Mark Monteiro, King County, WA
Pat McLaughlin, King County, WA

This webinar will look at King County, Washington, as an example of implementing equity and social justice in the solid waste and recycling industry. King County is one of three counties in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metropolitan area. The King County Solid Waste Division has had a long-standing commitment to equity and social justice (ESJ) initiatives as a local service provider. Over the past few years, they've been focused on the internal aspects of their workforce and how they can develop a strategy to bring clarity and direction of these important ESJ efforts, along with a strong alignment with the broader King County ESJ goals.

Some of their challenges have been in how ESJ is perceived, delivered, and digested amongst the diverse incumbent workforce. Their journey continues to be one where they strive to accept all perspectives; whether the message is well received or unpopular, they continue to embrace and believe in ESJ.

Green Forest Recycling or Crow Wing County Landfill

RAM and SWANA are joining SWAA to offer tours ahead of the annual SWAA Conference. Registrants can choose to tour either Green Forest Recycling or Crow Wing County Landfill, both located in Brainerd. This is a FREE event, but registration is required and space is limited.

Click here to register for the tours

*The event organizers are monitoring the COVID-19 data and may request or require masks at this event as recommended by local, state and national health officials. Please plan accordingly and thank you in advance for your understanding. 

Come catch up with your colleagues face-to-face at this happy hour prior to the Annual SWAA Conference! Registration to this event is FREE and you do not need to be attending the conference to join. 

*The event organizers are monitoring the COVID-19 data and may request or require masks at this event as recommended by local, state and national health officials. Please plan accordingly and thank you in advance for your understanding. 

Extended Producer Responsibility: Successes, Challenges and What it Means for Minnesota

Heidi Sanborn, National Stewardship Action Council
Garth Hickle, Garth Hickle Consulting

Solid Waste Policy: Metro Waste Policy Plan and Driver Shortages

Peder Sandhei, MPCA
George McMahon, Minnesota Teamsters

During this webinar, Peder Sandhei will dive into the Metro Waste Policy Plan, including challenges faced due to Covid, social unrest, and employment. The Metropolitan Solid Waste Management Policy Plan establishes the plan for managing the Metropolitan Area’s solid waste. The policy plan is prepared every six years with input from state agencies, county staff, and a variety of stakeholders: representatives of the waste industry, environmental groups, businesses, and citizens. The conversation will then shift to the topic of driver shortages in the waste industry, an issue many are facing due to increased competition for drivers in other services. We will explore the challenges, stories, and solutions to this pressing issue. 

Chaz Miller, 40-Year Recycling and Waste Industry Veteran
Jim Frey, RRS and NextCycle Michigan

For the first time in several years, speaker Chaz Miller has some positive words about the markets for recycled material. Miller, a prolific speaker, writer and advocate in the waste and recycling industry, will bring a little bit of silver lining to our year by discussing some of the driving forces in today's markets and his outlook for the near future.

All of that is good news for Jim Frey, CEO of RRS, who wants to attract and grow the supply chain and end markets for recycled materials through the project NextCycle Michigan. Jim will tell us about NextCycle Michigan and how they brought together an impressive array or partners with the goal of being an incubator for circular economy initiatives in their state.  

Josh Burman, MPCA
Al Innes, MPCA

Please join us for part I of our 2-part hazardous waste week to hear Al Innes, MPCA, present on the work of the Minnesota Chemicals in Products Interagency Team (CPIT), made up of representatives of the Department of Commerce, Department of Health and the Pollution Control Agency. This team has been conducting product testing to encourage compliance with the state’s statutes restricting toxic chemicals in children’s and other manufactured products. Mr. Innes will be followed by Josh Burman, MPCA, providing hazardous waste regulatory updates from MPCA and US EPA.

This is a 2-part series, but you are welcome to register for either session on its own or both!

Hazardous Waste Part II: Industry Wide Delays for Hazardous Waste Incineration and Alternate Approaches to Achieving Regulatory Compliance

Jamison Reginek, Veolia Environmental Services
Robert Servian, MN Dept of Labor & Industry/MN OSHA Consultation
Cheryl Lofrano-Zaske, Stantec

Part II of our hazardous waste week presents an industry perspective as to what is creating the backlog of getting hazardous waste scheduled for hazardous waste incineration across the country and creating storage time limit exceedances for so many hazardous waste generators.  We will also be hearing from several speakers discussing alternate strategies for achieving regulatory compliance to include use of ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 auditing to MN OSHA’s Consultation Program to developing your own internal regulatory audit program.

This is a 2-part series, but you are welcome to register for either session on its own or both!

Jean C. Buzby, PhD, US Department of Agriculture
Tim Lundell, WLSSD
Rebecca Richert, UNFI