On October 29, 2025, Kitty McIlroy served as a panelist on behalf of the State of Maryland, at the
Inaugural Circular Economy Forum at the brand new Maryland Department of Legislative Services Building, Joint Hearing Room in the City of Annapolis. The full day event was co-hosted by Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Ambassador Jovita Neliupšienė, Head of the European Union Delegation to the United States.
Governor Moore, Senator Augustine and Ambassador Neliupšienė provided opening remarks
in the closed-door forum, which convened policymakers and experts from both sides of the Atlantic to discuss ways to reduce waste, including designing items for reuse and expanding recycling. The forum included representatives from the European Union, Maryland business executives, state leaders and diplomats to advance a shared vision for a circular economy—one that redirects valuable resources, creates jobs, and promotes healthier communities.
Kitty provided remarks in the opening panel,
Session I: Circular Economy Policies: Delivering on Environment, Competitiveness and Jobs, moderated by Serena McIlwain, Secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment. This panel set the tone for the day, highlighting how U.S. state-level policy, regulatory cooperation, and EU experience can strengthen domestic supply chains, manufacturing competitiveness, and employment through circular-economy legislation and incentives.
The event included discussions on policy, innovation, and financing strategies to build a more sustainable and competitive economy. The forum highlighted how circular approaches—such as designing products for reuse, reducing reliance on scarce resources, and expanding recycling and recovery systems—can reduce waste. Sessions explored opportunities for collaboration in areas such as packaging, construction, textiles, and critical minerals, as well as financing tools to scale up circular economy initiatives. Specifically, Session II focused on the
Financing of Circular Economy Initiatives and Session III focused on
Circular Business Models and Innovation.
Other Session I panelists included MRN Member Kaley Laleker (Chief of Zero Waste Programs, Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection), Ben Grumbles (Executive Director, the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) and former MDE Secretary), Clara Crespo (Counselor, Embassy of Spain in Washington, DC Clemens Helbach (Counselor for Environment, Climate and Urban Development, German Embassy in Washington, DC), Nancy Najarian (Senior Advisor, Embassy of Finland in Washington, DC), Bastiaan van den Berg (Counselor for Infrastructure and Water Management, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the United States).
We would like to provide a special thanks to all the MDE staff involved in planning and pulling off such a successful and impressive international event, with special recognition to
Shannon McDonald and
Rachel Lamb!
We hope this will be the first of many to come!
Read more about
Ambassador Neliupšienė's visit to Maryland.
*Photos courtesy of the Governor's Press Office Photo Gallery
*MRN advocates on behalf of the Maryland recycling community to ensure that these legislative initiatives achieve their stated goals in a cost- and time-effective manner without creating unintended consequences that hobble our mission to promote a healthy, sustainable environment. Be sure to stay up-to-date on all MRN's legislative efforts on our Legislative/Regulatory page.