The prices paid for goods used in residential construction have increased 16.5% over the past 12 months. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics) Material life cycle assessments indicate that the embodied carbon of building materials will account for nearly half of the carbon emissions associated with new construction in the coming decades (Source: architecture2030.org), and an estimated 600 million tons of construction and demolition debris were generated in the US in 2018 - 24% going to landfill. (Source: US EPA)

With these economic and environmental considerations, reused and recycled building materials present a huge opportunity for greater supply chain collaboration and manufacturing innovation that can help drive stronger end-markets for C&D materials and open up new opportunities to use reused/recycled materials in new buildings. On Tuesday, July 27 we’ll be doing a deep dive on this opportunity at the Great Lakes Circular Materials Roundtable: Building Materials.

Speakers selected from the Materials Marketplace network will present demonstrated processes for producing lower-impact building materials from recycled materials, and explore new end-markets for recurring material supplies. 

Attendees will then have the chance to interact directly with speakers, network with potential value chain partners and connect with local program sponsors.

If you’re involved in construction and demolition, have an end-market for related materials or are looking for opportunities to expand in the recycle and reuse space, this event is for you!

The Great Lakes Circular Materials Roundtable: Build Materials
Tuesday, July 27, 2020 | 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM ET
via Zoom 

10:20 to 10:30am (login early!): Join via Zoom Conferencing early to test your connection and meet other attendees.

10:30 to 11:10am: Event organizers and program sponsors will welcome guests. Speakers from the Materials Marketplace network will provide a brief overview of the material challenge and outline some promising applications and use cases. Use the Zoom chat box to ask questions for a brief Q&A session following the presentations.

11:10 to 12:10pm: Building on the morning presentations, attendees will be divided into breakout groups for facilitated discussion. Groups will brainstorm solutions and recommend professional connections.

12:10 to 12:30pm: Outcomes from the breakout session discussions will be shared and captured as actionable next steps.

On March 16, 2021 the US Business Council for Sustainable Development hosted the Great Lakes Circular Materials Roundtable: End-Markets for E-Waste event with support from EGLE, CGLR, MRC, and the Ohio EPA.

A recap of the event including key takeaways, action items and speaker slides is published here.

Event attendees and other interested individuals are invited to this follow-up facilitated networking event to share outcomes and progress from the event and to further workshop sustainable solutions for the materials.

On May 25, 2021 the US Business Council for Sustainable Development hosted the Great Lakes Circular Materials Roundtable: Reuse event with support from EGLE, CGLR, MRC, and the Ohio EPA.

See the event recap here.

Event attendees and other interested individuals are invited to this follow-up facilitated networking event to share outcomes and progress from the event and to further workshop opportunities to develop business models and practices centered around materials reuse.

“The shift to a circular economy requires innovative business models that either replace existing ones or seize new opportunities.” -Ellen Macarthur Foundation

The Great Lakes Circular Materials Roundtable Series facilitates opportunities to solve specific materials challenges from Great Lakes businesses that can lead to development of a more circular economy in the region. Past events in the series have been centered on specific materials like e-waste, glass, film plastics, and textiles; and recycling applications to reduce the product all the way back to its basic materials, reprocess those materials, and use them to make new products, components or materials.

We’ve also heard from and featured examples of successful businesses and business operations created from the reuse of these materials - applications and business practices where a material or product is reused multiple times and redistributed to new users in its original form with little enhancement or change. (See examples in pallets and electronic waste event recaps.)

Building on those examples, we’ll be diving deeper into reuse as a business model and a business practice at the Great Lakes Circular Materials Roundtable: Reuse on May 25, 2021. This event will catalyze local entrepreneurship in the reuse space and identify opportunities where reuse can help businesses meet financial, operational and environmental goals and needs.

Speakers selected from the Materials Marketplace network will present on established and emerging reuse opportunities for businesses in the Great Lakes Region. Attendees will then join speakers and regional program sponsors in breakout sessions to explore collaborative opportunities for materials reuse.

If you’re a player in the reuse space or are implementing reuse strategies in your business, this event is for you!

The Great Lakes Circular Materials Roundtable: Reuse
Tuesday, May 25, 2020 | 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM ET
via Zoom 

10:20 to 10:30am (login early!): Join via Zoom Conferencing early to test your connection and meet other attendees.

10:30 to 11:10am: Event organizers and program sponsors will welcome guests. Speakers from the Materials Marketplace network will provide a brief overview of the material challenge and outline some promising applications and use cases. Use the Zoom chat box to ask questions for a brief Q&A session following the presentations.

11:10 to 12:10pm: Building on the morning presentations, attendees will be divided into breakout groups for facilitated discussion. Groups will brainstorm solutions and recommend professional connections.

12:10 to 12:30pm: Outcomes from the breakout session discussions will be shared and captured as actionable next steps.

On January 12, 2021 the US Business Council for Sustainable Development hosted the Great Lakes Circular Materials Roundtable: Glass event with support from EGLE, CGLR, MRC, and the Ohio EPA.

An event recap including key takeaways, next steps and presenter slides is published here.

Event attendees and other interested individuals are invited to this follow-up facilitated networking event to share outcomes and progress from the event and to further workshop sustainable glass solutions.

Request an Invitation:

On March 16, 2021 the US Business Council for Sustainable Development hosted the Great Lakes Circular Materials Roundtable: End-Markets for E-Waste event with support from EGLE, CGLR, MRC, and the Ohio EPA.

Event attendees and other interested individuals are invited to this follow-up facilitated networking event to share outcomes and progress from the event and to further workshop sustainable solutions for the material.

Request an Invitation:

More than just another webinar, this virtual roundtable series will facilitate opportunities to solve specific materials challenges from Great Lakes businesses that can lead to development of a more circular economy in the region. 

In 2019, the value of raw materials within e-waste generated in the US and Canada was estimated to be $14.2 billion USD (Global E-Waste Monitor 2020). As separation technologies improve and end-markets for e-waste derived commodities grow, more and more of that value is being captured by businesses in the Great Lakes region, but a number of hurdles still remain.

On March 16th, we'll explore new opportunities for supply chain collaboration and processing innovation that can help drive stronger end-markets for e-waste derived materials.

Speakers selected from the Materials Marketplace network will present on established and emerging end-market solutions for commodities derived from electronic waste in the Great Lakes Region. Attendees will then join speakers and regional program sponsors in breakout sessions to explore opportunities in the e-waste value chain. 

Speakers include:

• Scott VanderKooy, President of Comprenew, electronics refurbisher and recycler

• Don Haynes, Environmental Manager at Florim, USA on end-markets for CRT glass

• Sam Padnos, Commodity Trader and Kari Bliss, Customer Experience & Sustainability Leader at PADNOS on end-markets for non-ferrous metals and plastic housing

If you have processed e-waste derived commodities or end-markets for such materials, this event is for you!

On January 12, 2021 the US Business Council for Sustainable Development hosted the Great Lakes Circular Materials Roundtable: Glass event with support from EGLE, CGLR, MRC, and the Ohio EPA.

Event attendees and other interested individuals are invited to this follow-up facilitated networking event to share outcomes and progress from the event and to further workshop sustainable glass solutions.

Request an Invitation:

More than just another webinar, this virtual roundtable series will facilitate opportunities to solve specific materials challenges from Great Lakes businesses that can lead to development of a more circular economy in the region. 

Join us on Tuesday, Jan. 12th at 10:30am ET for a deep-dive into glass. If you have recurring supplies of glass available, have an end-market or solution provider in your network, or can help Great Lakes businesses keep glass out of the landfill - this event is for you!

Speakers for the event will be selected from the Materials Marketplace network, and will present on existing and emerging end-markets for glass, and Materials Marketplace listings for these types of materials that could be redirected to processors and new applications.

Attendees with similar challenges and/or identify as problem-solvers will work together to brainstorm solutions, recommend professional connections and commit to actionable next steps for addressing the material.