Alberta’s EPR Engagement Webinar Series

Heather von Hauff is the Executive Director of Water and Waste Policy in Alberta Environment and Parks. Heather has an MSC in hydrogeology from the University of Alberta. Heather’s career in the Government of Alberta began in Alberta Environment as a Regional Hydrogeologist in 2003. Since that time, she also worked in Alberta Energy and Executive Council before returning to the department. Over the course of her career, Heather has worked on a broad range of issues, including: air, biodiversity, land, conservation, water, waste, energy resources, regulatory system design, and economic initiatives. Heather lives in Edmonton with her husband, young daughter and two dogs.

Alda Nicmans is the Executive Director of the BC Product Stewardship Council, a coalition of BC regional districts that are responsible for solid waste management and waste reduction, recycling and re-use in their jurisdictions. One of the primary objectives of the Council is to provide a forum for ongoing dialogue between local governments and stewardship agencies on program operations and other related issues.

Since 1985, Alda has developed extensive experience designing and implementing progressive zero waste management systems in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario. Alda has served in executive positions for SWANA Pacific Chapter, two stewardship organizations: The Electronics Stewardship Association of BC; and The Tree Marking Paint Stewardship Association, gaining insight and understanding into the future of extended producer responsibility programs in Canada. She has also served on the Board of both the Recycling Council of BC and Ontario.

Kelsey Morden is the Manager, Sustainability Programs at Retail Council of Canada (RCC). RCC is a not-for-profit industry-funded association that represents small, medium and large retail businesses in every community across the country.

Kelsey supports members with environmental compliance, best practice sharing, and advocacy when it comes to extended producer responsibility regulations and programs. Recently, her work has been focused on the Ontario EPR regulations for printed paper and packaging, electrical and electronic equipment, batteries, and hazardous and special products.  

Prior to her time at RCC, Kelsey gained experience with government and environmental organizations on a range of environmental files including single-use plastics, energy and source water protection. Kelsey holds a Master of Environmental Studies from York University and a Bachelor of Science (Biology & Political Science) from the University of British Columbia.

Jodi Tomchyshyn London has more than 15 years’ experience working in the fields of waste minimization and recycling policy and has been a member of the RCA (through her work or via individual membership) since 2003.

Jodi co-owns and has operated JTL Squared Consulting Inc since 2016. Her work mainly focusses on encouraging and advancing best practices and policies related to waste minimization and recycling. Before venturing out on her own, Jodi held senior positions with Waste Diversion Ontario, where she was their Manager of Policy & Planning, and the governments of Ontario and Alberta where she acted as a senior policy advisor. During her time with the Alberta government, Jodi was also seconded to New Zealand’s Ministry for the Environment as a senior waste policy advisor.

Jodi holds the degrees of Master of Environmental Design (Environmental Science) from the University of Calgary, and Bachelor of Science (Environmental Biology) from the University of Alberta.

As the elected representative for Ward 14, Peter Demong brings 18 years of experience as a business owner, and 25 years of experience in the field of Logistics Management to Calgary City Council. Since his first term began in 2010, Peter has become experienced with almost every aspect of municipal management. He has spent time on the Standing Policy Committee on Urban Planning, the Calgary Economic Development Board, and the Enmax Board of Directors—to name a few. He also holds the Institute of Corporate Directors Director Designation. It was his involvement as the Chair of the Standing Policy Committee on Utilities and Corporate Services however, that first sparked his passion for effective municipal waste management. His positions on the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association’s Executive Committee, Sustainability and Environment Committee, and Plastics Alliance of Alberta make him a natural fit as one of Alberta’s strongest Extended Producer Responsibility supporters.

Andrew Doi is an Environmental Planner at Metro Vancouver, who specializes in Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs and policy. Andrew holds a Master’s degree in Resource and Environmental Management from Simon Fraser University and is a Registered Professional Planner. Andrew began working at Metro Vancouver in 2001, and he has been focusing on EPR programs for over a decade.

Ben Van Nostrand is a Professional Agrologist, with a technical Diploma in Water Quality Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Planning.  After spending 14 years with the Ministry of Environment working on waste management issues in Northern BC and contributing to policy work in Victoria, he transitioned to the challenges of local government in 2010.  As the Environmental Health Services Team Leader at the Columbia Shuswap Regional District, Ben is responsible for solid waste, recycling and environmental programming.  Ben is an avid fly fisherman, plays goal in a men’s hockey league and has 3 boys aged 12, 10 and 6 that make life busy.

Raised in the Okanagan, Cameron Baughen is an advocate for the environmental and financial benefits of solid waste management in his community. He has been working with the RDOS Solid Waste group in Penticton, BC for over 16 years. He has been project lead on major solid waste projects including the Regional organics feasibility study, featured by FCM as an example of municipal environmental leadership, and the RDOS Solid Waste Management Plan. Cameron is a Board Member with the Recycling Council of BC and a member of SWANA, the Southern Interior Waste Management Association and the BC Product Stewardship Council.

Albino Metauro, Strategic Advisor, Material Recovery, at Cascades Canada ULC

Over the past 42 years Al has enjoyed playing a contributing role in the dynamic and constantly changing recovery and recycling industry. Having experienced the industry from a small startup company to becoming one of Canada’s largest fibre recovery operations, Al has witnessed firsthand the challenges and transitions that relate to managing discarded materials.

For the past 26 years Al has had the privilege of having Cascades Canada ULC, a major paper and packaging producer, as a partner. Cascades is also a major consumer of recovered fibre. The relationship with Cascades gave Al a unique perspective on how a circular economy can work and the challenges hindering its advancement. As a partner, Al has focused on developing and operating recovery operations that recover a wide range of materials dominated by paper fibre consumed internally by Cascades’ mills.

As one of his accomplishments, Al lead a group of Canadian recyclers to join together and respond to an RFP in British Columbia that resulted in giving the new formed group, Green by Nature EPR (GBN) a contract that managed the entire post collection system for the Province. As the CEO of GBN, Al was responsible for the continued development of this new venture with a focus on addressing the needs of the Producers as they take on a more pronounced role in managing their printed paper and packaging.

Today Al is assisting Cascades’ Recovery+ division with transitioning its senior management team to take on leadership of the day to day functions and providing guidance on strategy related to meeting the company’s secondary fibre needs and circular objectives.

Tony Moucachen is one of the founders and President of Merlin Plastics. He considers himself an environmentalist and is passionate about recycling. He feels that he has been blessed to have a career that is consistent with his personal environmental values. For the past 25 years, Merlin Plastics has planned, developed, and refined the re-processing of PE, PP and PET starting in British Columbia in a 2000 square foot warehouse, and have now grown to over one million square feet of plant operations with sister plants located in Alberta, California and Oregon. Merlin Plastics received the 2001 Outstanding Contribution to Recycling award by the Recycling Council of Alberta.

Peter Hargreave is a proud member of the Recycling Council of Alberta and the President of Policy Integrity Inc. He has over 16 years’ experience in providing strategic advice in the development, implementation, and oversight of public policy. Over his professional career, he has developed a strong network of relationships with regulators, public and private organizations, and other key stakeholders involved in environmental issues across Canada, the United States and abroad. He has extensive experience in assessing waste management policies at the federal, provincial, and municipal level across the country. He has also played a key role in leading major research efforts in the waste management sector including data capture & analysis and understanding the economic and environmental impacts of various waste management activities.