(C05) Forging a Truly Circular Economy for Toxic C&D Materials

For sustainability-minded companies operating in the built environment, diverting as much would-be-waste from landfills is now standard practice. Today, what distinguishes the net-zero leaders from the laggards is how they are driving forward the circular economy— ensuring discarded materials can be processed for optimal reuse, harnessing innovation to recycle that which was previously toxic and unrecyclable, doing no harm to the environment while doing good by the economy and supply chains. As a circular economy solutions leader and C&D expert, Chris Batterson of Rubicon, has firsthand experience working with companies across industries that are determined to find a better solution for their C&D waste than landfills. In this session, he will be joined by Megan Saunders of Lendlease, Lincoln Young of Rockwood Sustainable Solutions and Joanne Rodriguez of Mycocycle, to explore one of the most promising nature-based innovations and processing opportunities now being piloted in the C&D industry. Waste generators, technology providers and processors are now coming together to not only recycle C&D waste, but to remove its toxins. Thus, they are enabling once-problematic asphalt shingles to be utilized anew by manufacturers as part of a closed loop economy, reused on-site for landscaping or clean fill, or recycled for a variety of different applications. Attendees to this session will come away with a clear understanding of the methodology behind this innovative solution and a vision of what the future holds for those willing to collaborate in forging a truly circular economy.