TORONTO (Sept. 11, 2012) — “A Balancing Act: Seeking Equilibrium Between Social Objectives and Economic Realities” is the theme of the 2012 Rubber Recycling Symposium co-sponsored by the Rubber Association of Canada (RAC) and the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA).
The symposium, scheduled for Oct. 17-19 in Toronto, will explore and compare the advantages and challenges of tire recycling under several different economic models. These include the free market system used in the U.S. and several European countries; a share-capital approach to extended producer responsibility found in much of Europe; and a non-share extended producer responsibility approach favored in Canada.
Ontario Tire Stewardship is the “Platinum Sponsor” of the symposium, which will begin Oct. 17 with a global overview of rubber recycling featuring Theresa McQuoid, executive director of the Saskatchewan Scrap Tire Corp.; Tracey Norberg, RMA senior vice president; and Jesus Maria Nunez Imaz, director general of SIGNUS Ecovalor S.L. (Spain).
Extended producer responsibility—a legislative requirement that manufacturers pay the end-of-life costs for the products they make—will be discussed by a panel including Glenn Maidment, RAC president; Ginette Bureau, chief executive officer of RECYC-QUEBEC; and Daniele Fornai, innovation and development manager for Ecopneus (Italy).
Ending the Oct. 17 program will be a panel on new technologies with Fred B. Taylor, president of Green Carbon Inc., and Luc Robitaille, corporate director-environment for Holcim (Canada) Inc. A networking reception will follow.
Kicking off the Oct. 18 program will be a panel on rubber recycling markets featuring RMA Vice President Michael Blumenthal; Neil Henderson, director-product engineering for National Rubber Technologies Corp.; and Jean-Pierre (Pete) Charron, owner of IOWAT.
“Pounding the Pavement for a Better Solution,” a panel on rubber-modified asphalt, will feature Gary Hicks, general manager of Hicks and Associates; Seyed Tahib and Chris Raymond of the Materials Engineering and Research Office of the Ontario Ministry of Transportation; Susan Tighe, associate professor of civil engineering at the University of Waterloo; and Douglas D. Carlson, vice president-asphalt products for Liberty Tire Recycling.
The keynote speaker at the Oct. 18 lunch will be Michael Hlinka, business commentator and columnist for CBC Radio. After lunch, a panel on using recycled rubber in rubber product manufacturing will feature Bill Hyde, senior director-olefins and elastomers for IHS Chemical; Alan E. Barton, CEO of Lehigh Technologies Inc.; and Don McRae, technical manager for Airboss Rubber Compoundig.
Discussing R&D funding programs will be Andrew Horsman, executive director of Ontario Tire Stewardship; Amit Golan, vice president-manufacturing technologies for Gracious Living Corp.; and Rui Resendes, executive director of GreenCentre Canada.
The Oct. 19 program will lead off with a discussion of off-the-road tire recycling, featuring Brad Schultz, director of operations for the Alberta Recycling Management Authority, and Mike Hennessey, executive director of Tire Stewardship British Columbia. Finishing the conference will be a panel discussion of the main topic, featuring Andrew Horsman; Jesus Maria Nunez Imaz; John Sheerin, retail environmental engineer for Bridgestone Retail Operations; David Ongaro, vice president and treasurer of National Rubber Technologies Corp.; and Greg Sones, director of the Waste Management Policy Branch of the Ontario Ministry of the Environment.
Registration for the conference is $621.50 (including tax) for delegates, $1,073.50 for exhibitors and $169.50 for spouses. The Sheraton Centre Toronto is offering a special room rate to attendees who book by Sept. 21.
To register or for more information, go to www.rubberrecycling.ca.