The Global Change Agent: Metal Tech Alley is a Cluster of Industry and Technology Companies Leading the Circular Economy Movement

“Industrial circular economy is the main focus of the sustainability of our area.”

A circular economy is a systematic approach to production and consumption for living within planetary boundaries that conserves material resources, reduces energy and water use, and generates less waste pollution. It aims to conserve material resources through a variety of strategies that seek to maximize the material and economic values obtained from extracted and harvested resources.

With that said, we’re delighted to present Metal Tech Alley (MTA) — leaders in the circular economy movement. It promotes and assists local businesses in Canada with design for durability, repair and reuse, and material recovery and recycling. The company is headquartered in British Columbia, Canada.

MTA is home to a unique ecosystem with examples of industrial circular economies which are integral to the regional economy. A primary example is the closed-loop of lead production and car battery recycling which recovers lead and puts it back into the economy for reuse. More recent examples of MTA’s industrial circular economy include the recovery of critical minerals from smelter by-products for use in modern technology, and capturing energy from forestry companies’ wood waste by turning it into a source of renewable natural gas.

As a successful public-private partnership, MTA consists of various people that are leaders in the field of metallurgy, digital fabrication, industrial recycling, cleantech, and industrial IoT. Professionals who are part of the company collaborate with a wider network of supporting players including academia, government, and non-profits who share a common goal of stimulating local growth and community prosperity.

As a successful public-private partnership, MTA consists of various people that are leaders in the field of metallurgy, digital fabrication, industrial recycling, cleantech, and industrial IoT. Professionals who are part of the company collaborate with a wider network of supporting players including academia, government, and non-profits who share a common goal of stimulating local growth and community prosperity.

The Silicon Review contacted Jacomien van Tonder, Director of Metal Tech Alley, who spoke about how the company is making a difference in this segment and plans to stay at the forefront. Below is an excerpt.

“Industrial circular economy is the main focus of the sustainability of our area.”

“We have a rich research-business ecosystem where innovation and development are simply how business is done. Being situated in a rural business-friendly area close to the US border gives us advantages over other regions. Currently, we are setting up a battery ecosystem in the area. A reliable system to safely repurpose and recycle hybrid and electric vehicle batteries will have to be expanded if you look at the future demand for EV battery recycling. One example of how we encourage and support new battery development is support for a local company to develop new anode and cathode components for solid-state electric vehicle batteries. Another example is R&D on how graphite can be used with silicon to create high-capacity graphite anodes to increase the range and reduce the cost of producing lithium-ion batteries.”

“We are also looking at a project for circular carbon capture. Carbon capture and conversion are more important than ever, especially for industry, as Canada aims to lower its carbon footprint.”

The measurement of Circularity is essential to assessing the impact of Circular Economy practices and strategies. With this in mind, MTA is partnering with 2 private companies and working together on a traceability study. This will encompass the study of materials used in an electronic device from extraction through to manufacturing and finally recycling. This is intended to be a model for companies to use in their own manufacturing/production processes to establish benchmark traceability processes.

Facilitating the Circular Economy

Metal Tech Alley is taking circular economy action in two distinct directions; rural and industrial. MTA is internationally recognized for furthering circularity in a rural economy. Canadian examples of circular economy at this time are mostly urban with rural areas lagging. Unlike many circular initiatives in Canada which are consumer or agriculture, the company has an industrial focus to bringing resource-based sectors such as metallurgy and forestry into the circular economy. Each level of circular action, whether it’s the individual, company, or macro is important. Metal Tech Alley works with companies at a regional level to close loops in the economy. This approach gives direction to circular economy activities and translates into adequate support for individual companies to make the transition to circular business models.

“Setting up a battery eco-system in Western Canada will increase sustainability in a rural region. To keep up with the times is very important – making the changes now to be able to support the increased demand for EV battery recycling in the near future.”

Jacomien van Tonder | Director

Jacomien van Tonder is the Director of Metal Tech Alley, a successful regional marketing strategy from the Lower Columbia Initiatives Corporation (LCIC) based in Trail, BC. After four years running the Metal Tech Alley program, the LCIC is considered a leader in economic development best practices through creating a circular economy hub in a small rural area. The considerable success of Metal Tech Alley rests on embracing industry of all sectors and supporting innovation for companies that are engaging with circular practices and doughnut economics.

Jacomien was born in South Africa and immigrated to Canada 13 years ago. She got a Baccalaureus Procurationis degree and practiced as a lawyer and CEO of a Top 500 South African Company. Since moving to Canada, she has branched out to take her career in a new direction to include Economic Development and Project Management.

“We have a rich research-business ecosystem where innovation and development are simply how business is done. Being situated in a rural business-friendly area close to the US border gives us advantages over other regions.”