies ahead for expansion in North America?
Antoinette Smith started working as a reporter for Resource Recycling in June 2024 after spending several years covering commodity plastics and chemical value chains. In the role, she keeps abreast of industry trends, with a special focus on analyzing data. She recently relocated to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, after living in Houston, Texas, for more than a decade, where she was immersed in the chemical industry.
In this session on innovation, we'll hear from the trailblazers working on solutions for managing and manufacturing plastics: where PCR is king and old systems are revamped for in favour of new models that will shape how the industry grows in the next decade and beyond.
National and International Updates - Putting Alberta on the Map
In this session we turn our eyes outward. With the conclusion of INC-5, organizations across Canada are working toward a better future for plastic management. We'll hear from their perspectives on where international and national policy is headed and get ready to adapt and adjust accordingly with Alberta's future.
With the shift to EPR across Canada, producers of packaging and brand owners have been making big commitments to sustainable initiatives including design for recycling and promises for incorporation of recycled content back into new materials. They must also keep up with regulation differences across jurisdictions and changing markets pressures. In this session we will hear from brand owners and industry members on how they are setting their PCR goals, what changes of course they have made in the past few years and where they see the future of recycled content in their products.
The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) and Inter Pipeline Ltd. have initiated a $10 million, ten-year research collaboration to advance the reuse and recycling of plastic in Canada and around the world. This Plastics Research in Action (PRIA) initiative funds innovative applied research projects, much of which occurs within our 190,000 square feet Productivity and Innovation Centre (PIC) that is located on the north side of Main Campus.
As home to much of NAIT's applied research, PIC features solutions for business innovation – much of which relates to productivity:
Product testing
Technology adoption
Training and certifications
Productivity and innovation
Applied research
Industry conferences and events
We have numerous flexible workspaces that are adaptable in size and functionality, which gives our industry partners and clients a place to expand ideas and explore solutions. The A-wing of PIC is a 40,000 square foot space that houses wet labs, the analytical core, two microgrid controllers, and an advanced manufacturing core.
The building is designed to LEED Building and Construction certification standards, recognizing sustainability in design and construction. Solar panels installed above the glass canopy in the main foyer will generate 58 kilowatts of electricity per hour and will be used in distributed energy research.
Please join us for a tour during the Alberta Circular Plastics Day 2023 hosted by the Alberta Plastics Recycling Association (APRA) at PIC on March 15, 2023
Taking action on consumer waste supports jobs, economy
On March 18 the discussion paper was made available with the deadline to respond by April 30, 2021
March 17, 2021 – Alberta’s government is seeking ways to better manage this waste through a circular economy approach –an extended producer responsibility (EPR) program that will reduce volume in our landfills and diversify the economy. Under this approach, the cost and management of recycling shifts from municipalities and municipal taxpayers to those directly producing and consuming goods, encouraging companies to produce less waste and packaging and come up with innovative ways to recycle more materials.
“Furthering our recycling goals as a province is a win-win-win for the environment, local economies and municipalities, some of whom are sitting on backlogs of potentially recyclable materials. Changes to how we manage recycling in Alberta have been a long time coming and I am proud that our government is working to make the province a global leader in addressing plastic waste.”
Consultation will occur with municipalities, industry experts, Indigenous communities through stakeholder meetings and with the public through an online survey.
“The Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) is pleased to hear that the Government of Alberta is taking action on plastic waste. The RMA recognizes the value of recycling management and is a strong advocate that municipalities play an important role in waste reduction and waste management. We are looking forward to engaging with Alberta Environment and Parks and other stakeholders to design a made-in-Alberta solution to plastic waste that works for all.”
Currently, Alberta’s recycling activities support a total of 7,500 jobs while the sector contributes about $132 million a year to provincial gross domestic product. A shift to extended producer responsibility will increase the provincial GDP share to more than $148 million. The change would also cut emissions by an estimated 72,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent annually, or the equivalent of taking 120,300 passenger cars off the road each year.
“Alberta municipalities have long advocated for an EPR framework and an EPR packaging and paper program in Alberta. We welcome this opportunity to contribute to this policy’s development, which will benefit our environment, provide recycling services residents need, reduce taxes for local ratepayers, and create Alberta jobs. Alberta municipalities look forward to finding a made-in-Alberta solution.”
“Investors that are looking to Alberta’s economy will see this program as a strong sign of the government’s commitment to strong environmental, social and governance policies, and ARMA’s vision of a future without waste. Extended producer responsibility initiatives like this one use sensible, sustainable plastics diversion and recycling strategies for economic growth. This creates conditions for economic development while meeting the demands and expectations of consumers, investors and taxpayers. Albertans should be proud of this initiative. Together, we are building a circular economy where domestic ingenuity is creating jobs, value, and making our world a cleaner, greener place.”
Moving to a province wide extended producer responsibility approach will provide greater efficiency and economy of scale for recycling. Many other jurisdictions in Canada have already introduced similar approaches, benefiting taxpayers and the environment. Extended producer responsibility does not always mean extra costs for consumers. Industry funds the programs and decides whether or not to charge consumers. In other jurisdictions, there have been no additional consumer fees for packaging materials and Alberta consumers may already benefit from extended producer responsibility programs because product pricing is done nationally.
Albertans send 1,034 kilograms per person of waste to landfills annually.
Packaging and printed paper make up 15 to 20 per cent of waste. This represents a lost opportunity to keep material of value (e.g., plastics) in the economy and out of landfills.
