April 2026 Letter from the Executive Director
E – Energy, Engagement, and Exchange
April has been a month defined by energy — in conversations, connections, and the continued momentum of Alberta’s circular economy.
At Alberta Circular Plastics Day (ACPD) on March 11, it was encouraging to reconnect with those advancing plastics circularity across the province. A clear message carried through the day: building a circular plastics economy is good for Alberta — and advancing circularity across all materials is essential to our shared future.
While challenges remain, particularly around demand for recycled plastics, the conversation reflected a strong commitment to move forward through collaboration, innovation, and maintained persistence.
This same energetic spirit carried into our Explore Circularity Day 2026 (ECD) one week later, focused on textile circularity in Alberta.
First and foremost, I would like to thank our speakers, attendees, and volunteers. Your insights and active participation made this event a true success. Across both Discover Circular Textiles — Community Day (featuring tours and documentary screening) and ECD, we saw strong engagement and a shared commitment to advancing textile circularity in Alberta.
What stood out most was the shift from learning to doing. From hands-on upcycling — transforming secondhand denim into new products — to thoughtful discussions on policy, innovation, and system design, the conversations brought both the challenges and opportunities of textile circularity into clear focus.
Several key takeaways emerged. Textile waste does not disappear — it moves through global systems, reinforcing the need to address challenges upstream, through refusing, rethinking, and redesigning how materials are created and used. At the same time, it became clear that the solution is not any one action alone — not reuse, repair, repurposing, or recycling in isolation — but a system that brings all these elements together along the R-ladder.
Equally important is how we work within that system. Advancing textile circularity is not the responsibility of individuals, organizations, or government alone, but of a community committed to moving forward together. While many trailblazers across Alberta are already taking meaningful action, greater alignment — in policy, infrastructure, and logistics — will help us move further, faster.
Policy tools such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and eco-modulation are gaining traction as mechanisms to influence material choices and enable system-level change. Circular solutions — from reuse and repair to advanced recycling and new end markets — are already underway in Alberta, with clear potential to scale. Organizations, like Davey, Zylotex, Goodwill, and others are contributing to growing circular solutions across Alberta.
The conference is only a starting point. What it created — new connections, renewed relationships, and a clearer sense of direction — will carry this work forward. We are continuing these conversations, by welcoming new members, Creative Reuse Calgary, Bumby Wool, and others. These moments beyond the conference are where ideas begin to take shape in practice.
The more we see and explore together, the more tangible our circular future becomes.
Beyond these events, we are also looking ahead as an organization.
As the calendar changes to April 1, our new fiscal year begins. We are poised to execute our 2026–2027 business plan developed with the priorities shared by you through the member survey in mind. The RCA is also seeking to fill a vacancy on the RCA Board. We welcome interest from individuals who are passionate about advancing a circular economy in Alberta and who can bring diverse perspectives to our governance and strategic direction. Specifically, those with municipal experience and governance expertise are encouraged to apply.
Energy sparks ideas. Engagement builds alignment. And exchange creates the conditions for meaningful action.
Thank you for the role each of you play in this work. We look forward to continuing the journey together.
Jennifer Koole
Executive Director
Recycling Council of Alberta