Ports as Catalysts: Building the Circular Economy from the Shore Up

Blair Tassone Director of Business Development /GRT

Deanna Woods Director of People & Product Development /GRT

Ports have always connected the world…but today, they also sit at the intersection of waste abundance and resource scarcity. Each year, millions of tonnes of dredge, sediment, and excess soil flow through port systems, most of it discarded. This session invites a new view: ports as engines of circular transformation. Drawing on examples from Canada’s West Coast, presenters will show how regenerating these materials into clean construction resources can reduce transport impacts, strengthen shorelines, and create local value. Together, we’ll explore how every port can become a proving ground for a more resilient, circular economy.