CDE to tackle PFAS and shape the future of sustainable materials with CIRCLE 2026
Exciting speaker lineup unveiled for the upcoming online symposium...
The sand and aggregates industry is evolving at a rapid pace, with the need to recycle becoming more and more pressing. And even greater obstacles lie ahead, with the widespread presence of PFAS creating both a challenge and an opportunity for operators seeking to stay compliant while advancing their sustainability ambitions
This will be a central theme of CIRCLE, a one‑day online symposium organised by CDE that explores the evolving regulatory landscape, the impact of PFAS on water, soil and clay and the solutions emerging to mitigate risk. It will also equip operators to build resilient, future‑proof businesses amid accelerating sustainability legislation, rising resource scarcity and increasing pressures across the aggregates, construction, recycling and waste sectors.
The symposium will tackle other critical industry challenges such as resource availability, environmental impacts and the road to zero waste, while exploring cutting-edge solutions that redefine waste as a valuable resource.
CDE’s Eunan Kelly, Director of Business Development and PFAS taskforce lead at CDE, affirms: “It is a critical time to address these industry challenges, and CIRCLE is giving the industry the opportunity to come together. This is a forum to equip people with the knowledge and tools to tackle major industry issues like PFAS contaminated soils. It’s an opportunity to learn peer‑to‑peer and to engage with the global leaders in wet processing. Our experience comes from real projects, delivering proven results while innovating beyond what was expected. That’s the knowledge and confidence we want to share with the industry at this event.”
CDE unveiled last year that renowned environmental attorney Robert Bilott is set to headline at the symposium to talk on the urgent PFAS contamination challenge.
CIRCLE 2026 will additionally feature a world‑class programme of global speakers whose expertise spans business transformation, resource governance, regulatory frameworks and economic forecasting. Together, they will help delegates understand the full PFAS challenge from policy and operations to societal impact and economic reality:
- Business & thought‑leadership: shaping purpose‑driven, future‑fit industries
Bringing a strategic and societal lens to the urgent need for sustainable transformation, Marga Hoek, internationally acclaimed strategist and author of The Trillion Dollar Shift, will explore how organisations can align profit with purpose and compete in an era defined by sustainability and global complexity. Alongside her, award winning journalist Vince Beiser - author of The World in a Grain -will shed light on global resource scarcity and the material foundations of the circular economy, emphasising the pressures that PFAS and other contaminants place on already constrained supply.
- Policy & global governance: understanding the forces behind sustainability and PFAS
Offering essential insights from inside the policymaking arena, Viviane André, Policy Officer at the European Commission’s DG Environment, will discuss the EU’s evolving PFAS legislation and the recently published report The Cost of PFAS in Society. Complementing this, Stephanie Chuah, Programme Officer at UNEP and coauthor of the Sand & Sustainability report, will present global policy trends and strategic recommendations designed to avert further resource related crises. Their combined perspectives will help organisations understand how PFAS regulation is tightening - and what compliance will require moving forward.
- Economics & industry regulation: navigating market pressures and compliance risk
Addressing the economic and regulatory realities influencing the sector, Lorenzo Rodríguez Fernandez, Senior Economist at Experian, will provide an outlook on construction, highlighting trends that affect investment decisions and long-term business planning. Dirk Fincke, Secretary General of Aggregates Europe, will unpack the implications of forthcoming EU policy - such as End-of-Waste criteria - how these will shape the circular economy and material reuse across Europe. Arnold de Bruijn, Secretary General of the International Association of Dredging Companies (IADC), a seasoned dredging expert with over 20 years’ industry experience who has led major technical projects and driven policy engagement across European and international bodies will address issues spanning technology, environmental impact and climate resilience. They will provide attendees with a deeper understanding of how regulatory and economic pressures intersect with the PFAS challenge.
Joining them, CDE experts and customers will share their journey and insights into the use of wet processing technology to address major challenges such as resource availability.
CIRCLE takes place on 7th May 2026 online. For registration and programme information, visit www.cdegroup.com/circle2026
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