Event Details
Blue Box PROs: The Competitive Landscape for the Future of Recycling in Ontario
Ontario’s new Blue Box Regulation, approved on June 3, 2021, requires producers to establish and operate systems for the collection, recycling and reuse of blue box materials. The new regulation makes producers fully responsible for their products and packaging, sets recycling targets, and gives producers choices for resource recovery services in a competitive market. Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) will play a key role in helping producers meet their responsibilities and achieve their regulated requirements to divert materials from landfill. Join OWMA for a webinar panel on Thursday, September 16th for a discussion on the vision of the major Blue Box PROs to make Ontario’s new Blue Box system a success.
Featuring:
• Usman Valiante, Circular Materials
• Dave Richmond, GFL Environmental
• Paulina Leung, Ryse Solutions
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Circular Materials Usman is a senior policy analyst and commercial strategist with 27 years of experience in the fields of environmental science and economics, corporate and commercial strategy, public policy development, regulatory and institutional design, and consultation and communications. He has developed a number of Canadian EPR policies, regulatory frameworks, programs, and circular economy systems for waste electronics and electrical equipment (WEEE), municipal household and special waste (MHSW), beverage containers, PPP, pharmaceuticals and sharps, used tires, batteries, and end-of-life vehicles. Usman is a Fellow of the Smart Prosperity Institute, a technical advisor to the Canada Plastics Pact and is a project lead for establishing Circular Materials Ontario (CMO).
GFL Environmental Dave entered the solid waste industry in 1989 as co-owner of a recycling operation (collection, processing and marketing) located in Oakville, Ontario. The company serviced institutional, commercial and industrial customers between Hamilton and Toronto and is still in business today. For twenty years, starting in 1994, Dave held senior sales and operations management roles with Waste Management Inc. in Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal, conducting business in five of eastern Canada’s six provinces. In 2014, Dave became President of Matrec Inc., a solid waste management company with operations in eastern Ontario and Quebec. GFL acquired Matrec in 2016. Dave is a founding member of the Conseil des entreprises en technologies environnementales du Quebec, Quebec’s industry association for waste, compost and recycling operators. Dave holds an MBA from the University of Western Ontario’s Ivey Business School. |
Usman Valiante, S
Dave Richmond, Executive Vice-President 
Emterra Group
Paulina Leung is the Chief Sustainability Officer of Emterra Group, a leader in the circular recovery of materials throughout Canada and the state of Michigan. Paulina brings a wealth of business acumen and experience as she oversees strategic initiatives, human resources, information technology, communications, and business development efforts.
As Emterra Group enters its fifth decade, it is evolving to create customized circular economy and waste management services to brand owners, manufacturers and various levels of government. Paulina’s focus and passion is in developing circular business models that are responsive to rapidly changing consumer, business and government demands.
A graduate of the Ivey School of Business, Paulina believes in giving back to the industry, serving on various boards, including the Ontario Waste Management Association, and actively participates in cross-jurisdictional organizations, including the Canada Plastics Pact, the OWMA Women to Waste Subcommittee, and the Packaging Association of Canada Diversity and Inclusion Committee, that promote an accessible circular economy.
