Extending the Life Cycle of Textiles Forum Series

Marisa Adler is a Senior Consultant with Resource Recycling Systems where she founded RRS's textile circularity practice. Marisa's work focuses on collaborative action to drive systems-level change. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles (SMART) Association, chairs the New York State Association of Reduction, Reuse and Recycling's Textile Recycling Council, and is a seated member of the California Product Stewardship Council's Statewide Textile Recycling Advisory Committee. Prior to joining RRS, Marisa led waste programming and policy for the NYC Department of Sanitation and studied Natural Resource Management at Cornell University and Antioch New England Graduate School.

Within WRAP, as Head of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), Jordan works with national and international partners, governments, NGO’s, charities, producers/manufacturers, and other industry stakeholders to design efficient and effective EPR mechanisms. Jordan leads the vision and strategy of EPR within WRAP, engaging with all waste streams where the concept of EPR can be applied, including, but not limited to, product packaging, electronics, batteries, and textiles. Jordan has 10+ years of EPR experience spanning the globe, including, but not limited to, UK, Europe, USA, Canada, South America, Australia, APAC, Middle East, and Africa.

As a member of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management's SEG (Strategic Expert Group) for Producer Responsibility, Jordan provides technical expertise to CIWM and sector stakeholders on existing and potential Producer Responsibility frameworks and legislation for various waste streams in the UK.

In this position, he oversees MassDEP’s development and implementation of the Solid Waste Master Plan, including MassDEP’s regulatory, permitting, compliance and grant and assistance programs to manage solid waste and advance waste reduction, recycling, and composting in Massachusetts.  He has been with MassDEP since 1998.  John holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Ecology from Connecticut College and a Master’s in City Planning, focusing on Environmental Policy and Planning, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Dr. Jasmina Burek (she/her/hers) is an Assistant Professor in the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and Principal Investigator at Building Resilience through Knowledge (BUREK) Lab. Her research focuses on sustainability and resilience engineering. BUREK Lab is applying engineering and policy and decision-making models including life cycle assessment (LCA) to establish a circular economy for textile and apparel industry and minimize their environmental, social, and economic impacts (footprint assessment). At UML, Burek wants to intensify its positive impact (handprint assessment) through on campus projects, such as increasing green infrastructure.

17 years as an entrepreneur and business owner.  26 years leading Goodwill of the Finger Lakes’ efforts identifying and bringing to fruition strategic business opportunities that have consistently delivered to the triple bottom line.

Currently leading Goodwill of the Finger Lakes’ collaboration with eight other Goodwills in the Northeast to stand up a textile feedstock production operation that will  meet the needs of domestic textile recyclers at scale.   

Goodwill of the Finger Lakes is a Rochester NY based nonprofit that operates several social enterprises. Its team of 700 associates delivers every day on the mission of elevating people, community, and planet for a good today and better tomorrow.  Goodwill of the Finger Lakes’ social enterprises  include 13 Goodwill Stores, a 24/7 Contact Center with national contracts, a manufacturing operation, commercial catering and Vision Rehabilitation services for 20 counties.

Joe Kells is a graduate of the State University at Geneseo, New York with a Masters Degree in Marketing from Mercy College.