Mark Dancy is the President and Founder of WasteZero. For more than 35 years, he has developed innovative, customized solutions that help municipalities reduce waste, save money, and improve their solid waste programs. 

Working directly with local governments across the United States, Mark has developed practical, resident-focused, data-driven programs that balance environmental responsibility with fiscal stewardship. His expertise includes unit-based pricing (Pay-As-You-Throw), recycling program optimization, and municipal solid waste policy. 

Through his work at WasteZero, Mark also leads the development of technology that builds accountability and incentives into industry recycling programs, supporting improved material recovery, operational efficiency, and data-driven decision-making. He holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from George Washington University and an MBA from the College of William & Mary. 

Caroline Mitchell is an expert in Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and recycling programs and has over two decades of experience in the waste and recycling sector. She works at The Recycling Partnership as the Community Partnerships Development Director, where she supports communities on their path to circularity. Her prior roles include being the Colorado EPR and Circularity Lead with the consulting firm HDR, managing the waste and recycling programs at the City of Fort Collins, and doing community outreach with recycling and zero waste non-profits in Colorado and Michigan. 

Caroline has helped to build ambitious and practical recycling and organics programs and policies with a focus on equity in the residential, multi-unit, commercial, environmental compliance, and construction and demolition sectors. She also serves as vice chair of the board of Recycle Colorado, Colorado’s state recycling organization.  Prior to her work in recycling, Caroline studied sea turtle nesting in Tanzania and Texas.

Sami Ki is the Senior Manager of Sustainability and Product Stewardship at the Household & Commercial Products Association (HCPA), where she leads the Association's Aerosol Recycling Initiative and works on sustainability programs addressing product stewardship, recycling, and environmental policy for household and commercial products. In this role, she collaborates with manufacturers, recyclers, government agencies, and industry partners to advance aerosol recycling access and improve end-of-life management for aerosol products across the United States.

Prior to joining HCPA, Sami spent more than a decade in sourcing and product development within the apparel industry, most recently serving as Raw Material Operations Lead at Madewell, where she focused on sustainable supply chain operations. She holds a Master's degree in Sustainability from Bard College and a Bachelor's degree in Design Management from Parsons School of Design. Outside of work, Sami is an avid gardener and enjoys rock climbing, hiking, and spending time with her husband and two young children.

Ting Zhang is the VP of Business Development at Glacier, where she empowers MRFs to deploy AI-powered data platforms and robotics. Glacier’s intelligent solutions enable recycling facilities to run smarter and faster—boosting throughput, minimizing downtime, and capturing more valuable recyclables.

A self-proclaimed MRF nerd, Ting has visited nearly 50 recycling facilities across the U.S. over the past two years. She works side-by-side with MRF operators to identify practical automation opportunities and use AI-driven insights to improve plant performance and solve their biggest challenges.

Off the clock, she serves on the Recycling Advisory Committee for her hometown of Cambridge, MA, helping advance its Zero Waste goals. Blending a 20-year career in finance and technology with a lifelong love for innovation (and sorting trash), Ting is helping shape the future of recycling through AI.

Akshatha is an investor at Closed Loop Partners, a New York based investment firm at the forefront of building the circular economy. At Closed Loop, she sits on the Catalytic Capital and Private Credit team, investing in and financing climate tech projects and infrastructure with a particular focus on packaging circularity. Akshatha's prior background spans investing in the venture capital space and management consulting.

She holds a BSE in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania and is the New York co-Chair of Women in Climate Investing & Finance (WICIF).

Erin Victor, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the University of Maine. Her research focuses on the social dimensions of circular economy policies and sustainable materials management. Drawing on her prior experience managing solid waste and sustainability initiatives for state and local government, Dr. Victor is dedicated to collaborative research that informs just and effective environmental policy solutions. She received her B.A. from Kalamazoo College, her M.S. from the University of Michigan, and her Ph.D. from the University of Maine, where her dissertation examined the politics of disposable packaging in the U.S. and Canada. 

Mikey Pasciuto currently serves as the Chief Sustainability Officer at Scrapp, a start-up dedicated to creating data-driven sustainable waste programs. Through Scrapp, Mikey specializes in product and packaging recyclability globally, zero-waste programs, and all things sustainable packaging. He recently had the privilege to present to his Majesty the King at COP28, as part of Scotland's delegation, about sustainable materials management. Mikey also serves as the President of Collaborative Solid Waste Strategies (CSWS), a local non-profit dedicated to promoting sustainable waste management in New Hampshire. Mikey was born and raised in Massachusetts and graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2021 with a dual degree in Mechanical Engineering and Sustainability. His professional interests include renewable energy, recycling, and sustainable systems. Whenever Mikey isn't working, you can catch him gardening, composting, or spending time with his animals. 

Dr. Stanzione is a Professor of Chemical Engineering and founding director of Rowan’s Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Institute (AMMI).  He is a chemical engineer by title but more so a materials scientist and engineer at heart and in practice with expertise in polymers, polymer composites, advanced manufacturing, 3D printing, green chemistry & engineering, and glass.  He has experience in turning agricultural waste, food waste, glass waste, and forestry waste into useful and sustainable plastics, coatings, adhesives, and composites, essentially turning garbage into gold!  With his team at AMMI, he strives to fundamentally understand the processing-structure-property relationships of their advanced materials.  Having received funding from the US’s DoW, NSF, NIH, DOEs (Energy and Education) as well as the New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection and Economic Development Authority, along with various industrial partners, his work has resulted in numerous patents and over 50 peer-reviewed publications, including front cover highlighted articles in ChemSusChem, ACS Omega, and Biofuels, Bioproducts, and Biorefining.  He is a co-recipient of U.S. EPA’s Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award in 2013, the recipient of the 2016 AIChE Delaware Valley Chapter Outstanding Faculty of the Year Award, and the recipient of Rowan University’s 2020 Faculty Research Achievement Award.  To date, he has successfully advised 5 postdoctoral fellows, 6 doctoral students and 9 master’s students with thesis, among serving as a committee member on over 20 graduate-level theses/dissertations. Lastly, he has been a guest co-editor of several journal special issues and currently serves on the editorial board of Green Materials.

Scott Chase brings nearly 30 years of expertise in the Solid Waste, Recycling, and Scrap industries, with a strong background in hauling, materials recovery facilities (MRFs), and equipment sales. He currently represents STEINERT US, a leader in magnetic and sensor-based sorting technologies. Known for its commitment to the circular economy, STEINERT US benefits from Scott’s deep industry knowledge and hands-on experience, which play a key role in driving the company’s mission of environmental sustainability and innovation.

Katie Greer is the Chief of the Bureau of Sustainability at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), a role that gives her the privilege of championing sustainable actions across the state’s communities and businesses. The bureau provides environmental compliance assistance, manages the state’s pollution prevention program, hosts the New Jersey Sustainable Business Registry, and provides sustainability outreach and education. Her broader sustainability career spans recycling and waste reduction programs, energy policy, local food distribution, workforce development, and environmental outreach from government, nonprofit, and university settings, giving her a holistic perspective on sustainable systems. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Tennessee and a Master of Energy Regulation and Law from Vermont Law and Graduate School.

Mike Newman is the CEO of Returnity, where he builds logistics tools designed to improve efficiency across last-mile delivery, returns, and retail operations. He leads the development of The Last Box, a durable shipping and returns packaging solution built to replace inefficient cardboard workflows with standardized infrastructure at scale. Mike also serves as Board Chair for the U.S. Plastics Pact, a collaborative forum where the plastics value chain comes together to implement practical, scalable packaging systems that deliver environmental, social and economic benefits.

With more than 20 years of experience across operations, policy, and sustainability, Mike has helped build national-scale recovery and logistics programs for leading brands. He holds an MBA from the University of Michigan and lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Olivia Merritt FitzGerald is the Program Manager of Circularity and Specialty Projects at the U.S. Plastics Pact with over five years of experience driving circular economy and sustainability initiatives across nonprofit, financial, and corporate sectors.  Olivia graduated from North Carolina State University with a major in Natural Resources Policy and Administration and a minor in Wildlife Science. She has used her scientific and writing skills to create climate change-related content and circular economy solutions for non-profit organizations and carbon accounting for corporations. In her time at the U.S. Plastics Pact, Olivia has led efforts including the Reuse Catalyst program, Reuse in Retail Initiative, Problematic and Unnecessary Materials list, and PCR market and policy levers document. Accolades include a certified PMP and, in 2024, named a Rising Star in circularity for Plastics News.

Scott Cassel is a pioneering leader in the extended producer responsibility (EPR) movement, with more than 40 years of experience solving waste management challenges across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. In 2000, he founded the Product Stewardship Institute (PSI), a nonprofit policy and consulting organization that has helped enact 150 EPR laws across 33 states, the District of Columbia, and 22 product categories — including packaging. As PSI's CEO, Scott leads research, policy analysis and development, and facilitated stakeholder engagement dialogues using a methodology he developed to design and advance EPR policy. Prior to founding PSI, he served seven years as Director of Waste Policy and Planning for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, where he developed and implemented solid and hazardous waste management policies and programs. Scott is the author of Perspectives on Product Stewardship: Navigating an Extended Producer Responsibility Path to a Circular Economy (Bernan Press, 2023), which chronicles the EPR movement in the U.S. and features case studies on batteries, paint, and packaging. In 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) appointed him to its Marine Debris Foundation Board of Directors, where he contributes to policy, infrastructure development, and innovative technologies to address pollution in our waterways and ocean.

“Natasha Dyer has spent the last 15 years advancing circular economy solutions and environmental sustainability by helping keep valuable resources in use and out of landfills. Her work has spanned multiple material streams, with a primary focus on organics through composting, food recovery, and household wasted food prevention. Today, she specializes in behavior change, helping communities and households reduce wasted food through practical, evidence-based strategies that save food, money, and natural resources. Throughout her career, Natasha has held leadership roles in both local government and the nonprofit sector, where she has developed and implemented programs, built cross-sector partnerships, and supported communities in adopting more sustainable practices. She currently serves as Senior Behaviour Change Specialist at WRAP, leading initiatives that combine behavioral science, community engagement, and systems thinking to prevent wasted food. Natasha holds a Master of Arts in Urban Sustainability and is a certified TRUE Zero Waste Advisor, with expertise in circular systems and sustainable materials management.”

Ashley Elzinga is director of sustainability and outreach for the Foodservice Packaging Institute, the trade association for the North American foodservice packaging industry. Ashley is going on her seventh year with FPI and her work primarily focuses around communications, outreach and FPI’s recovery and sustainability efforts. Prior to joining the association, she worked for Dart Container in the sustainability and environmental fields.

Michelle Cusano is the Client Relationships & Partnerships Manager for Circular Services' Organics Northeast division. She develops strategic partnerships with food and beverage brands, manufacturers, distributors, haulers, and municipalities to divert food waste from landfills and incineration – transforming food scraps and unsellable food and beverages into renewable energy and nutrient-rich compost. Her work is anchored primarily at the Organics Recycling Campus in Southington, Connecticut, home to the region’s largest de-packaging facility and North America’s longest operating anaerobic digestor. 

Michelle also leads regional marketing efforts, bringing a strong interest in brand partnerships and creative collaboration to her work. Focused on advancing the circular economy, she helps customers uncover recovery opportunities beyond food and beverage waste and connect materials with sustainable end markets. By bringing the right organizations and solutions together, Michelle helps keep valuable materials in productive use, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve natural resources, and create more circular solutions.

During this roundtable, Michelle will share the case study of the collaborative food waste diversion partnership between Sardilli Produce & Dairy, All Waste, and Circular Services, highlighting how cross-sector collaboration can create resilient, circular solutions that deliver measurable environmental and operational benefits.

Michelle holds a B.A. in Graphic Design from the University of New Haven. When she's not helping build the circular economy, you'll likely find her baking delicious cakes.

Sylvia is the Rhode Island School Recycling Project's Director of Policy and Programs, where she helps the Get Food Smart program grow without losing what makes it work by training staff, building partnerships with government agencies, community partners, and food-service providers, and leading the Project's policy work at the State House.

Before joining RISRP in 2025, Sylvia earned a Master's in Public Affairs from Princeton University, focusing on domestic education policy and the application of behavioral science to policy design. Prior to graduate school, Sylvia worked with UNICEF in Jordan, overseeing the implementation of youth and adolescent development programs in Syrian refugee camps.

Yarden Harari AIA, LEED AP (BD+C, ID+C, O+M) is a licensed Architect and sustainability advisor at Arcadis. She has led CSR initiatives such as the Just Label and Ecovadis frameworks. Her collaborations on building material reuse, including CoLab workshops, the All For Reuse initiative, and crowdsourced mapping resources bring people together to move toward an inclusive and circular economy in the built environment. Yarden currently serves on the Board of Build Reuse, the premier national nonprofit organization building capacity for deconstruction and reuse. Yarden was recognized in 2021 as a DFC Emerging Leader and an ICSC Centerbuild Leader Under 40 for her ongoing efforts in sustainability and social action.

Kelly Tigera is the Founder and CEO of Orbit, an online marketplace for reclaimed construction materials that launched in NYC in 2025.  She brings 18 years of experience in the building sector, most recently working as a Consultant and Founder of the business and strategy consultancy, PROOF. Previously, She was the Director of Business Development and Communications for the international architecture firm Snøhetta, and has worked at the international offices of OMA and MVRDV in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.  She has also served as an Advisor to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the Consulate in New York.  Kelly is an advocate for the sustainable transformation of the building sector as an active member of RECLAIM-NYC, CR0WD, and the Urban Land Institute's Tech and Innovation Council. Kelly holds a degree in Urban Studies from Brown University.

Megan Mansfield-Pryor is an Environmental Specialist at Maine DEP where she supervises product stewardship programs, provides data analysis and reporting on waste management, promotes sustainable materials management, and facilitates the Maine Deconstruction Network. Previously, she served as a Waste Management Climate Policy Advisor, staffing the Materials Management Task Force of the Maine Climate Council and supporting integration of waste reduction strategies into Maine Won’t Wait 2024. Megan served on the Northeast Recycling Council board for six years and holds a master’s in policy, planning, and management and a bachelor’s degree in environmental planning and policy from the University of Southern Maine.

Véronique Lambert oversees the Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification program for public preK-12 schools throughout New Jersey.  She leads outreach and training to schools about the program and resources to support implementation. She also works on initiatives to bring new content and resources to the program, including a current effort to help schools tackle food waste.  With degrees in Agronomy and Geography, and a recent business certificate, Véronique has extensive experience in sustainability education and community outreach, and has led cropping systems research in Hawaii and Guyana. 

Mark Lennon is the founder and principal of The Reuse Network. With the Reuse Network team, Mark manages the largest, most experienced, and most successful program in the U.S. to facilitate the reuse of surplus furniture and equipment from schools and other organizations. In more than 3,000 projects since 2002, IRN has matched over 2,000,000 items of furnishings with nonprofit organizations assisting communities in 47 U.S. states and 71 countries around the world, keeping more than 100,000,000 pounds of useful assets out of American landfills. 

Before founding IRN, Mark was head of recycling, planning and community assistance for the State of NH. 

In earlier work, Mark was a consultant to the U.S. EPA and other public and private clients in solid and hazardous waste and energy issues. He graduated from Dartmouth College and has a Master’s degree in Ecosystems Research from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. 

Lori Martin is the founder and executive director of Haven’s Harvest, a Connecticut-based environmental nonprofit that builds community and reduces food waste through food recovery. Since launching the organization in 2019, she has helped build a regional network that has recovered over 12 million pounds of food for schools, senior centers, housing communities, healthcare providers, faith communities, and other local partners. Lori is a longtime environmental advocate and serves on the board of the RecycleCT Foundation.  

Erin Jensen is an Environmental Specialist and supervisor with the Divi¬sion of Sustainable Waste Management at the NJDEP, where she has worked for almost 10 years. Erin's work focuses on general recycling initiatives, grant management, and partner outreach. She is also the NJDEP's point of contact for Recycle Coach, and she supervises staff responsible for county planning and administering Recycling Enhancement Act grants. In addition, Erin is part of the education team for the Certified Recycling Professional courses at Rutgers, offers training courses throughout the year for the Municipal Tonnage Grant program, and sits on the boards of NJ Clean Communities Council and the Northeast Recycling Council.

Eric Ascalon has spent his career bringing people together to solve complex challenges. Today, he applies that expertise to one of the world’s most pressing environmental issues: “eliminating the idea of waste” as TerraCycle’s Global Director of Community Affairs.

He works at the intersection of environmental innovation and community engagement, building relationships among businesses, governments, and nonprofits to create practical solutions for waste streams that traditional recycling systems leave behind.

Eric remains convinced that the most interesting conversations usually begin with someone saying, “You can’t recycle that.” Proving otherwise has become something of a specialty.

He also serves as Chair of the Garden State Film Festival, New Jersey’s premier independent film festival. He holds a B.A. in PoliSci from Rutgers and a law degree from American.

Outside of work, Eric is an accomplished endurance athlete and outdoor enthusiast. Whether running questionable trails or skiing gnarly lines, those pursuits keep him grounded, reflecting the persistence and curiosity he brings to his professional life.

Eric and his wife, Tanya, live in South Jersey. They have three children recently welcomed twin grandsons. He fully intends to turn them into first-rate recyclers before they can even walk.

Mia has worked in the world of materials management and waste reduction for over 20 years and is especially interested in household hazardous waste and product stewardship.  They are the lead staff member at VT Department of Environmental Conservation for the paint, battery and household hazardous waste product stewardship programs and are responsible for working with impacted parties and ensuring manufacturers meet the requirements of the EPR laws. Mia also works closely with the municipalities on HHW collection and related funding needs and policy guidance.