2024 Session Line-Up

Resource Recycling Conference 2024 features three days of insight, highlighting the biggest conversations and trends in municipal materials recovery. Click on each item title for speaker names and more info.

Please note the schedule is tentative and subject to change.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14

  • Pick up your attendee badge and conference materials or register on site.

  • Peruse the booths in our Exhibit Hall and make connections with your recycling peers.

  • Coffee, tea and breakfast provided to power attendees through the day’s schedule.

  • SPEAKERS

    MODERATOR: Myles Cohen, Founder, Circular Ventures, LLC

    In this spirited and thought-provoking panel, we dive into one of the most debated questions in recycling today: who ultimately decides what materials are recyclable? Join our dynamic moderator, Myles Cohen, whose unconventional views are sure to spark lively discussions with our expert panelists, each bringing their own perspectives from industry, policy, and community engagement. While the panelists advocate for a collaborative approach, Myles will challenge them on whether true consensus can be reached across stakeholders.

  • Enjoy a short break between sessions.

  • SPEAKERS

    MODERATOR: Antoinette Smith, Reporter, Resource Recycling, Inc.

    Textile waste is an increasingly urgent environmental issue, with global production and consumption of textiles skyrocketing.

    This session will cover:

    • Overview of Textile Waste & Growth Projections: Discuss current levels of textile waste, its environmental impact and expected future increases.

    • Current & Future Management Options: Explore existing recycling methods and emerging technologies aimed at addressing textile waste.

    • Best Practices for Program Development: Provide actionable insights for creating and scaling effective textile recycling programs, focusing on collaboration, innovation and policy.

  • SPEAKERS

    MODERATOR: Nora Goldstein, Editor, BioCycle

    Compostable alternatives to single-use packaging are referenced in state and federal policies — including EPR laws — aimed at reducing plastic pollution and contamination in the recycling and composting streams. Two key questions arise with this trend: Can the U.S. food waste composting infrastructure manage the potential influx of compostable packaging? And do these products successfully disintegrate during the composting process?

    This session will cover:

    • Assessment of U.S. food waste composting infrastructure and its acceptance of compostable packaging.

    • Quantifying disintegration of food-contact compostable packaging at U.S. composting facilities.

    • Composter perspectives on pros and cons of compostable packaging acceptance.

  • SPEAKERS

    Using outreach and education can foster behavior change to increase participation and decrease contamination in your recycling program. This dynamic workshop is designed to empower attendees with the skills and knowledge to effectively educate residents on how to recycle effectively! You’ll learn proven strategies for raising awareness, communicating key recycling guidelines and inspiring action within your community. With hands-on activities, expert insights and practical tools, you'll leave equipped to lead impactful outreach efforts and foster a culture of recycling.

  • Enjoy a short break between sessions.

  • SPEAKERS

    MODERATOR: Lindsey Walker, Market Development, Emmet County Recycling

    Simply collecting and sorting recyclable or compostable materials does not make a circular economy. You need to have end markets that can reuse, repair or further process the materials into a form that can then be made into new and useful products.

    This session will cover:

    • The Role of End Markets in a Circular Economy: Learn why simply collecting recyclables isn’t enough and how strong end markets are essential for turning materials into new products.

    • Environmental & Economic Impacts: Discover how circular economies can not only reduce waste and emissions, but also create jobs and stimulate local economies through material recovery and reuse.

    • Innovative U.S. Initiatives: Hear about successful state-level programs and initiatives that are spurring material end markets, and how these can be replicated to build local circular economies.

  • SPEAKERS

    MODERATOR: Marissa Heffernan, Associate Editor, Resource Recycling, Inc.

  • SPEAKER: Andy Weins, Owner, Camo Crew Responsible Junk Removal

    Enjoy a networking lunch with guest speaker Andy Weins, who will keep us company.

  • SPEAKERS

    MODERATOR:Anne Germain, Chief of Technical & Regulatory Affairs, National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA)

    Panelists will take to the main stage for a no-holds-barred discussion about the realities of EPR for packaging and the good, the bad and the ugly impacts it's having across the recycling value chain.

  • Enjoy a short break between sessions.

  • SPEAKERS

    MODERATOR: Resa Dimino, RRS

    Extended producer responsibility (EPR) policies are taking hold in various states in the U.S. These policies hold manufacturers responsible for the proper disposal or recycling of their products. This session will provide a short overview of current and pending EPR legislation and the range of non-curbside materials affected in the U.S. including tires, carpet, batteries, electronics, mattresses, solar panels, pharmaceuticals, paint and household hazardous waste (HHW). The panel, made up of representatives from across the U.S., will engage in a discussion of EPR impacts fed by questions from the moderator and audience.

  • SPEAKERS

    MODERATOR: Colin Staub, Associate Editor, Resource Recycling, Inc.

    This session will explore the increasing necessity for secondary sortation to enhance recycling quality and support the development of emerging end markets.

  • SPEAKERS

  • Enjoy a short break between sessions.

  • SPEAKERS

    MODERATOR: Becky Reichenbach, Recycling Marketing Manager, Rumpke Waste and Recycling

    Small packaging formats, film and food-grade PP pose challenges to MRFs, and as such don't make it onto municipal recycling collection lists.

    This session will cover:

    • The tipping points for collection.

    • Building the business case for MRF investment - what's the economic tipping point and deciding when it works and when it doesn't.

    • How brand owners and other stakeholders are collaborating to drive market demand and move the needle on small format packaging recycling.

  • SPEAKERS

    • Megan Kaplon, Circular Economy Program Coordinator, Austin Resource Recovery

    • Elizabeth Taylor

    In this participatory session, we’ll use the example of the City of Austin’s Fix-It Austin repair education program to explore how partnerships can be the answer to growing and improving your existing programs.

    We’ll start with a brief presentation on the history and current status of the Fix-It Austin program, including an overview of the partnerships in development aimed at expanding the initiative. Attendees will then collaborate in small groups to select an example program and brainstorm strategies for growth. Each group will explore potential partnerships, craft a pitch to engage partners, and consider ways to allocate responsibilities.

  • Hosted by the Coalition for High Performance Recycling (CHPR)

    SPEAKERS

    Join us for a collaborative session exploring producer-funded recycling systems that tackle packaging pollution, cut costs, and support a circular economy. We’ll focus on policies like extended producer responsibility (EPR) and recycling refunds (i.e., deposit return systems/DRS) that improve recycling quantity, quality, and convenience while addressing climate change.

    This workshop offers an opportunity to share experiences, challenges, and successes, while engaging in problem-solving with expert facilitators. Together, we’ll explore innovative solutions and strategies to advance high-performance recycling.

    Topics include:

    • Performance outcomes of various policies

    • Key components of effective recycling policies

    • Navigating state politics and coalition-building

    • Stakeholder engagement and legislative advocacy

    • Open discussion on state-specific challenges and solutions

    About the The Coalition for High Performance Recycling (CHPR)
    CHPR is a diverse group of consumer brands, material manufacturers, packaging suppliers, trade associations, and ENGOs. Together, CHPR collaborates to advance a comprehensive policy model that incorporates both Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging products and a beverage container Recycling Refunds (also known as Deposit Return System/DRS or bottle bills).

  • Gather with your peers in our Exhibit Hall for our networking reception.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15

  • Pick up your attendee badge and conference materials or register on site.

  • Coffee, tea and hot breakfast provided to power attendees through the day’s schedule.

  • Peruse the booths in our Exhibit Hall and make connections with your recycling peers.

  • SPEAKERS

    The federal government offers substantial funding for recycling initiatives. This session will explore the structure of EPA grants, highlight key proposal requirements, address critical issues like environmental justice, and guide you in defining and measuring success according to EPA standards.

  • SPEAKERS

    This session will cover:

    • Overview of Reuse Trends: Explore the current state and future potential of the reuse industry, envisioning it as a key component of urban infrastructure and resource management.

    • Innovations and Benefits: Learn about innovative reuse systems, successful case studies and technological advancements, along with the economic and environmental benefits of integrating reuse into city operations.

    • Opportunities for the Recycling Industry: Learn how recycling industries can adapt to include reuse, explore new revenue streams and hear about promising projects like the ReCirculation Project in Durham, NC and Eureka Recycling in Twin Cities, MN.

  • SPEAKERS

    The session will explore the principles, successes, and shortcomings of EPR legislation, highlighting its role in plastic waste reduction initiatives and fostering sustainable practices within the industry. We will examine case studies from various regions, analyzing how robust EPR framework incentivizes design for recyclability, packaging reduction initiatives, and investments to waste management infrastructure. Additionally, we will discuss the broader implications for the plastics market, including shifts in consumer behavior, innovation in material alternatives, and the potential for circular economy models.

  • Enjoy a short break between sessions.

  • SPEAKERS

    MODERATOR: Nina Bellucci Butler, CEO, Stina Inc.

    If time travel existed, and you could go back in time to redesign our recycling system, what would you do differently? Join us for a data-driven discussion as we dive into the possibilities.

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