St. John’s, NL — Entrepreneurs from across Newfoundland and Labrador capped off the first year of econext’s Project Zero Circular Economy Incubator last week by pitching their ventures to a panel of industry experts. ReLab Art, founded by Yiyin Liu, took home the top prize of $3,000 for its innovative approach to repurposing physical waste from MUN laboratories into unique artwork. All other incubator participants received a $500 program contribution bonus to help support their ventures.
Program lead Audrey Parnell, Manager of Circular Economy with econext, said the inaugural year demonstrated the strength of the province’s growing circular-economy sector. “I loved the energy and diverse projects we saw from our inaugural cohort of ventures. While the circular economy is just starting in Newfoundland and Labrador, these ventures showcased the immense potential that exists in the province.”
Six Months of Work Culminate in Public Pitch Event
(Presentation by Yiyin Liu, highlighting their venture ReLab Art and showcasing some of their recycled art.).
The pitch event marked the end of a six-month incubator offering business training, circular-economy guidance, and one-on-one mentorship to help participants develop or refine their ventures. Over program phases, entrepreneurs were introduced to strategies for reducing waste, improving resource efficiency, and extending the lifespan of materials through reuse, repair, redistribution, and recycling.
Ventures explored a wide range of ideas, from oil-filtration recycling to 3D-printed farming kits. “I have been impressed with the creativity of our entrepreneurs who are able to find value in waste,” said Parnell. “There was a wide spread of ideas, which represents the range of opportunity available in our province.”
Judges from across the industry evaluated the final presentations, while community members, partners, and other representatives attended to learn about emerging companies working to shift the province toward more sustainable economic practices.
Promoting Circular Innovation
The incubator was launched to help businesses move away from the traditional “take-make-waste” model, in which products are used briefly and then discarded. Globally, only 7.2% of materials are recirculated at the end of their life, a trend that fuels resource depletion and strains natural systems.
Circular-economy approaches aim to reverse this pattern by keeping products and materials in use longer and designing systems that minimize waste. The econext Project Zero Circular Economy Incubator provides Newfoundland and Labrador entrepreneurs with the tools and expertise to grow and implement such models locally.
Acknowledging the Contributors
econext extends its thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of the pilot cohort, including the pitch judges, program participants, attending audience, subject matter experts, and program mentors.
Special appreciation is given to the team at the Synergy Foundation for their help in launching the Project Zero Incubator within Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as to the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board for their role in supporting this program.
A complete list of participating ventures is available here: here
Next Steps
With its first year complete, econext is preparing for the next cohort. “We’re excited to move into our second year of the incubator program, building on what we’ve learned and strengthening the support we offer to entrepreneurs across the province,” said Parnell. “It’s been inspiring to see new ideas emerge around waste and circularity, and we’re looking forward to helping our 2026 cohort continue to develop and mature their businesses.”
Applications for the 2026 Project Zero Circular Economy Incubator will open in the coming year. Updates will be shared through econext’s weekly newsletter, and inquiries can be directed to incubator@econext.ca.
