Now Innovating: Circular Plastics live panel discussion

In the latest episode of Now Innovating, a research-to-impact series from the University of Calgary, host Julia MacGregor leads a panel discussion with four guests who are making an impact in the field of circular plastics:

• Tammy Schwass, BA’10, executive director, Alberta Plastics Recycling Association (APRA)
• Dr. Rohen Prinsloo, MSc'15, PhD’22, assistant professor, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science
• Dr. Daniel Castañeda Mogollón, PhD’22, postdoctoral associate, Cumming School of Medicine
• Eric Tang, production manager, Triple Three Trading Ltd

The panel discusses the different types of plastics, recycling methods and the global plastics supply chain. We learn about the chemical challenges in recycling plastics, work APRA members like Triple Three Trading are doing to recycle plastics, and a student-led initiative to recycle Styrofoam used to package research equipment supported by Campus as a Learning Lab.

The panel also discusses actions you can take in your daily life to encourage smart plastic use, and tips and tricks for recycling plastics.

This episode was recorded live with an audience during Alumni All-Access 2025. Guests were invited by the university’s Industry Liaison Office (Research), the team that facilitates and grows applied research partnerships between companies and researchers. 

Now Innovating shares the stories of UCalgary researchers who have moved their discoveries forward and their innovation journeys to implementation and creating impact. Episodes are released monthly and are captioned and transcribed on YouTube. Episodes are also available as a podcast on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify and more. Explore the series.