Challenges, Opportunities, and Technological Innovations to Address Recycling of Flexible Plastics

As CEO, Allen is responsible for leading Circular Materials through the development of Ontario’s new blue box recycling system while expanding the organization’s operations into other provinces, starting with New Brunswick. His mission is to support producers with a robust not-for-profit service offering that advances the circular economy, delivers national harmonization of extended producer responsibility (EPR) services and harnesses competitive procurement to provide the best value for producers.
Prior to joining Circular Materials, Allen served as the President and CEO of Return-It, British Columbia’s very successful used beverage container management program in Canada. In this role, Allen oversaw the modernization of Return-It’s collection network, which consists of more than 170 collection sites, including Return-It depots, Express Plus and Express & GO stations. Return-It has routinely exceeded a 75% recovery rate for used beverage containers in British Columbia, and its network has supported the collection of new materials, including waste electrical and electronic equipment.
Allen also served as the Managing Director for Recycle BC, the first 100% EPR program for paper and packaging in North America where industry assumed full financial and managerial responsibility for the residential recycling system.
Allen currently serves as an Advisory Board Member for the Washington State Recycling Development Centre.

Martin is the founder of EFS-plastics Inc. He is a plastic engineer technologist who built his first mechanical recycling line for his father’s company 30 years ago in Germany. With over 15 years of experience in post-consumer recycling in Germany and over 18 years of experience in Canada, Martin is an industry pioneer, passionate leader, and true innovator. 

He built all 3 EFS recycling plants in Canada and the US from scratch with the newest available technologies, now employing over 170 workers recycling plastic film and mixed rigids, with a strong commitment support for local industries and communities. 

With over 15 years of experience in the packaging industry with companies like Tetra Pak and Lactalis, Jawad Khan has established a reputation for driving sustainable recycling solutions and EPR schemes. 

Jawad has spearheaded numerous initiatives aimed at enhancing recyclability of packaging materials. His expertise spans across various aspects of the packaging lifecycle, including design, production, and end-of-life management. Jawad has successfully collaborated with cross-functional teams to develop recycling programs. 

With Lactalis Canada, Jawad joins in efforts to integrate circular economy, ensuring that materials are recycled, and repurposed to minimize environmental impact. This involves regular contact with provincial/federal governments and with all Canadian PROs and regulators. 

Jawad holds a Master’s in Environmental Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute Massachusetts and is working actively with Food Health Consumer Products, Dairy Processors Association of Canada, Polystyrene Recycling Alliance, and Canada Plastics Pact. 

Elena Mantagaris has over 25 years of experience establishing partnerships with governments and communities to advance large-scale projects subject to regulatory review and public scrutiny in the plastics, energy, iron, transportation, and technology sectors. In particular, enabling greater resource recovery for domestic resiliency has been a focus of her efforts in several of these sectors.

Elena led the Plastics Division for the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada representing members across the full plastics value-chain and she currently works with the Association of Plastic Recyclers and individual companies looking to scale up industrial capacity to achieve zero plastic waste in a low-carbon circular economy.