Ep.17 - Circular Manufacturing: Opportunities and Challenges in Canada's Advanced Manufacturing Sector

In this episode of Next Generation Manufacturing, host Jay Myers leads a riveting conversation on the future of advanced manufacturing, with a spotlight on circular manufacturing and the circular economy. The episode draws attention to Canada's innovative strides in environmental sustainability and life cycle product management.

Listeners will dive into a discussion that paints a vivid picture of the interplay between production optimization and the life cycle of products, as well as the lucrative potential of converting industrial waste into profit. The conversation, strikes a chord with those interested in environmental progress within industrial processes.

Industry leaders on the panel, including Bowden, Boqaileh, Stern, Shu, and Valeri, share thoughts and experiences from their respective fields, giving listeners a forecast of the transformation they expect within their domains. They disclose challenges like creating sustainable markets, managing material costs, regulatory frameworks, and supply chain complexities, painting a realistic portrait of the journey toward a circular economy in Canada.

 

About the Guest(s):

Lina Bowden is a partner and Chief Financial Officer at Carmina DeYoung, a garment manufacturing company known for its sustainable practices. She is deeply engaged in creating a circular economy within the textile industry, particularly focusing on minimizing waste and creating lasting clothing.

Khaled Boqaileh is the CEO and a driving force behind LabsCubed, which focuses on innovation in the polymer and plastics sector through automation and AI, aimed at creating efficient recycling processes.

Chris Stern is the CEO of Carbicrete, a company that is pioneering the production of negative carbon building materials by utilizing waste products like steel slag.

Jun Shu from CNEM (Canadian New Energy Materials Corporation) leads initiatives in green recycling processes for battery materials, which are critical for the burgeoning EV (Electric Vehicle) industry.

Tony Valeri is the president and CEO of Ridge Strategies. With an extensive career in the federal government and a focus on decarbonization, he brings a wealth of knowledge aiming to transform the steel sector to utilize waste as a resource.

 

Key Takeaways:

• Circular manufacturing is redefining how industries view waste by treating it as a valuable resource.
• Challenges such as cost, market demand, and complex recycling processes must be addressed to advance circular economies.
• Collaborative efforts and system thinking are crucial for the effective transition to circular manufacturing models.
• Advances in recyclable materials in textiles, polymers, and construction set a pace for change in Canada's manufacturing industries.
• Regulatory alignment and customer education will play pivotal roles in the success of circular economy initiatives.

 

 

Notable Quotes:

• "The concept of circular manufacturing and lifecycle product management demands a new way of doing business, new thinking about value chains." – Jay Myers
• "I think to do circular economies well, we have to be able to make things here." – Lina Bowden
• "The only way to really solve it is real innovation." – Khaled Boqaileh
• "Effectively make ours the obvious choice." – Chris Stern
• "We have to work hard." – Jun Shu

 

 

 

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