Full Circle 2026: Texas Circular Economy Summit

Details

Circular San Antonio, in partnership with the City of San Antonio, hosts the first annual Full Circle Summit on February 12th and 13th, 2026.
This two-day, immersive event is dedicated to accelerating leadership in circular economy innovation and converging experts and stakeholders from across the region and beyond to drive meaningful change.

With distinguished speakers, field trips, and interactive sessions:

• Day 1 will highlight remarkable circular initiatives happening in the region, showcase scalable solutions from around the globe, and take attendees on site visits to outstanding local examples of circularity in practice.
• Day 2 will have a special focus on the role circular hubs have in advancing material reuse and will gather experts by sector to map opportunity. The event will conclude with an optional attendee convening at Mission San Jose for Restored By Light, celebrating the 10th anniversary of San Antonio's World Heritage Site designation.

Don't miss out on incredible presenters, workshops, and immersive experiences!
Contact [email protected] for and discounts for groups of 5 or more.

Info: The Circular Innovation Council of Canada (CIC) is a national charity that believes shifting production and consumption in a circular economy simultaneously supports environmental, economic, and social outcomes. Through efforts like the Circular Opportunity Innovation Launch Pad (COIL), CIC’s work supports collaboration, innovation, policy, and education, which are all enablers of the circular economy.

CEO Jo-Anne Godard will highlight the enormous opportunity the circular economy presents globally, anchoring her vision with on-the-ground examples from the CIC’s work in Canada, from food to construction to technology.

An engaging panel will follow to anchor the rest of the Summit.

Info: Where does a building actually come from? This engaging plenary will showcase how sourcing local and focusing on circularity across multiple areas — materials, labor, culture, art, etc — helps build better buildings and is the foundation of a truly resilient city. Kelly Alvarez Dornan will discuss his own experience as an architect working across multiple continents, detailing how prioritizing the unique materials, building knowledge, and culture of individual communities helps improve environmental, social, and economic outcomes. He offers an inspiring outlook on the future of design and construction — and the challenging but exciting road it will take to get there, together.

Info: Choose a breakout session focused on one of our conference themes: Buildings & Cities, Systems & Communities, and Economics & Innovation. Visit www.circularsanantonio.org/summit for breakout details.

Info: Choose a breakout session focused on one of our conference themes: Buildings & Cities, Systems & Communities, and Economics & Innovation. Visit www.circularsanantonio.org/summit for breakout details.

Info: Full Circle attendees will have the opportunity to take a behind-the-scenes tour of an example of circularity in practice. Visit Pullman Market (food circularity from the lens of a chef and restauranteur), Lake|Flato Architect's downtown office (adaptive reuse and circularity in the built environment), or the SAWS Wastewater Treatment Plant (wastewater and organics reuse).

Info: Bring a lesser-loved clothing item or accessory - t-shirt, canvas tote bag, jacket, etc - for a design refresh by local screenprinting artists at breakfast or throughout the morning.

Info: The Innovation Barn in Charlotte, North Carolina is a physical hub for education, collaboration, and innovation designed to turn waste into opportunity — Charlotte’s sustainability playground. Pilot projects and programs focused on reuse of plastics, textiles, food, and construction & demolition materials are housed in a community-serving space that includes a coffee shop, aquaponics lab, teaching kitchen, and more. The barn is activated year-round with events including a Halloween costume swap, field trips, summer camps, and so much more.

Physical hubs like the Innovation Barn are essential to advancing material circularity in cities. They provide a tangible space for innovation and experimentation, bridging the gap between design, implementation, and community engagement. This keynote will “bring” attendees to the Barn, highlight its impact, and discuss steps for communities to launch a Barn of their own.

Info: Choose a breakout session focused on one of our conference themes: Buildings & Cities, Systems & Communities, and Economics & Innovation. Visit www.circularsanantonio.org/summit for breakout details.

Info: Choose a breakout session focused on one of our conference themes: Buildings & Cities, Systems & Communities, and Economics & Innovation. Visit www.circularsanantonio.org/summit for breakout details.

Info: Choose a breakout session focused on one of our conference themes: Buildings & Cities, Systems & Communities, and Economics & Innovation. Visit www.circularsanantonio.org/summit for breakout details.

Info: To conclude the Summit, attendees will gather for facilitated roundtables focused on making connections and mapping opportunities by industry.

Info: For local attendees or those sticking around through Saturday, a group will gather at Restored by Light at Mission San Jose, celebrating the 10th anniversary of San Antonio's World Heritage Site designation. There will be live performances and food trucks followed by a stunning light show at the Mission after sundown, including a revival of colorful frescoes that once adorned the mission.

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Event Host

Circular San Antonio