Schedule

Wednesday, June 19, 2024
6 p.m. Reception
7 p.m. Program
7:45 p.m. Audience Q&A

According to a 2018 Environmental Protection Agency report, less than 10 percent of discarded plastics are recycled, with the majority ending up in landfills or back in the environment. While plastics are critical to everyday life and to meeting energy transition goals, plastic waste remains a challenge.

The third program of our Energy Transition Series examines how the City of Houston collaborates with private companies such as ExxonMobil, LyondellBasell, and Cyclyx to help address the local plastic waste challenge by aiming to significantly increase the city's plastic recycling rate and accelerate investments in recycling technologies and access.

Join Mark Wilfalk, Director of Houston's Solid Waste Management Department; Robert Dishman, Vice President of Post-Consumer Programs at Cyclyx; Mario Chavez, Advanced Recycling Venture Executive at ExxonMobil; Mariane Maximous, Vice President of Americas Feedstock and Mechanical Recycling at LyondellBasell; and moderator Dr. Rachel A. Meidl, the Baker Institute’s Fellow in Energy and Environment, as they explore the innovative strategies, technological advancements, and collaborative initiatives aimed at addressing the plastic waste challenge, as well as how recycling technologies and programs are being deployed in Houston and the Asia–Pacific region.

About the Speakers

Mario Chavez is the Advanced Recycling Venture Executive at ExxonMobil. Born in El Paso, Texas, he graduated in 1994 from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and then a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University. Mario completed a total of five summer internships before joining Exxon full-time in 1996 as a contact engineer at the Baytown Refinery.

Throughout his 27 years at ExxonMobil, Mario has held various roles in manufacturing, financial planning and supply chain, in the U.S. and around the world. Mario is currently the company’s Advanced Recycling Venture Executive, overseeing the company’s feedstock and facility plans for advanced recycling at multiple sites around the world.

Mario lives in Houston, Texas, with his three children and his wife Mona.

Robert Dishman is the Vice President of Post-Consumer Programs at Cyclyx. With an environmental services career spanning over 25 years, Mr. Dishman has led organizations to great success through collection, processing, plastic manufacturing, recycling, and environmental services. His diverse experience equips him with the skills to help companies and municipalities solve strategic and operational challenges, align and achieve their organizational targets to compete in the circular economy, and attain environmental goals with confidence.

Prior to Cyclyx, Mr. Dishman held various senior leadership roles centered around post-consumer plastic, plastic parts, and machine manufacturing. During his tenure at WM, he created collection programs for municipalities and global brands, including PepsiCo., DuPont, General Mills, Live Nation, and many collegiate and professional sporting events and venues.

Through his collaboration with these global brands, he co-founded The HealthCare Plastics Recycling and Carton Councils. He also led other sustainability initiatives to increase household accessibility to recycling and reduce plastic in the environment.

Mr. Dishman has a Bachelor of Science in Management from Kaplan University and completed senior leadership development programs at Gonzaga and Harvard Universities.

Mariane Maximous is a seasoned professional who has more than 22 years of experience in the chemical industry. She currently leads the Feedstock and Mechanical Recycling team, driving several business development opportunities and industry collaboration efforts to achieve LYB’s North America circularity goals.

Prior to this role and returning to LYB in early 2023, Mariane led the global ethylene and methanol procurement team at Celanese, where she expanded their global relationship with strategic suppliers.

Mariane started her career in 2001 as a process engineer with ExxonMobil in Beaumont Olefins & Aromatics plant. She joined LyondellBasell in 2005 at the Channelview Olefins site as a cracker engineer, and has held other roles at LYB spanning across Olefins and I&D Operations planning & Optimization, Finance, Investor Relations, Strategy & Planning, and various commercial roles in the Olefins and Polyolefins business units.

Mariane holds B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, a MBA with concentration in finance and international business from University of Houston, and a Global Management Academy certificate from Harvard Business School. 

Mark Wilfalk has nearly three decades of experience in the field of solid waste resource and environmental management. Throughout his career, Mr. Wilfalk held various positions within the field of solid waste management. He began his career as a Waste Alternative Specialist with the Alachua County Public Works Department in Gainesville, Florida. Shortly afterwards, Mark worked as a front-line supervisor with Kimmins Recycling Corporation in Tampa, Florida. In 1994, he began his 23-year career with the City of Tampa’s Solid Waste Department where he advanced to become the Department Director. As the Director, he successfully led the organization's administrative and managerial processes to provide comprehensive collection, disposal, and environmental services to approximately 85,000 residential and commercial customers.

In November 2021, Mayor Sylvester Turner selected Director Wilfalk to lead the City of Houston’s Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) for his ability to develop long-range planning goals to improve the SWMD's organizational and operational efficiencies. As an accomplished municipal leader with extensive experience in solid waste resources and environmental management, Mr. Wilfalk, accepted the tremendous task to lead and transform the nation’s fourth largest city’s Solid Waste Management Department to one that is more sustainable and environmentally sound. During his brief time with the City of Houston’s SWMD, Director Wilfalk has capitalized on opportunities to improve operational efficiencies related to various forms of curbside collections. In collaboration with the Houston Recycling Coalition (HRC), he recently led the City’s efforts to implement its first advanced plastics recycling collections program in north Houston. Due to the success of this waste diversion program, the department is developing plans to offer similar services in additional areas of the city. By the year 2025, Director Wilfalk is seeking to expand the city’s current recycling operations towards accepting miscellaneous plastics and films as part of the city’s curbside collection program. Mr. Wilfalk holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida. He is the recipient of the 2014 Solid Waste Association of North America Excellence in Recycling Award and the 2016 Clean Cities Award for carbon emissions reduction.

About the Moderator

Dr. Rachel A. Meidl, LP.D., CHMM, is a distinguished fellow in energy and environment at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy and a strategic advisor for Morgan Stanley Capital International. Her research focuses on sustainability; circular economy; life cycle management; environmental justice; safety and environmental regulations of the treatment, storage, disposal, and transportation of hazardous materials and wastes; and understanding the environmental, economic, and social impacts across energy supply chains.

Dr. Meidl was previously appointed as Deputy Associate Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration in Washington, D.C. Prior to her service in government, she was Director of Regulatory & Technical Affairs at American Chemistry Council. She has over 27 years of regulatory, public policy, advocacy and technical experience in industry, academia, government and international relations.

Dr. Meidl holds a Ph.D. in law and public policy from Northeastern University, a master of science in environmental policy and management, a master of education in applied science and technology with certifications in chemistry and physics, and bachelor degrees in conservation biology and zoology & animal physiology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Meidl is also a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager.

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Previous Programs

2023 | Low Carbon Solutions
2023 | Advancing Climate Solutions

Series Presenting Sponsor

About Asia Society Texas

Asia Society Texas believes in the strength and beauty of diverse perspectives and people. As an educational institution, we advance cultural exchange by celebrating the vibrant diversity of Asia, inspiring empathy, and fostering a better understanding of our interconnected world. Spanning the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, our programming is rooted in the educational and cultural development of our community — trusting in the power of art, dialogue, and ideas to combat bias and build a more inclusive society.

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