Our team
The people behind the Hub
The Circular Innovation Hub brings together faculty, research affiliates, and graduate students from across York University to study how waste and materials systems work in practice, and how to make them work better.
Director
Dr. Calvin (Cal) Lakhan
Founder and Director, Circular Innovation Hub · Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, York University
Cal Lakhan is the founder and director of the Circular Innovation Hub in York University’s Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change. His research examines how waste and materials management systems perform in practice, and how the evidence behind circular economy policy is produced, communicated, and used.
His current work focuses on extended producer responsibility for packaging, including the design and effects of eco-modulated fees; why consumer reuse and refill systems succeed or break down; life cycle assessment of packaging and industrial coatings; and how environmental information reaches the public, from recycling behaviour in newcomer and minority communities to material literacy and eco-anxiety among young people. He built and maintains the Packaging EPR Library and the Packaging Label Atlas, open-access references for policymakers, industry, and researchers.
Cal has published in journals including Nature Reviews Materials, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, and Waste Management, alongside policy reports for governments, industry, and non-profit organizations. He has served as an expert witness in litigation on recycling and packaging policy, writes regularly for practitioner audiences on materials policy and environmental communication, and is the author of picture books for children on material literacy and eco-anxiety.
He holds a PhD in Geography from the joint University of Waterloo–Wilfrid Laurier University program, and a BA in economics and an MES in environmental economics from York University.
Faculty
Project Lead
Dr. Mark Winfield
Professor, Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change; Co-Chair, Sustainable Energy Initiative (SEI).
Dr. Mark Winfield currently focuses his research on electricity, energy efficiency and climate change policy in Ontario. Before joining EUC in 2007, Dr. Winfield was a Program Director with the Pembina Institute, and prior to that Director of Research with the Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy.
Research affiliates
Research Affiliate
Jainam Shah
Jainam Shah is a microbiologist and environmentalist who started his career in India. Shah is a full-time employee of Eco-waste solutions, a company that converts wastes into energy, and has contributed to numerous civil and non-civil projects (including those for the US military and DOD Canada). He has received certification from the society of medical microbiology for his analysis of landfill soil contamination and leachate sampling, and holds a diploma in environmental planning, sustainable waste management, and a bachelor’s in microbiology.
Prior to joining EWS, Shah worked on municipal projects with the Municipality of Dysart-et-al and the County of Orangeville, including initiatives to reduce contamination in recycling, educate residents about household hazardous waste, and prevent incorrect garbage disposal. He also held a position as an environmental planner at Batory Environmental Planning, supporting legislative projects and green infrastructure.
Student team
Graduate researchers
Graduate researcher
Yahya Mohti
Yahya is a strategic management and sustainability MBA candidate at York University’s Schulich School of Business. He holds a Master of Management from Schulich and an undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Toronto, where he researched the biological consequences of climate change.
His work spans consulting on the design of a Master of Sustainability program to investigating a $40 million renewable energy project. On the Federal Open Data Standard project with Dr. Lakhan, he bridges academic research and corporate practice so that waste management policy and research are accessible and actionable for industry.
Graduate researcher
Luisa Regina Anota Guzmán
Regina is a master’s candidate in Environmental Studies at the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change. Originally from Mexico City, she has studied in six countries, shaping a global and interdisciplinary approach to sustainability, ecological economics, and circular innovation.
She holds an Honours Bachelor in Sustainable Environmental Management from York, a Certificate in Climate Solutions and Sustainable Energy, and a Business and the Environment Diploma from Schulich. Her work examines how ecological economics and circular economy principles can drive sustainable transitions at national and global scales.
Graduate researcher
Sara Abbasian
Sara is a master’s student in Civil Engineering at York University, specializing in a BIM-driven approach to sustainable construction and demolition waste management. She earned her bachelor’s degree as a top-ranking student at Shahrood University of Technology, Iran, and has co-authored a book chapter on Digital Twin applications for building energy and carbon performance.
Under the supervision of Dr. Jadidi, her graduate research develops data-driven strategies and digital solutions to minimize construction and demolition waste, optimize resource efficiency, and promote a circular economy in construction.
Graduate researcher
Adhiraj Singh Parmar
Adhiraj is a Sustainability Consultant and Research Analyst at the Sustainable Livelihood Initiative of India (SLII), where he has contributed to initiatives on circular economy strategies, waste management frameworks, and sustainability standards.
He is pursuing a Diploma in Sustainability alongside his MBA at the Schulich School of Business, with academic work focused on textile circularity and sustainable practices across industries.
Alumni