On October 22, 2025, EWRI Pittsburgh hosted our 12th Sustainability Conference. (Photo: 12th Sustainability Welcome Sign – event signage was made from recycled materials.)
Day one of the event featured speakers and panelists discussing a wide range of sustainability topics including multi-modal transportation, local university initiatives, recycling & reuse, water resources, and sustainable construction practices. It was headlined by keynote speakers Dr. Costa Samaras, Director of Carnegie Mellon University’s Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, Ms. Karen Kabbes, ASCE Sustainability Committee, and Ms. Gisele Barreto Fettermen, founder of The Freestore15104. The event also included a student poster competition that celebrated innovation and awarded two outstanding university students with scholarships.
(Pittsburgh Sustainability Committee Chair Justin Kerns introducing the two-student poster competition winners.)
(Pittsburgh Sustainability Committee Vice Chair Noel L. Rangel moderating the sustainable construction practices panel.)
Day two included an exclusive tour of Advanced Drainage Systems’ (ADS) state-of-the-art plastic recycling facility in Clarion, PA. This event offered a unique opportunity to explore how recycled materials are transformed into high-performance stormwater drainage pipes used in infrastructure projects. Attendees were able to see ADS’ sustainability initiatives and environmental stewardship firsthand. As one of North America’s largest plastic recyclers, ADS removes over half a billion pounds of plastic from the waste stream annually, repurposing it into high-performance products designed to last for decades. (Photo: A look at ADS’ recycling facility, where the sorting line ensures contaminants are removed before post-consumer plastic materials are transformed into HDPE pipe.)
As EWRI Pittsburgh, we are proud to have hosted this impactful Sustainability Conference. We remain committed to fostering conversations that engage, educate, and motivate our community to pursue sustainable pathways at work and in life—and look forward to building a future where innovation and sustainability go hand in hand.
