Convening and Connecting with Circular Economy Champions
September was full of visits, site tours, conferences, and opportunities to connect with circular economy leaders and innovators across Alberta.
On September 2, Kyle Plante, Operations and Partnerships Lead, visited Edmonton Unlimited to join their morning Community Coffee, an open networking session where entrepreneurs can pitch their business ideas to a group of like-minded people without the pressure of having something on the line. He was also given a short tour of the space ahead of the RCA’s upcoming Big Shot event. It was Kyle’s first visit to Edmonton Unlimited, and he found it eye-opening to see the space and the entrepreneurial community that will host Big Shot this November.
While in Edmonton, Kyle also attended the IndigiRise pitch night and networking event, created by Indigenous Project Events. The evening showcased Indigenous entrepreneurship and innovation, and Kyle enjoyed meeting entrepreneurs who have since applied to the RCA Big Shot Circular Economy Pitch Night. It was also a valuable opportunity to learn more about the businesses, ideas, and perspectives emerging from Indigenous entrepreneurs in Alberta and to build new connections within that community.
September 9 marked the grand opening of EFS-plastics’ new rigid plastics recycling facility in Lethbridge, a one-of-a-kind facility in Western Canada. The Alberta Plastics Recycling Association hosted the grand opening, which included a facility tour, lunch, a round of golf at Henderson Lake Golf Club, and dinner. The event highlighted both the facility’s processes and Alberta’s unique position in rigid plastics recovery and recycling.
WiQ Technologies also moved into a new office space in the historic Alberta Government Telephones building this month. Kyle joined the WiQ team and a great group of guests to celebrate the completed move and see the new space firsthand. It’s an open, shared space surrounded by windows, with interior offices flooded with natural light. The gem of it all is a huge walkout rooftop patio! The RCA is excited for the WiQ team and looks forward to seeing what they accomplish in their new home.
On September 23, Mortimer Capriles and Kyle visited the labs of OzoneBio, where Snow Ngai introduced them to the team, toured them through the lab space, and walked them through the company’s process of turning recycled wood into Nylon 66. It was inspiring to see It was inspiring to see such an energetic and youthful group of brilliant circular innovators working on technology with the potential to create new value from recovered materials. The RCA is excited to have OzoneBio joining us at the Catch the Wave conference in Lake Louise this October, and we look forward to hearing Dr. Khorcheska Batyrova speak during the Rising Tides Raise All Boats innovation session.
The RCA was also fortunate to attend the 36th Annual Organics Recycling Conference, organized by the Compost Council of Canada in Calgary. The conference brought together composting and organics recycling professionals from across Canada to share knowledge and explore innovations in soil health, agriculture, and composting programs. It was a fantastic event that demonstrated how projects at the local level can grow into significant impacts and help steer communities toward more sustainable practices.
https://www.compost.org/about-us/organics-recycling-conference
Finally, the Automotive Recyclers of Canada and the Alberta Automotive Recyclers and Dismantlers Association generously invited the RCA to attend the Western Canada Auto Recycling Show in Calgary. It was a highly informative event and an opportunity to connect with an incredibly welcoming group of circular businesses working in the automotive recycling sector. The event was also a great reminder of just how much circular economy activity already exists within the automotive industry, from parts reuse and vehicle dismantling to material recovery and keeping valuable components in circulation. There is a lot of knowledge and experience within this sector, and I’m looking forward to continuing to build connections between the RCA and Alberta’s automotive recycling community.
https://autorecyclers.ca/events/2026-western-canada-auto-recycling-show
