Circular Arizona hosts 150+ at annual Circular Economy Symposium
Sidiq Young of Republic Services presents on the new Las Vegas Polymer Center.
Chandler, Arizona — Circular Arizona was proud to host its first Circular Economy Symposium and Vendor Showcase under its new name and expanded mission to “foster an equitable circular economy and connect Arizonans through innovation, education, and collaboration.”
Over 150 circular economy professionals and leaders from every industry came together for panels, presentations, networking, vendors, and local tours. Attendees traveled to the event from across the state, nation, and North America to downtown Chandler to hear from more than 30 speakers in sessions jam-packed with impactful and inspiring discussions.
Attendees pose for a photo between sessions.
Topics ranged from circular packaging design and circularity policy to reuse and food waste diversion. Diverse speakers and panelists came from nonprofits, businesses large and small, academia, municipalities, political candidacy, and government agencies. Here’s a quick look at the sessions and speakers:
From Waste to Wow: Hosting Special Events for Waste Diversion with Larry Williams of Waste Connections of Arizona, Gina Azima of the City of Scottsdale, and Dawn Ratcliffe of Keep Tempe Beautiful, moderated by Terrence Gellenbeck of Keep Phoenix Beautiful and the Pierson Street Garden
Facility Infrastructure for Food Waste Diversion with Mario Casillas of the Phoenix Convention Centers & Venues, Joshua Ellner of Arizona State University, Kaysey England of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, moderated by Lauren Click of Let’s Go Compost
In the Hot Seat: Panel Perspectives on Household Hazardous Waste Management with Michael Baez of the City of Mesa, Dan Henze of the Town of Gilbert, Frank Sanchez of Advanced Chemical Transport, Inc., and Kristen Bujold of Cirba Solutions, moderated by Lisa Rotello of the City of Tucson
An Inside Look at the Las Vegas Polymer Center with Sidiq Young of Republic Services, moderated by Traci Conaway of the City of Chandler
Closing the Loop: Innovations in Circular Packaging Design with Tina Wiechman of Church & Dwight Co., Andrew Jolin of Direct Pack, and Nicole Juntunen of Footprint US, moderated by Tyler Eglen of Arizona State University's Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Services
Closing the Circuit: Innovations in E-Waste Management with Adam Saghei of We Recycle Solar, Tom Mehlert of Arizona Students Recycling Used Technology, and Kristen Bujold, moderated by Ariel LeBarron of the City of Phoenix
It's Only Waste If We Waste It: How Behavior Change has Unlocked Circularity for Food Waste with Harry Tannenbaum of Mill, moderated by Cristina Polsgrove of the City of Tucson
Navigating Circular Economy Policy in the Grand Canyon State with Joe Giudice of the City of Mesa, Amanda Reeve of Snell & Wilmer Law, and Lauren Kuby, candidate for the Arizona State Senate (LD8), moderated by Roberto Heredia of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
Not Your Curbside Recycling with Eric Nelson of Aquafil Carpet Recycling, Dan Chouinard of Earth Friendly Building Materials, and Kelly Quinn of Phoenix Fibers, moderated by Damien Zachman of the Town of Pinetop Lakeside
From Trash to Treasure: Unlocking Opportunities in Reuse with Karen Jayne of Stardust, Tom Mehlert of Arizona Students Recycling Used Technology, Elaine Birks-Mitchell of The Bra Recyclers, and Megan Beatty of Bold Reuse, moderated by Ryley Buchanan of the Town of Queen Creek
An Equitable Circular Economy for a Sustainable Arizona with Raj Buch of Arizona State University's Circular Living Laboratory, Julie Ries with the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, J.B. Shaw of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, and Beth Forsberg of Goodwill of Central & Northern Arizona, moderated by Amanda Jordan of the City of Phoenix
Raj Buch, Julie Ries, J.B. Shaw, and Beth Forsberg introduce themselves for our closing panel: An Equitable Circular Economy for a Sustainable Arizona, moderated by Amanda Jordan.
The Symposium’s second day offered tours and experiences at East Valley circular facilities, including the City of Mesa Household Hazardous Materials Facility, Phoenix Fibers, the City of Chandler Recycling-Solid Waste Collection Center, Treasures 4 Teachers, and Stardust.
In addition to the educational sessions, Symposium attendees engaged with our vendors throughout the event and won donated raffle prizes. Our vendor showcase featured the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Arizona Youth Climate Commission, Balcones Recycling, Kary Environmental Services, Inc., Knead Technologies, Mill x R.City, and Wastequip/Toter.
An attendee wins a raffle prize during the Goodwill of Central & Northern Arizona Networking Event.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled with the turnout, the topics, and the connections that were made at this year’s signature event!” said Terrence Gellenbeck, Circular Arizona’s board chair. “And it wouldn’t be possible without each of our board members, organization members, volunteers, speakers, sponsors, vendors, and partners.”
Circular Arizona is incredibly grateful to our numerous sponsors, including Kary Environmental Services, Inc., our gold sponsor. Goodwill of Central & Northern Arizona sponsored the closing networking event, and Arizona Product Destruction, Waste Connections of Arizona, and WM sponsored the meals.
Additional event sponsors included NewGen Strategies and Solutions, LLC, Otto-USA, PicBooth AZ, the City of Chandler, Eco Partners, Inc., Friedman Recycling Companies, HDR Engineering, Inc., Republic Services, and the Downtown Chandler Community Partnership. Arizona State University's Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service, the City of Chandler, the City of Phoenix, Recycled City, and Waste Not helped make this a zero-waste event.
Tyler Eglen, Tina Wiechman, Andrew Jolin, and Nicole Juntunen pose for a photo after their session of circular packaging design.
Throughout the event, the resounding theme of advancing Arizona’s circular economy rose to the top of each presentation, experience, and conversation. Circular Arizona was proud to put on this event and looks forward to next year’s Circular Economy and Vendor Showcase on Sept. 25, 2025 in downtown Phoenix.
###
Circular Arizona envisions an equitable circular economy for a sustainable Arizona. Learn more about our mission at CircularArizona.org.
Media Contact:
Ryan Gurr
Circular Arizona
