CRRA 2023 Conference and Trade Show

Treasurer

Fiona Ma is California’s 34th State Treasurer. She was elected on November 6, 2018 with more votes (7,825,587) than any other candidate for treasurer in the state's history. She is the first woman of color and the first woman Certified Public Accountant (CPA) elected to the position.

The State Treasurer’s Office was created in the California Constitution in 1849. It provides financing for schools, roads, housing, recycling and waste management, hospitals, public facilities, and other crucial infrastructure projects that better the lives of residents.

One committee Treasurer Ma chairs, the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority (CAEATFA), helps clean and green our state. It awards sales tax exclusions for manufacturers that reduce pollution, while retaining jobs, including to companies that make electric vehicles, turn farm waste into energy, and produce jet fuel out of renewable sources.

California is the world’s fifth-largest economy and Treasurer Ma is the state’s primary banker. Her office processes more than $2 trillion in payments within a typical year and provides transparency and oversight for an investment portfolio of more than $124 billion, approximately $34.8 billion of which are local government funds. She also is responsible for $93 billion in outstanding general obligation and lease revenue bonds of the state.

In 2020 the State Treasurer’s office was the agent of sale for about $20 billion in debt, which financed many building projects that created thousands of construction jobs. Of that debt, $6.2 billion refinanced previous debt, creating a present value savings of $1.8 billion for California taxpayers.

Most recently before being elected Treasurer, she was an elected member of the California Board of Equalization from 2015 until January 2019 and worked to protect the rights of taxpayers while ensuring California collected its fair share of tax revenues. Her district covered 23 counties in California and included approximately 9.5 million people. Upon being selected Chairperson of the Board of Equalization in 2016, she ordered three external audits of the agency and helped lead the biggest reforms for accountability and efficiency in that agency’s history.

A top priority for her on the Board of Equalization was ensuring that everyone pays their fair share of taxes, including efforts to require online-retailers such as Amazon to collect sales taxes on transactions from third-party sellers in order to help local brick-and-mortar retailers compete ‘ ultimately generating new revenues estimated between $431 million and $1.8 billion for California every year. She also advocated for taxing e-cigarettes similarly to other tobacco products ‘ deterring vaping and smoking and paying for health costs related to tobacco use. In 2017, voters passed Proposition 56 with two-thirds of the vote, collecting $1.7 billion in new tobacco taxes to fund anti-smoking programs and Medi-Cal payments for the poor.

Also while on the Board of Equalization, she identified the cannabis industry as the largest shadow economy in California with ‘hundreds of millions of dollars that disappear into an underground cannabis economy’ and led efforts to regulate the industry, develop systems to ‘track and trace’ all cannabis in California, and develop legal banking mechanisms for cannabis businesses.

Treasurer Ma was a member of the State Assembly from 2006-2012, serving as Speaker pro Tempore from 2010 to 2012. She built a reputation as a solution-oriented public servant and was adept at building unlikely coalitions to overcome California's most complex problems. Prior to serving as Speaker pro Tempore, she was Assembly Majority Whip and built coalitions during a state budget crisis to pass groundbreaking legislation that protected public education and the environment while also expanding access to health care.

As an Assembly Member, she authored 60 bills that were signed into law by two different governors ‘ most were first-in-the-nation and required no taxpayer money. Her successful legislation to ban toxic chemicals in baby products, known as phthalates, became a model for federal legislation that was authored by U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein in 2008. She chaired the Assembly Select Committee on Domestic Violence and spearheaded legislation that strengthened laws protecting victims of domestic violence, consumers and working families; prevented the spread of Hepatitis B; increased access to quality healthcare; and, provided equal rights for all Californians.

From 2002-2006, she served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and championed a human rights campaign to end human trafficking in massage parlors and to close prostitution rings. She led an effort to create the city's Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program to empower small businesses to more easily participate in public works projects

Treasurer Ma first became involved in public service in 1994 when she was elected president of the Asian Business Association, where she began advocating at San Francisco City Hall and the State Capitol on behalf of minority business owners. Her work resulted in her election in 1995 as a delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business, where she advocated for socially responsible contracting for minorities and women in San Francisco, ultimately producing a report to Congress detailing 60 top policy recommendations to help small businesses grow and prosper in the 21st century.

Also in 1995, she was appointed to the Assessment Appeals Board of San Francisco by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. That year she started her public service career as a part-time district representative for then-State Senator John Burton and served as Burton’s district representative until her election to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. For Burton, she was responsible for helping constituents with Medi-Cal, Workers’ Compensation, Unemployment Insurance, Franchise and Employment Development Department taxes, and professional licensing.

From 1989-93 she worked for Ernst & Whinney, in the real estate tax group, before starting her own accounting practice in San Francisco. Today Ernst & Young is one of the largest professional services firms in the world and considered one of the "big four" accounting firms.

Treasurer Ma has been a licensed CPA in California since 1992 and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from the Rochester Institute of Technology (NY), a Master’s Degree in Taxation from Golden Gate University (SF), and an MBA from Pepperdine University.

She is a Member of the Vatican’s Council for Inclusive Capitalism, Member of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants, serves on the Board of California Women Lead, is an Honorary Chair and Spokesperson for the San Francisco Hepatitis B Free Campaign, and is a member of the Screen Actors Guild. Treasurer Ma is also active with the National Association of State Treasurers (NAST): 2020 Chair of ABLE Committee and Member of the Legislative Committee; and a member of the CalCPA society. She is married to Jason Hodge, a full-time firefighter and Oxnard Harbor Commissioner.

Keynote Presentation: REinvesting in California's Recycling Systems

Director of Government Affairs - California

Mike Caprio holds the position of Director of Government Affairs – CA for Republic Services.  In this role, he oversees legislative and regulatory activities throughout the state and provides advocacy on matters related to environmental services, climate initiatives, the circular economy and sustainability.  Mike works closely with peers in the industry as well as several non-profit organizations that advocate on common issues.   His operations background has provided an in-depth view of the challenges associated with implementation of policy decisions and how initiatives can be developed so that optimal outcomes are achieved.
 
Mike has been with Republic Services and their predecessors since 1998. Prior to moving into his current role, he led Republic’s operations throughout the state and oversaw relationships with public entities, talent acquisition and development, achievement of financial goals, safety, compliance as well as the advancement of the company’s inclusion and diversity platform.  During his career he has held roles of increasing responsibility including District Manager, Assistant Region Vice President and Area President.   Prior to his career with Republic, he was employed for five years with Browning Ferris Industries as District Manager for its Northern California landfills.  He  served as Environmental Manager for Recology’s Bay Area operations for six years preceding this. 
 
Throughout his career, Mike has demonstrated his ability to develop strong relationships with key stakeholders and successfully execute upon business and sustainability objectives.  He holds a M.A. degree in Environmental Management from the University of San Francisco and a B.S. degree in Geology from the University of Colorado, Boulder. 

Changing System Design for Management of Recyclables in the Era of SB54

Recent passage of climate and EPR legislation has initiated a shift in how environmental service providers view collection and processing options.  Source reduction remains paramount and serves as a cornerstone of every well conceived waste and recyclables management program.   However, management of materials that remain in the product stream will require enhanced cooperation from consumers, service providers, manufacturers and the regulatory community.   While zero waste remains the primary goal, minimization of single use packaging and product innovation relative reusable packaging will become key focus areas.   Public education of consumers and alignment of post collection processing capabilities with the objectives of SB54 regulations currently being drafted will be critical.   This segment reviews the current state of legislative and regulatory objectives and how they will influence manufacturers, service providers and public entities in the selection and implementation of programs to achieve the desired outcome.  Variations in social and economic priorities among geographic regions of the state add a layer of complexity that further increase the challenges faced by those involved.

Environmental Services Manager

Chief Ecological Officer

Steve Lautze has over 40 years of experience in waste reduction and recycling market development, spanning operations, policy advocacy, and work with scores of reuse and recycling-based manufacturing companies.  After working initially in buyback operations and commercial recycling consulting, Steve made a bold shift to focus on recycling market development and urban sustainability issues for 20 years in the dynamic city of Oakland, including service as President of the California Assn. of Recycling Market Development Zones for 16 years.  Currently an independent consultant, Steve remains focused on market and infrastructure development, without which there can be no real circular economy.

Can't Have a Circlular Economy Without Closing the Loop

Historically, California waste reduction policy and effort has focused disproportionately on landfill diversion, including AB 939, SB 341, and most recently SB 1383.  Meanwhile, restrictions on exports to China and other offshore markets have translated into a statewide recycling rate below 40%, a far cry from the heady claims of 60% landfilll diversion just 10 years ago.  Market and infrastructure development have received more attention recently, including policies hatched by the statewide Market Development Commission (2020-22), though various extended producer responsibility (EPR) meaures have yielded uneven degrees of success.  CalRecycle funding for market development has increased somewhat, but is also sporadic.  There is also much talk and some action from the private sector to pursue a "circular economy".  CalRecycle committed to create an Office of Innovation for Market Development (OIMD) back in late 2021; however, at this writing, 18 months later, no director for this office has yet been hired, and its mission is stuck in neutral.  The reality is that California will never approach 75% recycling or a circular economy unless there is increased focus on and resources for more market and infrastructure development throughout the state.  In this presentation, attendees will learn about specific initiatives that will create more in-state demand for recyclables and organics, including: strengthening exisiting program such as RMDZ and sales tax exclusion incentives; national/international marketing of these programs to attract new market players; strategies for siting and permitting statewide, while respecting environmental justice; research and development to enhance and create new technologies; and more.

Resource Economist

Grant Readle is an economist who has worked for Edgar & Associates for over 8 years and specializes in solid waste management, greenhouse gases, investigating greenwashing claims, and materials forecasting. Mr. Readle holds a Master of Science degree in Agriculture and Resource Economics from University of California, Davis. His data-driven approach to modelling uses well documented, peer-reviewed, and government endorsed methodologies to approach complex waste diversion issues.

Tracing Recycling End Markets for Paper and Plastic

The United States has relied on international markets to support its recycling claims for paper and plastic waste. However, these recycling systems have remained opaque for decades, and few people know exactly what happens to these materials after they have been baled. China's push to restrict these materials have called into question the legitimacy and sustainability of these end markets. Many countries that are the now new destination for these materials face profound and alarming environmental justice issues that could be exacerbated by these waste imports. Brokers have an understandable commercial interest in not disclosing their buyers, and jurisdictions and purchasers of products have a right to know if the paper and plastic they discard into the blue bin are truly being recycled.
This session will provide strategies to solve the traceability paradox. These strategies will give jurisdictions and MRFs the tools needed to know where these exports are going. Through these tools MRFs, customers, jurisdictions, and brokers can make informed decisions about whether to include products in recycling programs.

Engagement & Resilience Division Lead

Brennen currently serves as Engagement & Resilience Division Lead for Blue Strike Environmental, a consultancy delivering award-winning strategies, innovation, technical analysis, communications, and development services for sustainability, climate change, zerowaste and energy. She brings two decades of experience creating localized and scalable climate solutions for government, private and non-profit organizations. Brennen has a MS in Biomimicry from Arizona State University and Biomimicry3.8, a BS in Environmental Science Technology and a BA in Spanish from Humboldt State University. Brennen has cooperative facilitative approach that seeks to find creative solutions to complex problems, while expanding localized zerowaste, climate and resilience opportunities.

Collaborative Planning for Edible Food Recovery

This presentation will provide an overview of the collaborative planning approach undertaken by Salinas Valley Recycles and ReGen Monterey in the highly agricultural and hospitality focused region of Monterey County, with a focus on how the region is engaging the local food rescue network to understand, quantify and build Edible Food Recovery (EFR) capacity to address food scarcity, hunger prevention and organics diversion. This session will include the approach utilized to complete the EFR Capacity Planning Assessment, estimatation of organics and edible food generation within the two waste districts comprising 13 jurisdictions utilizing waste characterization study data, the outreach efforts conducted with nearly 100 local food rescue organizations to assess existing capacity and gaps, and how these findings are being utilized to guide implementation of EFR program rollout throughout the region. The session will feature innovative collaborative strategies including regional planning structures, cost-sharing, data management, collections, and unified education and outreach strategies that are bridging the gaps across jurisdictions, industries, haulers, food rescue organizations and generators. 

CEO

Alyson brings an intimate knowledge of zero food waste to powerfully move initiatives forward. She continues to thrive at the heart of shaping and advocating for city, county, and statewide policies and support for food waste prevention. With a background in volunteer management, gleaning, sustainable event production, environmental service-learning leadership in educational institutions, and restaurant management, Alyson combines experiences from across the food waste chain to create meaningful and comprehensive waste reduction programs. Alyson is the CEO of the food donation app, Careit. She’s passionate about reconnecting all members of a community and healing through food.

Collaborative Network Solutions to Increase Edible Food Donations

Networked markets are transforming the economy and culture all around us. It would only make sense that food recovery could benefit from a united platform as well. Careit has embarked on a journey to digitize and unite the food donation industry right on time for SB 1383, and dozens of jurisdictions are joining. Among these jurisdictions, Monterey County is working with Careit to launch a localized digital application platform to provide unified coverage throughout the region, as a tool to facilitate increased edible food donation. Using data, logistics management, and compliance shortcuts as the value proposition, Careit is offering an easy and user-friendly approach to connect businesses generating edible food for donation with food rescue organizations working to secure edible food for distribution. Unique market elements provide ready agreement documentation, data collection, integration with local data management systems, and connections to transportation services to further facilitate donation pickup and delivery. This session will highlight Careit's efforts in Monterey County as well as lessons learned from additional implementation areas throughout California and beyond.

Sustainability Event Manager

Building Capacity Within Your Local Food Rescue Network

Local food rescue networks have a long-standing commitment to solving for food scarcity, alleviating hunger and uplifting communities in need. Leveraging the existing food rescue network, understanding their resources, needs and gaps, and collaboratively working to increase their capacity is the basis of the Edible Food Recovery approach being adopted in the Monterey Bay region. Utilizing the findings from the local capacity assessment and funding allocated through regional cost-sharing, Blue Strike Environmental worked with Salinas Valley Recycles and ReGen Monterey to create the first regional capacity building grant program to assist food rescue organization's in acquiring new materials, equipment, supplies and resources to receive, process and distribute increased quantities of recovered edible food, resulting from SB 1383. To date, the region has awarded nearly $200K to ten local food rescue organizations. The session will feature grantee testimonials highlighting specific improvements being accomplished by this program, and how this work supports equity, inclusion and diversity to alleviate hunger. The session will be joined by Joan Dresser, Parish Administrator of St. George’s Episcopal Church, Lt. Ezequiel from Salinas Salvation Army, as well as Jill Allen, Executive Director of Dorothy's Place, a grantee's whose organization is dedicated to providing essential services and transitional support to people experiencing the injustice of homelessness and extreme poverty, as they share insights helping to guide the region forward.  

Resource Recovery Manager

Special Projects Manager

Nate Pelczar joined CPSC in 2018 as a Program Manager. Nate manages CPSC’s largest grant project, the California Drug Take-Back Program, via a $3 million grant from California Department of Health Care Services to combat the opioid epidemic. He is also involved in the management of many grants related to the reduction of household hazardous waste, single-use propane cylinders, and other material management issues. Nate’s passion for the environment aligns with CPSC’s focus on producer responsibility policy and driving a circular economy. His experience working with large corporations continues to help CPSC work collaboratively with the private sector.

Associate

Virginia McCormick attended CSU Sacramento and pursued a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. Virginia worked as a professor assistant, and held leadership roles serving as Co-Chair for Millennials in Media and Secretary for the Secular Student Alliance. She interned through National Public Radio’s NextGenRadio program via Capital Public Radio, and UC Center Sacramento’s program via Capitol Weekly. Virginia continued working with Capitol Weekly following her internship. Following this, Virginia worked as an Environmental Health & Safety Admin, which sparked her interest in environmental protection. Virginia joined CPSC in 2022 as an Associate working on a variety of projects.

Senior Associate

Yalin Li holds a M.S. in Environmental Policy and Management from the University of California Davis and a B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Oregon (U of O). A previous internship with the Oregon Sea Grant sparked an interest in water pollution prevention to protect sea life. Yalin joins CPSC as a Senior Associate and the Lead Ocean Pollution Advocate working on a variety of projects for marine flare collection and education, and policy advocacy for extended producer responsibility and product stewardship.

Special Projects Manager

Dr. Joanne Brasch holds a PhD in Textile Economics and Environmental Analysis from the University of California, Davis, where she also received a Master’s degree in Textile Science and a Bachelor’s degree in International Agricultural Development. Her topics of interest include global commodity systems, supply-chain sustainability, and environmental protection. She currently works as Special Projects Manager at the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC) and has worked for its national spinoff, the National Stewardship Action Council (NSAC), to lead projects that promote a circular economy using Product Stewardship and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).

Vice Chair

Management Analyst

ZeeLaura Page, a Bay Area native has 15 + years of experience in Public Administration working for a variety of government agencies. As the Management Analyst for the City of Pleasanton, ZeeLaura currently manages the waste, recycling, energy and environment programs for the City Manager’s office, including the implementation of California State Law SB1383 and serving as staff liaison to the city’s Energy and Environment Committee. ZeeLaura holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from California State University, Fresno and a Master of Public Administration, Public Management and Policy Analysis from California State University, East Bay.

Coordinating a Compost Application Program Across Departments

Developing a compost application program in the City of Pleasanton takes a coordinated effort.  Working with the tool StopWaste created, SB1383 Implementation staff, GIS staff, and Park Operations staff worked together to develop GIS mapping of all landscape areas in public parks and open space. This mapping included turfgrass, tree wells, planters, and undeveloped open space parcels. The initial plan covers a 3-year application period to help meet the goals of SB1383 compost procurement requirements. Attendees will learn methods used to create the GIS map and benefits of this tool to Parks Operation staff.

Program Manager

Trevor Probert is a Program Services Specialist at StopWaste. He facilitates workshops and trainings on composting and carbon farming, partners with urban farms to support on-site composting, and leads the development of compost distribution hubs in partnership with urban farms, community organizations, and StopWaste's member agencies. He has worked as an elementary school garden teacher, classroom teacher, and landscape contractor, and has bachelor degrees in Geography and Environmental Science and a master’s degree in Education. 

Compost Hubs: Leveraging Procurement Requirements to Build Community

Most cities are familiar with the compost giveaway day--long lines of cars, lots of work to plan and implement, lots of plastic to dispose.  What if there were a better way to do give aways--and what if you could also reach more people, provide education, build community and support local food systems by providing compost to people who otherwise would not be able to access it?  By providing compost to urban farms and community organizations growing (and often distributing) food, cities can establish compost hubs.  How it works: The farms/organizations use as much compost as they like, and community members can visit the hub to pick up free, quality compost.  At this time, there are three hubs up and running in Alameda County, each with a unique story.  While the amount of compost used and distributed at the hubs comes nowhere near meeting SB 1383 procurement targets, it exceeds compost distributed at giveaway days with much less work, and removes the barriers to accessing quality compost for farms and community members.  Attendees will hear about the benefits, challenges, strategies for success, and lessons learned in setting up and managing compost hubs.

Solid Waste Program Lead

John is HDR’s Solid Waste Program Lead based in San Diego, CA.  John provides a variety of clients with consulting services based on his 30+ years’ experience as a consultant and as an executive with public-sector authorities.  He has managed or directed services ranging from strategic planning to facility design.  In addition to consulting, John has over 12 years of experience in positions as Executive Director and Division Director for two separate public solid waste agencies.  John is a Registered Professional Engineer and holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Duke University.

Reaching Procurement Goals Through RNG to Electricity

As solid waste managers, we are often pulled in multiple directions. Here in California, we are being asked to both achieve zero emissions in our waste collection fleets, as well as comply with SB 1383.  This presentation will evaluate the opportunities to comply with SB 1383 procurement goals and fuel ZEV fleets.  John will explore the pathway of organics to AD to RNG to electricity to ZEV fleets.  This pathway will also be evaluated as a possible way to take advantage RINs in fueling ZEV fleets.

Associate Analyst

As a solid waste consultant, Sam Irwin has assisted in surveying solid waste rates and programs including Compost Facility tip fees, customer rates, and finished organic waste product rates and markets. Sam brings a food-centric outlook to the solid waste industry, focusing on expanding edible food recovery (preventing food waste) and the models for a circular food economy through procurement of organic waste products.

Developing an SB 1383 Procurement Plan; Statistics and Case Studies

SB 1383 requires jurisdictions to procure 0.08 tons of recovered organic waste products (ROWP) per resident per year. ROWP targets can be met through applying compost and mulch to public spaces, using renewable gas for transportation, producing electricity for biomass conversion, and more. How can jurisdictions decide which procurement method(s) will fit their needs? In this session, we will explore methods to develop a ROWP procurement plan, and ROWP statistics and case studies from jurisdictions throughout the State.

Senior Program Manager

Director of Operations

Leo Beckerman serves as the Director of Operations for Zero Foodprint. He oversees strategy and day to day management of Zero Foodprint’s programs including Compost Connector in California and the Restore Grants, available to farms and ranches implementing Climate Smart Agricultural practices in California, Colorado, Georgia, and New York.  Leo has a background in public health, education, and non-profit management, and has built and managed teams on four continents.

Optimizing 1383 Procurement for Agricultural Climate Solutions

Zero Foodprint is on a mission to change the way food is grown to combat climate change. In response to SB 1383, Zero Foodprint created Compost Connector to help jurisdictions reach their targets for ROWPs by matching them with farms and ranches using compost. Zero Foodprint facilitates the purchase of qualifying compost or mulch products, and delivery to a participating farmer or rancher that can apply the product on their land to promote healthy soil and carbon sequestration. As a non-profit, Zero Foodprint also has a cost-sharing model that splits the costs three ways between the parties.

Senior Management Analyst

Michele Young has worked in agriculture and solid waste industries for over 30 years, and currently works for the County of Santa Clara.   She has applied her BS in Agricultural Business, and a Master’s in Environmental Science to diverse programs including large scale organics collection and composting; home composting and sustainable landscaping; energy from organics; recycled water; and storm water management.   Implementation of SB 1383 has allowed Michele to revisit and re-apply past efforts to enhance new regional programs that support compost production and utilization.

Leveraging Climate Smart Agriculture to Support SB 1383 Procurement

Santa Clara County is leveraging their Agriculture Resiliency Incentive (ARI) Program, and Zero Food Print, to support climate smart farms in the County that apply for funding through the ARI grant program, as well as providing local projects that County cites can invest in to meet their SB 1383 Procurement targets.   Attendees will learn how the County is linking general fund, grant, and partner city funding to increase climate smart practices in the County, generate the needed contracts and records for SB 1383, and expand the use of compost and mulch in the agriculture sector. 

Sustainable Agriculture Specialist

Raised in Redwood City and living in San Jose, Colleen is proud to call the Bay Area her home and is deeply committed to the preservation and community-led stewardship of our regional open spaces, public parks, and agricultural lands. Colleen is a farmer with almost 10 years of experience working on small and mid-scale organic farms, as well as multiple years of experience coordinating educational and community engagement programming related to agriculture. At the ACRCD, Colleen manages the Sunol AgPark and works on urban farming initiatives, as well as supporting carbon farming and healthy soils programs. Colleen is a dynamic and driven manager with a passion for mentorship, accountability, and mutual growth, and she is a farmer deeply committed to sustainability and the stewardship of our regional agricultural heritage.

Carbon Farming: Building Partnerships to Scale Soil Amendments in Agriculture

California’s Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs) work on public and private lands to advance the conservation and enhancement of natural resources, including supporting farmers and ranchers to implement climate smart agricultural practices. The Alameda County Resource Conservation District (ACRCD) works with farms and ranches throughout Alameda County, as well as public agency partners to guide soil-beneficial management practices within its Carbon Farming, Urban Agriculture and Healthy Soils Technical Assistance programs. Carbon Farm Planning is the synthesis of holistic planning and technical assistance, and the quantification of carbon sequestration benefits and avoided greenhouse gas emissions. Soil health tools include the use of amendments—compost and mulch—materials important to meeting organic recycling targets under SB 1383.

ACRCD is collaborating with Alameda County and StopWaste to develop a compost procurement program that advances compliance with CalRecycle-mandated organics targets while benefitting agricultural producers. ACRCD is leveraging existing programs, access to landowners and funding opportunities, and technical expertise to augment the procurement program—and to scale it for additional municipal partner participation.

CEO

Bill Camarillo is CEO of Agromin, the largest organics recyclers in California. He remains passionate about organics recycling and regenerative soil science after 25 years in the industry. As the CEO of Agromin, he plays a key role in pioneering sustainability through organics conversion.

Bill spent 10 years in the U.S. Marine Corps. While in the Marine Corps, he finished two Associates Degrees from College of the Desert, a Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration from the University of Redlands and a Master’s of Science in Business Administration from the University of Redlands.

Partnerships with Purpose: Direct Service Provider Solutions for Agricultural Lands

Jurisdictions are beginning to develop strategies to meet SB 1383 recycled organics procurement requirements. Composters are in a unique position to play a big role in helping jurisdictions properly comply in a way that will enhance local landscapes, save water and ultimately reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

When it comes to complying, jurisdictions face a number of challenges. Primarily, 1) they lack systems to track organic procurement, 2) they are unsure of where to purchase qualifying compost and mulch and 3) they don’t have the capacity to coordinate product delivery.

Composters can be the solution. This presentation will show how compost companies can help jurisdictions meet the demands of SB 1383 recycled organics procurement–from turning locally sourced green waste into compost, to end-product delivery, to proper tracking and government reporting.

The talk will also discuss the types of compost that comply with SB 1383 requirements and a quick overview of how the use of compost reduces greenhouse gas emissions while improving the soil for healthy plant growth and retaining water–especially important during the current drought.

It will include examples of how some jurisdictions are already implementing SB 1383 by converting its green waste to compost and distributing it onto public and private lands.

Consultant

Sustainability Manager for U.S. and Canada

Jordan Fengel is the Sustainability Manager for the U.S. Canada at Tetra Pak, a global food processing and packaging company and sustainability leader.
Jordan also serves as Government Affairs Director for the Carton Council trade organization. He is on the Board of Directors for AMERIPEN and is the former Executive Director of the State of Texas Alliance for Recycling (STAR) where he advanced the circular economy and supported the state's recycling industry. Jordan spent four years with the City of Georgetown as their Environmental Programs Coordinator. Jordan has a bachelor’s degree in environmental management and is certified in circular economy system.

Overview of California Carton Markets and Recycling Facts

Current carton recycling programs in California.  As the first speaker of this session, Jordan will provide a clear description of the construction of gable top and aseptic cartons, and an overview of the current “state of carton recycling” in California.    Attendees will learn where cartons recycling programs are in the state, the number of households that recycle cartons in the curbside programs and will learn why carton recycling is more widespread in some parts of the state than others. 

Markets.  Over the years, a wide variety of markets for gable top and aseptic cartons have developed.  Several types of paper mills are interested in the high-quality fiber that is the foundation of this package.  Today cartons are being recycled into tissue and toweling, de-ink pulp, linerboard, and even building products. 

Regulations.  As EPR laws for packaging have been implemented, interest in the “yield” of recyclables has increased.  This session will include information from paper mills and other end markets that indicates that cartons have a good track record for recyclability. 

Processing. Finally, Jordan will explain the ongoing support from the packaging industry to help with sorting technology at MRFs, and to support public education.  Manufacturers have worked together to fund these efforts for over a decade, resulting in over 100 grants across the U.S.  Grant funding is available to MRFs in the state today.

With this background, attendees will come away with current cartons recycling facts, and information about how improve programs at their MRFs and in their communities.

MRF Operations Manager

Ricardo Lopez has been with GreenWaste for more than 25 years, working as a sorter, collection vehicle operator, and MRF Supervisor. Ricardo became MRF Operations Manager in 2008. Ricardo is responsible for the direct oversight and management of all aspects of the GreenWaste MRF operations, including the supervision of staff, commodity management, material hauling and transport, and safety reports. Ricardo also oversees all contract compliance aspects of the MRF, including transportation, allocation, and tracking of all recyclable materials and solid waste processed at the facility.

Successfully Sorting and Marketing Cartons from a Large-Scale MRF

Greenwaste Recovery operates one of the largest Material Recycling Facilities (MRFs) in California.  With no MSW landfills, the Company manages materials for maximum diversion from disposal.  Curbside recyclables and residual residential waste from the City of San Jose and other Bay Area cities are sorted at GreenWaste’s San Jose facility.  Over many years, the company has perfected the art of materials processing.

• GreenWaste manages roughly 2 million tons of inbound material each year. Their 4 facilities process over 30 material types, including C&D, garbage, recyclables, food waste, yard trimmings, and more.
• MRF Processing. Their San Jose MRF processes almost 800,000 tons of material, sorting curbside recyclables and residual residential waste for maximum recycling.

As the MRF Operations Manager, Ricky’s commitment to recycling has opened the door to trying innovative materials and investing in technology for future-looking recycling success.  So, it was not a surprise when Greenwaste Recovery’s San Jose MRF installed robotics to sort gable top and aseptic cartons into dedicated “grade #52” bales for sale to market.  Since this investment two years ago, the company has consistently moved full loads of cartons to end markets in North America. 

In this session, attendees will learn from a large urban recycler:

• How the company adapted its processing line to accommodate the cartons sorting system.
• The volume of cartons that can be expected; and
• The realities of moving cartons to end markets.  

Recycling and Public Education Manager

Tim Dewey-Mattia is the Recycling & Public Education Manager for Napa Recycling & Waste Services. Napa Recycling operates Napa’s Recycling & Composting Facility, and is the local franchise hauler for the City of Napa and southern Napa County. Tim got his start in Zero Waste over 25 years ago –  first with the Middlebury College recycling program and then for several non-profit recycling organizations in San Francisco. He has been at Napa Recycling for 17 years and works on all aspects of program development, implementation, compliance and outreach.  Tim also sits on the board of the Northern California Recycling Association.

How Smaller MRFs Process and Move Less-than-truckload Quantities to Market

Napa Recycling is a mid-sized recycling facility in the Napa City limits that processes a wide range of materials for recycling.  With a staff committed to the concepts of zero waste, and communities that expect maximum diversion, it is easy to see why they have gone the extra mile to separate a gable top and aseptic cartons for recycling.   

In 2021, with support from the Carton Council of North America (CCNA), Napa Recycling installed a robot on the container line of its MRF to sort gable top and aseptic cartons for recycling.  Once the technology was proven they realized that they would benefit for working with other recyclers in the region to consolidate cartons to move full loads of cartons to market more frequently.  Thus, their “Less than Truckload,” or “Milk Run” program was born.

Tim engaged other regional recyclers to collaborate with Napa Recycling for carton recycling.  As a result, he has been able to consistently move material from multiple facilities to end markets. 

In this session, attendees will learn how smaller and mid-size recyclers can collaborate to move less-than-truckload quantities of cartons (or other materials) successfully to end markets.  They will also learn how a smaller MRF was able to successfully fund and install innovative new technology, and what the hurdles and benefits of this effort have been.

Principal, Susan K Robinson Consulting

Zero Waste Supervisor

Naomi Lue is the Zero Waste Supervisor at Castro Valley Sanitary District and has been with the District since 2002. As the Department Head, Naomi is responsible for overseeing CVSan's Zero Waste Strategic Plan and Communications Plan, franchise agreements, and directing zero waste programs for CVSan. She received her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design from UC Davis and her Master of Public Administration from CSU East Bay. She is a Board of Director for SWANA’s California Gold Rush Chapter and recipient of Waste360’s 40 Under 40 award.

How is your Agency Working Towards Zero Waste?

Learn about innovative approaches that go beyond diversion in the blue and green bins. From strategic planning and event programming, to public outreach campaigns and messaging, reimagine your community asking each other how to prevent materials from becoming waste in the first place instead of only asking what goes where. Castro Valley Sanitary District (CVSan) will share how Castro Valley has developed a community culture that has inspired and influenced others.  

Program Manager

Kerry Parker has been working in waste reduction for 16 years, and has been San Ramon’s Solid Waste and Environmental Services Program Manager for just over 2 years. Before this she was a zero waste specialist for the City of Alameda, and was author/implementer/enforcer of Alameda’s straws and plastic foodware ban. Her focus now is finding opportunities to change the paradigm and culture of waste.

Trash Free San Ramon!

San Ramon had myriad waste reduction programs in place, a brand new SB 1383-compliant hauler, and was on track toward its zero waste goals – then the pandemic began, and the world changed. The reusable household items collection that was just launched and widely promoted to residents was shut down; the Door-to-Door HHW collection was stalled; and eating food via “sterile” and “safe” disposable foodware rose in popularity.  The City Council’s February 2020 desire to reduce single-use foodware with a ban became practically impossible. In April 2022, San Ramon began a new strategy to reduce single-use foodware.  Stigmatize it!  (Disposable?  Ew.)

Communication and Outreach Specialist

Kelli Valbusa has over 25 years of art direction, graphic design, photography, and project management experience. She has been responsible for planning and creating print and electronic communication and outreach in the solid waste and recycling industry for over 13 years. Her experience includes planning, budgeting, creating, and managing public outreach programs for five municipal franchise contract rollouts. She currently oversees and designs the day-to-day communications and outreach activities for the municipal franchise collection contracts of Alameda County Industries and Peninsula Sanitary Services, Inc. 

ACI's Green Initiatives

Alameda County Industries (ACI) strives to highlight waste reduction ideas and activities to its customers whenever possible. ACI provides waste reduction articles, ideas, and tips in the communication to its single-family, multi-family, and commercial sectors and creates cohesive electronic, print, and social media campaigns that mirror the zero waste concepts featured in its collection vehicle signage program. They also prioritize sustainability in their internal communications by providing Green Tips to their employees monthly. The latest waste reduction program ACI has championed is the “ACI – GO PAPERLESS, PLANT A TREE” program. ACI plants a tree for each ACI customer that signs up for paperless billing.

Sustainability Programs Manager

Sustainable Materials Management (SMM), Senior Program Manager, Environmental Sustainability Office

Director of Programs, STE

Ricky Ramos is the Director of Programs for Streets Team Enterprises, the workforce development wing of Downtown Streets Team, a homeless advocacy agency operating in Northern and Central California.

Litter Abatement and the Homelessness Crisis: Cross-Agency Action

In 2021, Downtown Streets Team (DST) was included in a $2.3 million dollar Clean California grant submitted by the Alamada County DA's office with DST as subgrantee. This talk will discuss the role of people experiencing homelessness in the abatement of litter and illegal dumping. Thanks to coordination between multiple agencies including the DA's Office, the Alameda County Illegal Dumping Task Force, and Argent Materials, DST has been able to engage unhoused neighbors as agents of change. One of the most complex challenges in addressing litter and illegal dumping is dumping at or near homeless communities. By engaging local unhoused persons to help beautify areas in and around zones where they live, and by supporting job creation for the unhoused, these agencies are able to effect positive environmental changes as well as changes in the way homeless neighbors are often viewed as part of the problem to illegal dumping instead of part of the solution. DST operates two programs in this endeavor: its flagship program which engages unhoused volunteers in street beautification as part of program of wraparound support that includes case management and a basic needs stipend; and a supported employment program that pays an above-minimum wage to unhoused individuals looking to enter the realm of mainstream work.

Food Shift Executive Director

Yuka leads Food Shift, a nonprofit shifting the way people think and interact with food by uplifting communities through rescued produce: reducing waste, nourishing our neighbors, and building community capacity. As a turnaround expert guided by values of  justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI), Yuka excels at creating roadmaps for organizations and communities at a point of inflection by focusing on comprehensive strategies that are collaboratively implemented, and mindfully minimizing and navigating financial, operational, and cultural risks. Yuka was born and raised in Japan, educated in North America, and eventually settling in SF Bay Area via Denmark.

Developing a Diversity-Informed Lens for Designing Policies and Programs

Developing a Diversity-Informed Lens for Designing Policies and Programs

2 stories for a JEDI mind and a 7 point framework for inclusive policies and programs

Despite the impacts of climace change affecting our marginalized population disproportionately, our policies and programs often overlook underserved communities. Ironically, more awareness and intent to serve people from minoritized groups, have not resulted in more adoption, participation or engagement.

Through two short stories and illustrative case studies, this keynote presentation explores 1) the need for a diversity-informed lens when developing policies and programs for resilient and sustainable climate action strategies and practices; 2) an alternative approach to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion; and 3) how to get (re)started

[for the organizers: full draft of the speech/presentation is available upon request]

President

Susan Collins is President of the Container Recycling Institute and has worked on recycling and sustainability issues for over 30 years. She leads CRI’s research and works with environmental organizations, activists and governments around the world to educate on the benefits of packaging recycling. Collins has testified before 12 US state and territory legislatures and has been quoted in multiple newspapers. She is a former board member and Treasurer of the National Recycling Coalition and the California Resource Recovery Association. She holds degrees in Manufacturing Engineering from Boston University and Business Administration (MBA) from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Improving Efficiency and Sustainability in Aluminum Beverage Can Recycling

This year, the Container Recycling Institute commissioned the first published comprehensive analysis of the cost of contamination in the recycling of empty aluminum beverage containers (known as used beverage containers, or UBCs) in the United States. This report documents, step-by-step, how aluminum cans are lost from the U.S. recycling system and how these losses can be alleviated, paving the way forward for true circularity for UBCs.

CRI's groundbreaking report covers the following topics:

1. The recycling process for aluminum UBCs, from the point of collection to the point of use in a new manufactured product.
2. Material loss identification at each stage of the recycling process and quantify costs incurred to isolate and remove contaminants.
3. Best practices and potential solutions to recover high quantities and high quality of aluminum cans for recycling, as well as to achieve greater processing efficiencies that result from reducing contamination.
4. Demonstration on how cost savings can be achieved in the recycling process while simultaneously improving material quality and total quantities collected.
5. Education and outreach to stakeholders on which aspects of recycling systems are responsible for the greatest costs, and which practices or technologies can best reduce or eliminate those costs.
   

Join Susan Collins to discuss how this comprehensive data and analysis could inform discussions about how to achieve recycling cost savings at each stage in the process for municipalities, processors and manufacturers; ensure maximum reuse of material in new products with minimal waste, cost and environmental impacts; and demystify sorting requirements for the recycling public.

Executive Vice President of Strategy

Rising to the Challenge: The Surging Demand for Can Sheet

Sr. Director Metal Operations and Director Recycling Strategy

Gary Tucci is the Sr. Director of Metal Operations at Novelis in North America.  He’s been with Novelis for over three years and has been within the Aluminum industry over 13 years holding positions in Finance, Procurement, and Operations.  His current role focuses on purchasing and maximizing recycle content within Novelis’ North American facilities. Gary is based in Cleveland, Ohio and outside of work his interests include coaching youth sports, reading, and hiking.

Aluminum Can Recycling: Novelis' Sustainability Journey

Gain a deep understanding of Novelis’ commitment to recycling and go behind the scenes in the aluminum beverage can recycling process. Dive deep into how recycling aluminum saves energy and the critical role used beverage cans play in achieving Novelis’ ambitious sustainability objectives. The presentation will also discuss some significant upcoming investments in which used beverage cans will play a significant role and some activities in motion to increase recycling rates.

Environmental Services Manager

Founder

Overview on Current State of Right to Repair

Repair is gaining momentum, in large part due to the efforts of organizations and current legislative actions. Join our panel of unique perspectives to hear more on the following topics: The current state of Right to Repair – federal and state levels, specifically status in CA. Successes such as Fixit Clinics and municipal rollouts. Where are the barriers, what we’ve learned, what do we see for the future progress. How do we create, encourage and maintain success, including the creation of a legal climate that favors right to repair.

Right to Repair Successes with Fixit Clinics

Chief Counsel for Development and Innovation

Dan Salsburg is the Chief Counsel for Development and Innovation in the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.  Dan was one of the principal authors of the FTC’s 2021 Nixing the Fix Report to Congress which catalogued the ways manufacturers inhibit repairs of products and debunked manufacturers’ claims that independent repair poses safety and cybersecurity risks.  In April 2023, Dan presented the FTC’s testimony to the California Senate judiciary Committee in favor of SB-244, the “Right to Repair Act.”  Previously, Dan led the FTC’s Office of Technology Research and Investigation where he worked with a team of technologists on consumer protection research.  In this role, Dan organized the FTC’s first PrivacyCon, a now-major annual conference concerning privacy and data security  Dan also has co-authored peer-reviewed research concerning the use of leaked identifiers and payment data, the adoption of email authentication technologies by popular domains, and the security offerings of web hosts that market their services to small businesses.  Dan has also served as an Assistant Director and staff attorney at the FTC, where he supervised and litigated cases involving spam, internet fraud, and mobile technologies. Previously, he served as a Senior Trial Attorney in the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Division of Enforcement. He received his BA and JD degrees from the University of Pennsylvania.

Pushing the Right to Repair Forward

Director of Advocacy

Administrative Analyst II

Alan Ha is an Administrative Analyst with the City of Milpitas. Alan has 15 years of experience in the Solid Waste/Zero Waste field that was developed through the consulting, non-profit, and municipal government sectors through projects such as event greening, lid-flips, waste characterization studies, collection route optimization, and zero waste program development and implementation with private entities. At the City of Milpitas, he works with a team to manage and develop various programs through data collection, analysis, and utilization.

SB 1383 Compliance Data as Fuel for Behavior Change

Achieving compliance with California waste legislation, specifically Senate Bill 1383, is both a challenge and an opportunity. The City of Milpitas and Recyclist share the belief that a successful monitoring program embraces both the drivers and goals of SB 1383. In their public-private partnership, these two entities asked the question, “How can municipalities leverage the waste data they’re required to collect to make greater long-term organics recycling impacts?” Early on, they decided there’s a difference between planning for compliance versus planning for meaningful impact that encompasses compliance, and opted to focus on the latter. Coupling Recyclist's comprehensive Program Tracker with Milpitas's hands-on, bottom-up approach using city-insourced route review inspections and data analysis, Milpitas intends to not only meet compliance, but to also promote better recycling with tailored outreach and education.

This presentation provides an explanation of the tactics used by Milpitas, powered by Recyclist’s software and its SB 1383-focused features, to go beyond compliance with data collection, data analysis and outreach tracking. By performing the on-the-ground work in-house, Milpitas has an in-depth understanding of what’s happening in the field, and is better able to analyze the resultant data to make actionable programmatic decisions. For example, these analytic insights will lead to informed development of customized education and outreach, with the aim of behavior-change. Attendees will get a peek into a real-world example of how SB 1383 compliance momentum can lead to even greater improvements in sustainable waste management in California.

Customer Success Manager

Lisa Coelho is a Customer Success Operations Manager at Recyclist, a Routeware company. Lisa has 8 years of experience in solid waste consulting with an expertise in legislative compliance and field experience. Her past work as a public works employee lends to her expertise helping municipalities track their regulatory compliance and highlight their diversion achievements. In her new role, she dives into our industry’s on-the-ground stories to find opportunities for process efficiency and reporting success.

SB 1383 Compliance Data as Fuel for Behavior Change

Achieving compliance with California waste legislation, specifically Senate Bill 1383, is both a challenge and an opportunity. The City of Milpitas and Recyclist share the belief that a successful monitoring program embraces both the drivers and goals of SB 1383. In their public-private partnership, these two entities asked the question, “How can municipalities leverage the waste data they’re required to collect to make greater long-term organics recycling impacts?” Early on, they decided there’s a difference between planning for compliance versus planning for meaningful impact that encompasses compliance, and opted to focus on the latter. Coupling Recyclist's comprehensive Program Tracker with Milpitas's hands-on, bottom-up approach using city-insourced route review inspections and data analysis, Milpitas intends to not only meet compliance, but to also promote better recycling with tailored outreach and education.

This presentation provides an explanation of the tactics used by Milpitas, powered by Recyclist’s software and its SB 1383-focused features, to go beyond compliance with data collection, data analysis and outreach tracking. By performing the on-the-ground work in-house, Milpitas has an in-depth understanding of what’s happening in the field, and is better able to analyze the resultant data to make actionable programmatic decisions. For example, these analytic insights will lead to informed development of customized education and outreach, with the aim of behavior-change. Attendees will get a peek into a real-world example of how SB 1383 compliance momentum can lead to even greater improvements in sustainable waste management in California.

Sustainability Specialist

Izchel Pulido is a dedicated Sustainability Specialist serving the City of San Ramon, California. With a passion for waste reduction, she plays a pivotal role in supporting solid waste and environmental services programs within the city. Before joining the City of San Ramon, Izchel ventured into consulting work in southern California. Izchel worked Waste Reduction Assistant for a local government. During this time, she gained invaluable experience in waste reduction, education, and outreach. While living in Southern California, Izchel ventured into consulting and was instrumental in raising public awareness about recycling and its significance in mitigating environmental challenges. Her educational efforts empowered individuals to make informed choices, contributing to a more eco-conscious community.

Public Works Manager, Environmental Services Division, Public Works Department

Environmental Program Manager II

Ashlee Yee has worked with CalRecycle for over ten years.  Ashlee oversees the Jurisdiction and Agency Compliance and Enforcement Branch, which evaluates jurisdictions’ and agencies’ compliance of our state laws including SB 1383. Previously, Ashlee worked in the Local Assistance and Market Development Branch, where she focused on the implementation of state laws such as mandatory commercial recycling, mandatory commercial organics recycling, short-lived climate pollutants, and state agency recycling as well as the State Agency Buy Recycled Campaign.  Ashlee is a graduate from UC Santa Cruz.

CalRecycle Local Jurisdiction and Non-Local Entity Compliance Updates

CAP, SB 619, CE and NLE.  There have been a lot of abbreviations coming out of CalRecycle and CalRecycle wants to let you in on what they have been up to.  Learn a little more and get a status update about corrective action plans (CAP) (including those on them from SB 619), compliance evaluations (CE), and what is happening with non-local entities (NLE).  Attendees will get an understanding of what each of these elements are and what CalRecycle plans on accomplishing with them.  Learn about what is coming up at CalRecycle and the Department’s expectations.

Senior Environmental Scientist (Specialist)

Trisha Moore is a Senior Environmental Scientist (Specialist) in the Waste Permitting Compliance & Mitigation Division, Solid Waste Enforcement Section currently working on the enforcement of the Recycling and Disposal Reporting System (RDRS) regulations. She has been with CalRecycle for over 20 years including time in the Knowledge Integration Section working on the previous Disposal Reporting System (DRS) and on recruitment for Waste Characterization Studies. Trisha graduated from California State University, Sacramento with a bachelor’s degree in Geography.

Solid Waste Facilities, Sampling Measurements, and RDRS

With SB 1383’s implementation in 2022, CalRecycle has been receiving facility data from across the state via our Recycling and Disposal Reporting System (RDRS).  CalRecycle is getting a better understanding about the flow of material and ideally, what it should look like.  Attendees will hear about facility sampling measurements, what CalRecycle is hoping to see, and how entities can assist in fixing gaps in the data collection.

Deputy Director of Material Management and Local Assistance Division (MMLA)

Cara Morgan is the Branch Chief leading the Local Assistance and Market Development team at CalRecycle. Cara and her team are responsible for providing technical assistance for over 600 jurisdictions and 200 state agencies in California. Cara’s branch also works closely with each of the 40 Recycling Market Development zones in the state. Cara serves on the team that developed the SB 1383 regulations and is now leading teams on developing implementation tools and training for jurisdictions and stakeholders. Cara has over 30 years of experience successfully implementing and managing recycling, integrated waste management, and related environmental programs for California.

Procurement Targets – Local Jurisdiction Strategies

SB 1383 requires cities and counties to procure recovered organic waste products. If your jurisdiction is struggling to meet your procurement goals, learn from other jurisdictions. CalRecycle will walk you through the challenges jurisdictions have come across and strategies they are deploying. The audience will learn from different perspectives and potentially gain new tools towards reaching their procurement targets.

Environmental Program Manager

Recycling Coordinator

President, K-12 environmental school consultant

Jessica Jane Robinson is the CEO and Founder of Resilience Birthright Inc, a partnering NGO of the United Nations. She is the creator of the Earth Warrior Carbon Calculator, a community-based zero-waste 101 tool that helps address climate change and guides people toward the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. Jessica has been a zero-waste practitioner and active and impactful environmental leader in the Bay Area for over a decade. She has developed innovative zero-waste programs in Alameda County schools, RecycleSmart Schools, and programs throughout the Bay Area. She is currently the President of the Northern California Recycling Association.

Students Become Zero-Waste Superheroes K-12 Programming

Resilience Birthright’s founder, Jessica Jane Robinson, has been working in schools teaching about climate change and zero-waste, providing technical assistance regarding waste diversion & sustainable program planning and implementation for over a decade. Her work has covered over 80 schools in the Bay Area, California, and has inspired action in schools throughout the United States. Ms. Robinson has helped principals, teachers, green teams, and district administrations plan, implement, and promote their environmental program successes.

She will share her K-12 Earth Warrior School Program, where students learn how powerful practicing the 5 R's, refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, rot/compost, can be when done daily with intention. The Earth Warrior School Program has environmental education, lesson plans, and songs. The Earth Warrior Program lesson plans cover Next Generation Science Standards, Common Core Math, and English Language Arts Content Standards, which can be a tool for teaching in the classroom, online, and home-schooling.

Jessica will share best practices that have helped schools move from 20% diversion to composting and recycling 80% of their waste.

This presentation covers California's school mandates, AB 827 and SB 1383.

Project & Operations Manager

As Project & Operations Manager of the Go Green Initiative, Mallory McGoff guides schools and school districts across the San Francisco Bay Area through compliance with waste reduction and diversion. Prior to joining the Go Green Initiative, she launched her career in public education, nonprofit youth programs, and community-based change. She transitioned into climate work as a field researcher for an environmental foundation in the Philippines. 

Mallory holds an M.Sc. in Anthropology and Development Sociology from Leiden University, where she wrote her thesis on social policy at the intersection of public education and the environment.

Measuring and Optimizing SB 1383 Outcomes in Schools

SB 1383 compliance in K-12 schools is not a single destination, but an ongoing project that requires consistent systems as students and staff matriculate year to year. In this session, the speaker will discuss how school site Green Teams can work in partnership with their district administration and their campus communities to set up systems that ensure year-over-year success, including ongoing training, feedback loops, campus culture, and quantifying results. 

Audience members will learn how school site Green Teams can measure the climate impacts of their waste reduction and diversion efforts by establishing baselines and tracking regular waste output of all streams. The speaker will demonstrate how districts and schools can make use of this data to evaluate progress, ensure needs are met, and save money by right-sizing waste hauling service. 

The speaker will also discuss how Green Teams can achieve optimized results by having organized forums to share best practices as well as needs and opportunities. This session will provide resources that schools and districts can use to facilitate intra-organizational feedback loops, measure outcomes, and sustain their programs.

Program Coordinator

Rahul Maharaj is a Program Coordinator with the Go Green Initiative, supporting SB 1383 compliance in Bay Area schools. He works daily with school administrators, teachers, custodians, and students as they prevent and reduce waste at school. 

Rahul previously worked in education and politics, most recently working as a Constituent Service Representative for the District Office of Congressman Eric Swalwell. Rahul was formerly a student in a school district he now serves with the Go Green Initiative and strives to make a difference in the communities he grew up in.

Forming School Green Teams and Training for Success

K-12 schools can achieve success with SB 1383 compliance when they have the right people in the room. In this session, audience members will learn more about the roles of administrators, teachers, custodians, and students in the success of the school’s compliance work. Audience members will receive access to the Go Green Initiative's training templates for school site Green Teams and understand its components, which ensure all team members are up-to-date on the requirements of the law, their steps toward preventing waste and contamination, and systems for measuring results.

The speaker will discuss how third party organizations can support the development and success of these teams in partnership with the school district’s leadership by driving communications, organizing training, and advising the district on school site needs, best practices, and insights. Resources and templates will be provided.

Waste Recovery Manager

I have been a "nature kid" all my life. I spent much of my childhood outdoors on hikes, camping trips, and summer camps, but it wasn't until my Junior year of college that I decided I wanted to go into the environmental field. I took a course called "Environmental Studies 101," and was shocked that I hadn't yet heard of the things I was learning, and by the fact that it wasn't a required course for all students. My path was decided then- my passion lies in making sustainability a practical and economically viable way of life for everyone.

Building a Comprehensive School Recycling Program

A comprehensive and effective school recycling program requires the involvement and cooperation of stakeholders at all levels (superintendents, directors, principals, students, custodians, teachers, waste haulers, and more). I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) has created a structured and repeatable program that assists schools of all sizes, demographics, and age levels to improve their waste diversion rates through traditional and organics recycling. Since the beginning of the program, ILACSD has worked with over 60 schools across San Diego County, helping them divert up to 92% of landfilled waste. During this presentation, we will discuss our process in creating the recycling program and successes, lessons learned, and challenges yet to overcome. This presentation will also include a discussion, where attendees are encouraged to collaborate on questions such as, "How do we get middle school students on board?" and "How can we maintain interest and momentum?" We hope to see you there!

President

Tim Goncharoff is a well-known innovator in the world of Zero Waste. The creator of many breakthrough laws and cutting edge programs, Tim speaks and writes widely on waste reduction, sustainability and environmental protection. Tim currently serves as the President of the National Stewardship Action Council and works as an environmental consultant across the country. 

A New Waste Paradigm: The Circular Economy

1. Traditionally, our approach to manufacturing has paid little heed to the waste products produced throughout the process, especially at end of life. Local governments have been saddled with this increasingly insupportable burden as waste has dramatically expanded while also becoming more toxic and tougher to recycle. 

         2. EPR closes the loop by holding producers responsible for their own waste products,  placing the cost where it belongs while providing manufacturers with incentives to create more sustainable products. 

          3. Other parts of the world have been quicker to adopt EPR. The speakers have traveled extensively to Europe, Canada and elsewhere to study best practices. 

          4. California has been attempting EPR approaches with mixed success for products ranging from mattresses to carpet, mercury thermostats and plastic packaging.  The speakers have been intimately involved in the creation and evaluation of these programs.

         5. With SB 54, California has implemented everything learned from past efforts to create a groundbreaking new approach to reducing waste, litter and toxic materials while reducing costs and enhancing environmental justice.  The new law is already prompting imitators across the country. 

Executive Director

Heidi Sanborn is the founder of the California Product Stewardship Council and the National Stewardship Action Council. She has been a leader in promoting environmental protection and circular economy solutions for decades. Heidi is in great demand as a speaker across the US and beyond, and has been a Keynote speaker for previous CRRA conferences. Heidi also serves as the President of the Sacramento Municipal Utilities District. 

In the Trenches: Getting EPR Done

An increasingly complex world requires complex solutions to challenging problems. In the abstract, EPR often seems like the best approach to waste reduction and more sustainable manufacturing, but in practice,  there are many obstacles.

How do we persuade producers that they should be concerned about waste, which has never been their problem?

In a political process that favors modest, incremental change, how do we convince policymakers to try a whole new approach in the face of outraged opposition from well-funded campaign donors?

What kind of governance structures are needed to ensure sustainable programs which will continue to make progress over time without atrophied or being undermined by opposition?

How do we educate the public to embrace a fundamentally different approach to producing goods and protecting the environment?

Learn the answers to all of these questions and more from someone who has been in the trenches and emerged victorious!

Director of Advocacy and Communications

Jordan joined the National Stewardship Action Council (NSAC) at
its formation in 2015. Jordan is passionate about policy and legislation and enjoys advocating for producer responsibility policies and all that entails, including development of strong coalitions to advocate for policy change. 
Jordan received a Bachelor of Arts in Sustainability from San Diego State University (SDSU) and studied abroad at the University of Oxford. The Sustainability Department awarded Jordan the Outstanding Graduate Award.

Completing the Circle: EPR Moves into the Mainstream

Early efforts in California and elsewhere prepared the ground for Extended Producer Responsibility. Now the circular economy is catching on not just in the environmental community, but in the halls of government and in corporate boardrooms. EPR laws have now been implemented in a number of US states as well as in Canada, Europe and elsewhere. Learn how we have found common ground with surprising people in the corporate and government worlds and crafted legislation that works for everyone. Discover the secrets of the circular economy that will help make your programs effective and efficient. Find out all the mistakes we made so you don't have to! Learn how to find the partners you need to build successful and scalable circular economy solutions!

Executive Director

C&D Zero Waste Coordinator

Eric Pasewalk has over 8 years of experience working with multiple stakeholders across the C&D Recycling landscape in Northern Califronia.  He began as a Construction Account Manager managing all aspects of C&D collection and recycling services for Waste Management of Alameda County.  As an Industrial Account Manager with WM, Mr. Pasewalk was responsible for inbound C&D material into all Bay Area facilties.  Joining SF Environment as the C&D Zero Waste Coordinator, Eric is now responsible for the implementation of San Francisco's construction and demolition debris recovery programs.  His work focuses on debris reduction and material recovery strategies.            

Requiring 3rd Party Verification: San Francisco Model

Learn about San Francisco's efforts to partner with different regional C&D facilties to deliver consistent and verifiable material recovery.  Regulations for the implementation of San Francisco’s Construction and Demolition Debris Recovery Ordinance require facility owners/operators to engage the services of a qualified third-party to conduct verification of recovery rates for recoverable materials.  To be listed as a registered facility with the City and County of San Francisco, facilities need to engage with qualified third-party verifiers, submit a records access authorization letter and submit annual reports for materials accepted that originated in San Francisco.

These efforts are one part of the Envrionment Department's regulatory oversight of 15 mixed debris processing facilities, over 350 debris haulers, and more than 30,000 permitted construction activities that generate approximately 1.5 million tons of debris each year.

Director of Marketing

Jerame has been in the industry for 10 years focusing on Organics/Inert Marketing, Account Management, and Sales for all inbound recyclable commodities at Zanker Recycling (GreenWaste), in San Jose. In the early part of his tenure, Zanker tasked Jerame with developing a sales distribution network for stormwater and erosion control products derived from recyclable materials, while also concentrating on outbound sales for aggregate and organic products such as Class II Base Rock and Compost. After working closely with Zanker's Operational Team,  the life cycle for the commodities recycled at Zanker and end markets. 

The How and Why: Third Party Certified Diversion Rates

As a LEED Green associate, Jerame helps Zanker maintain all third-party certification for construction and demolition debris recycling for GreenWaste.Come learn how Zanker Recycling continually innovates by investing in new technology for all processing dealing with source separated and commingled commodities. Are you interested in knowing what it takes to maintain strong end markets? The relationships between municipalities and a recycling facility are vital to help projects succeed in acheiving overall diversion rates. There are various types of reports which are created and maintained to present a clear narrartive of what is actually being reported. How can we make this process easier and more widely understood?

Director, LEED

Wes Sullens, LEED Fellow, oversees Materials & Resources activities for the non-profit organization USGBC. Wes is responsible for the materials credits in the LEED Rating System and guides leadership criteria related to construction waste, product manufacturing, raw material sourcing, material transparency, circular economy, and embodied carbon.  Mr. Sullens also leads USGBC’s participation in green building codes, including CALGreen and co-sponsorship of the International Green Construction Code. He has worked in the public, private and nonprofit sectors for more than 20 years on broad topics including energy efficiency, building codes, supply chain sustainability, and chemicals transparency.

LEED & Construction Waste

Come learn what's coming next in LEED! By the end of 2023, LEED version 5 will be released to the public and changes are coming to the C&D credits. Will there be a focus on waste prevention? Third-party verification of recycling rates? Requirements to reduce embodied carbon of waste materials? Come to this session to find out and to have a voice in how LEED evolves.

Since 1997, the LEED Rating System has always rewarded leadership in construction and demoltion waste management. In LEED v4, published in 2013, the rating system changed its approach and no longer allows ADC to count as recycling. LEED v4 also put an emphasis on higher-use on-site source separation for materials recovery, rather than commingled waste. Third-party verification of recycling facilities has been encouraged through the use of addtional "pilot" credits in LEED for almost a decade.  Now, with LEED v5 being developed, the presenter will discuss leadership in C&D waste management in 2023 and how (and if) third-party certifications play a role. 

Senior Program Manager

Judith Silver has been engaged in the fields of resource recovery, waste prevention and recycling for 35 years.  She has experience in multiple facets of the zero waste world  - as a local government zero waste staff person,  working for a  hauler, for a paper broker and as a sustainability consultant. Most recently she has been a working on SB 1383 implementation and compliance and C&D implementation and compliance for RecycleSmart, a six member JPA located in in Central Contra Costa County.

Using 3rd Party C&D Facility Verification for Program Success

My presentation will focus on RecycleSmart's 3rd party facility verification requirement for C&D processing facilities that wish to receive mixed loads from projects generated in our agency's service area. It will describe why RecycleSmart has this requirement and how we implement and enforce it. I will describe the history of our Municipal Recovery Certification and how it has evolved over the last few years. I will explain how this requirement ensures that project proponents in our service area can deliver mixed loads of C&D to approved facilities with confidence that the diversion % assigned to their loads is accurate. Attendees will learn about our C&D Ordinance, our use of Green Halo, our outreach to project proponents and how we maintain our list of approved C&D mixed processing facilities. I will take an in depth look at a few facilities in order to illustrate the value of a 3rd party verification system. In addition to meeting CalGreen and SB 1383 requirements, RecycleSmart understands that a robust C&D program is critically important to achieving a high diversion rate and commits energy and resources to ensuring a successful program each year.

Practice Group Lead

Executive Director

Paddy Iyer is the ED of Daily Bowl, a Southern Alameda County based food recovery non-profit organization. Paddy has been instrumental in growing Daily Bowl into a recognized food recovery organization, forging relationships between donors and receiving agencies alike. Food waste is an issue that Paddy is passionate about, and as such he lives every day to Daily Bowl’s exit strategy of “If there is no Food Waste, there should be no Daily Bowl”. But till then, it’s his mission to help reduce food waste, connecting with agencies feeding the hungry, completing the circle. 

Sharing Resources: A New Approach for Non-Profits

This presentation will discuss how Daily Bowl has been changing the norms, reaching across non-profit agencies and organizations to information share, food share and work on more collaborative approaches of food recovery. This presentation will provide examples of how non-profit organizations are breaking down traditional food fight barriers, and instead looking at ways to work together. As SB 1383 increases pressures of food recovery agencies to report, collect food, process food all while ensuring food safety, Paddy will bring examples of how non-profits are stronger together. Importantly Paddy will touch on how this collaboration will help the future organizations deal with changing dynamics and what he perceive is the future of these regional collaborations.  

Executive Director

Robin came to Joint Venture’s Food Recovery Initiative in 2017 to head a novel food recovery pilot program, bringing 20 years of experience in public health and community team building. During her tenure at Joint Venture, she founded the Silicon Valley Food Recovery Council, the Santa Clara County Food Recovery Program on behalf of all jurisdictions in Santa Clara County, and authored numerous seminal reports. She speaks publicly on a regular basis about the importance of safe and nutritious food recovery and waste prevention. Robin serves as a board member for the Santa Clara County Food System Alliance.

Breaking Down Silos: Governments and their Departments Working Together

Robin will present the work that Joint Venture’s Silicon Valley is doing to bring jurisdictions together with the goal of increasing the effectiveness of their food recovery programs and infrastructure investments. In addition, the presentation will discuss other case studies across the state that demonstrate innovation through regional programs. The goals are to demonstrate how by increasing communication and collaboration of departments, more robust and resilient programs are developing that not only advance SB 1383 compliance but seek to address the issues that underpin food insecurity. The audience will leave with ideas on how to engage stakeholders to breakdown these traditional silos in order to bring groups together to create more food recovery opportunities.

Eisenhower Medical Center’s Graduate Medical Education Director of Community Engagement and Diversity & Inclusion

Dr. Cisneros was born in Jalisco, Mexico but was raised in California. In medical school he completed a dual degree that focuses on leaders who are culturally and linguistically competent to address the needs of Latinos. Victor serves as the vice-chair for the social emergency medicine Emergency Medicine Resident Association committee and completed a research fellowship in Population Health and Social Emergency Medicine at UC Irvine Health-Department of Emergency Medicine. Currently he serves as Eisenhower Medical Center’s Graduate Medical Education Director of Community Engagement and Diversity & Inclusion where he continues his passion for teaching, mentoring and interest public health.  

How Health Agencies can Advance Food Recovery with Non-Profits

Dr. Cisneros will discuss the importance of Health Agencies engagement in food recovery programs, and how these partnerships can strategically target food insecurity. With a discussion of the Social Determinates of Health, Dr. Cisneros will discuss the innovating data tracking that Eisenhower Medical Center is undertaking to document the impacts of better nutrition and how to stabilize individuals through food. This presentation will discuss the opportunities of reducing food insecurity and how investment into food recovery and distribution programs result in widespread positive change for individuals and their families, including reduced medical costs. The results of this supports the investments of communities in food for low-income individuals, to help reduce costs in other areas. Dr. Cisneros will also discuss the potential future partnerships, including the engagement with Police Departments to track additional community safety metrics and their relation to food stability. Audiences will leave with ways to create more partnerships across wider stakeholder groups and out of the box ideas that will help address funding opportunities as investments in their community.  

Director of Programs

Founder

Jasmine Crowe-Houston is an award-winning social entrepreneur, children’s book author, and determined leader working to make the world a better place. In 2017, after years of feeding people experiencing homelessness from her own kitchen, Jasmine launched Goodr, a sustainable waste management company that leverages technology to combat hunger and reduce food waste. She has been featured on CNBC, Oprah Magazine, Forbes, Fast Co., New York Times, and named by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the top 100 influential female founders and Insider’s 100 People Transforming Business. Under Jasmine’s leadership, Goodr has provided over 30 million meals to those in need and redirected millions of pounds of materials from landfill. Jasmine currently sits on the board for Metro Atlanta Chamber, and Drawdown Georgia.

Keynote Presentation: Sustainable Future: Using Tech to Solve Hunger and Food Waste

Conference Co-chair, Board Member/Central District

Associate Director, Food Recovery Initiative

Susan has co-authored two recent reports: Making the Most of Surplus Food in Santa Clara County and Opportunities for Preventing and Recovering Wasted Food from Businesses and Institutions (commissioned by StopWaste in Alameda County).

Prior to joining Joint Venture, Susan ran Infinite Table, a consultancy supporting efforts to create regenerative food systems, fight food waste and tackle climate change. She also recently completed a research fellowship at Project Drawdown.

She has served in a board/advisory capacity to Zero Foodprint, Berkeley Food Network, the James Beard Foundation Full Use Kitchen Initiative, and on the NCRA Zero Food Waste Committee.

Innovations for Making the Most of Surplus Food

The presentation will focus on how Joint Venture supports county and regional efforts to expand, strengthen and promotion innovation in the areas of food waste prevention and food recovery. Through its management of the Santa Clara County Food Recovery Program and supplemental funding focused on capacity enhancements, Joint Venture works to expand the solution set as part of a county-funded umbrella initiative "Making the Most of Surplus Food," described in the 2022 report of the same name: https://jointventure.org/images/stories/pdf/Making-the-Most-of-Surplus-Food-in-SCC-2022-06-30.pdf.

The initiative builds on the collective experience and insight of two regional bodies convened by Joint Venture — the Silicon Valley Food Recovery Council and the Santa Clara County Food Recovery Steering Committee — to advance innovative solutions. The solutions tackle some of the more challenging areas of food recovery, such as recovering prepared foods, leveraging existing infrastructure, and alleviating pain points in the logistics and economics of food recovery. The presentation will feature details about a variety of pilots and projects being developed by Joint Venture that test new ways to bring recovered food directly to people facing food insecurity and to make food recovery more viable and efficient for businesses and institutions covered by SB 1383. 

Attendees will learn how SB 1383 is spurring innovation in a county like Santa Clara which has a fairly robust and mature food recovery and organics recycling sector, and come away with ideas for innovative solutions for preventing food waste and promoting food recovery.

Program Manager

Ciara's career reflects a lifelong commitment to building resilient regional food systems, strengthening food security, and reducing waste in the food sector. She most recently served as Regional Food Systems Coordinator at the Safe & Abundant Nutrition Alliance in Colorado and co-founded UpRoot Colorado where she worked to reduce on-farm agricultural surplus and increase regional food security through gleaning, Farm to Food Pantry programming, and innovative farm labor solutions, among other initiatives. She holds a BA in environmental studies from Brown University. 

Innovations for Making the Most of Surplus Food

https://jointventure.org/images/stories/pdf/Making-the-Most-of-Surplus-Food-in-SCC-2022-06-30.pdf The presentation will focus on how Joint Venture supports county and regional efforts to expand, strengthen and promotion innovation in the areas of food waste prevention and food recovery. Through its management of the Santa Clara County Food Recovery Program and supplemental funding focused on capacity enhancements, Joint Venture works to expand the solution set as part of a county-funded umbrella initiative "Making the Most of Surplus Food," described in the 2022 report of the same name: https://jointventure.org/images/stories/pdf/Making-the-Most-of-Surplus-Food-in-SCC-2022-06-30.pdf.

The initiative builds on the collective experience and insight of two regional bodies convened by Joint Venture — the Silicon Valley Food Recovery Council and the Santa Clara County Food Recovery Steering Committee — to advance innovative solutions. The solutions tackle some of the more challenging areas of food recovery, such as recovering prepared foods, leveraging existing infrastructure, and alleviating pain points in the logistics and economics of food recovery. The presentation will feature details about a variety of pilots and projects being developed by Joint Venture that test new ways to bring recovered food directly to people facing food insecurity and to make food recovery more viable and efficient for businesses and institutions covered by SB 1383. 

Attendees will learn how SB 1383 is spurring innovation in a county like Santa Clara which has a fairly robust and mature food recovery and organics recycling sector, and come away with ideas for innovative solutions for preventing food waste and promoting food recovery.

Manager Westside Operations and Outreach

For the past three years Martina has been in charge of Outreach and Operations for FoodCycle.  She has focused on building a network of volunteers and nonprofits to recover food and build a robust donation program at participating businesses.  She has focused on educating businesses and engaging their employees.

Martina is currently working with FoodCycle and the City of Santa Monica to create a food recovery network that complies with SB1383.

Creating Change through Collaboration

Martina would be part panel representing FoodCycle

CCAC Fellow

Sami Duzy is a Fellow with the California Climate Action Corps.  Sami is working with FoodCycle LA focusing on Donor Outreach and Education.  She plays a critical role in volunteer engagement by enrolling volunteers in the Chowmatch app and helping train them in food recovery. Sam is in Masters Degree Program in Nonprofit Management at the University of Southern California and has worked in community farming in the Peace Corps in South America

Creating Change through Collaboration

This presentation would be part of a panel  of speakers from FoodCycle

California Climate Action Corps Fellow

Lolly Rico has a background in sustainability working in the fashion industry.  She is currently a California Climate Action Corps Fellow working with FoodCycle.  Lolly works with volunteers to help train them to recover food, helps with data management and tracking donations through the Careit app and assists with Donor Outreach and Education.  

Creating Change through Collaboration

Lolly would be part of a panel discussion outlined in the Abstract shared by Executive Director Nancy Beyda

Environmental Program Manager

Resource Conservation Specialist

Krista Kuehnhackl is a Resource Conservation Specialist on the Waste Reduction Team with the County of San Mateo Office of Sustainability.  Krista has worked on recycling and waste reduction programs in local government for over 20 years.  She processes waste management plans for construction, deconstruction, and demolition projects and coordinates deconstruction trainings for the public.  Other waste reduction activities include overseeing the CalRecycle Beverage Container Recycling Pilot Program for Unincorporated San Mateo County, developing outreach materials, organizing composting workshops, providing composting supplies rebates and discounts, working with community and school gardens to promote composting, and answering hotline calls.

Promoting Deconstruction with Reuse Incentives and Trainings

This presentation is about how the County of San Mateo Office of Sustainability encourages deconstruction and salvaging building materials through their Construction, Deconstruction, and Demolition Program.  The Office of Sustainability released a RFP and awarded a contract to provide funding to PlaceMaker’s Inc. to develop and operate a Salvage Center for residents and businesses to donate and purchase salvaged building materials.  PlaceMakers Inc. partnered with The ReUse People to provide tax deduction receipts for donated materials.  The Office of Sustainability also offers deconstruction trainings provided by The ReUse People to get more people trained in the deconstruction workforce and educate the community about deconstruction and salvaging building materials.

Executive Director

Formerly the organizations accountant, Michael came to TRP with a diverse background in growth and process consulting with the “Big Four” accounting firms and also with companies such as Apple and Cisco Systems. He also operates as a real estate broker, property manager, and frequently engages in construction and deconstruction as a personal hobby.

What You Should Know About Commercial Deconstruction

The U.S. EPA estimates that 250,000 single family houses and over 60,000 commercial buildings are removed every year. We also know from the EPA and the thousands of houses TRP has deconstructed over the past 30 years that approximately 100 tons of residential materials are landfilled, per house, totaling approximately 25 million tons annually.

For all buildings, approximately 600 million tons of total C&D tonnage is going to waste. Assuming 10% of that is new material that has been damaged or wrongly ordered, then 540 million tons represents that which is being demolished.

Applying rudimentary math shows the residential portion represents 2.2% of all C&D (25/540 = 4.6 %); consequently, commercial demolition represents 95.4%.   

Simply put, one average commercial demolition project equals 85.6 single residential houses.

The presentation will discuss various types of deconstruction projects (complete, partial, adaptive reuse and historic preservation). Each category will also include a brief description of the salvageable materials, identifying which of these:

• Are the easiest and hardest to salvage
• Have the best and worst economic return
• Are environmentally the best and the worst

The presentation will demonstrate that, in the short-term, private-public relationships are necessary to optimize the salvaging of commercial materials and increases in landfill diversion.

The benefits and pitfalls of deconstruction ordinances will be addressed with real-life examples.

Learning Objectives 

Understand the types of projects and the prevalence of each.

What materials are in demand and why.

How private-public partnerships are necessary for the successful diversion 

Understand how building codes might affect deconstruction.

Director of Advocacy

Nick is CAW's Director of Advocacy and has been with the organization since 2007.

In that time, Nick has led CAW’s team of advocates in campaigns to pass groundbreaking laws that have positioned California as a global leader in reducing and recovering waste. By building strong coalitions, he has helped enact policies to reduce the impacts of climate change, recover organic wastes, reduce plastic pollution, and develop sustainable markets for recyclable materials. Nick also engages in policy development and research, representing CAW on a variety of boards, commissions, taskforces, and coalitions.

Truth in Environmental Advertising in California

California has been on the forefront of holding manufacturers accountable for their environmental claims for the past 30 years. With an economy bigger than all but four nations, as goes California, goes the rest of the country.

Nick will discuss recently enacted legislation in California that sets the bar for recyclability and compostability claims. From chasing arrows to claims of degradability, the California legislature has repeatedly made it clear that "it's not recyclable if it doesn't get recycled, and it's not compostable if it doesn't get composted."

And it's not just brands that need to take heed. Recent legislation has also reclassified incineration and mixed plastics exports as disposal for purposes of local government diversion accounting.

Managing Director

Susan Thoman has served as a national leader and innovator in the alternative materials management, fuel, materials and by-products recovery and composting space for over thirty years. Susan began her career as an oil spill equipment and clean up expert, eventually moving into fuel recovery and hazardous waste/chemical recycling program development for the high tech industry, then into composting where she joined the senior leadership team at Cedar Grove Composting in Seattle in 2004. In 2017, Susan formed CMA with five major composting companies in response to growing demands and inquiries from across the U.S. for field testing information developed by Cedar Grove, with CMA eventually becoming a solid waste systems based certifier of compostables for receiving facilities. 

Field Testing: Pile Science, Findings, and the Journey to Develop "Composter Approved" Standards

Since it formed in 2017, the Compost Manufacturing Alliance (CMA) has field tested 5000+ compostable products in 70+ independent tests and special studies to create a “manufacturer to manufacturer” scientific + operational model to support designing compostables for the future. By connecting product development scientists with seasoned composting experts, general findings and aspects of CMA’s specialized and collaborative work will be presented which will address the importance of understanding both product design and composting science, present various product categories and their disintegration performance, and lay out current areas of study yet to explore in addressing compostables within a partnership framework between the supply chain and modern solid waste systems.

Owner

Matt has worked in the composting industry since 1986, serving as a consultant, educator, researcher, and advocate for new and expanded organics recycling and composting programs in California and beyond. Mr. Cotton has completed hundreds of significant organics projects, including permitting and assisting in the development of some of the major composting facilities in California. He has become a trusted resource for some of the largest composters in California, as well as executing projects for CalRecycle. His day to day work includes helping composters plan, site, permit, and troubleshoot large-scale composting facilities.

Just Another Single Use Plastic: A Primer on Compostable Plastics

I've been learning about compostable plastics since the late 1990s. I've done field testing of compostable plastics, talked about and studied them and tried to influence their use for several decades. This talk will focus on looking at compostable plastics (broadly defined) from a different perspective - as simply a replacement for traditonal plastics and how form follows function. This will be an informative, educational and insightful presentation (I hope). At the very least you will learn something about these curious and fascinating, and yet also frustrating, materials and what their inevitable growth may mean for composters.

Legislation & Advocacy Manager

Alex joined BPI in 2022 as the organization’s legislation and advocacy manager, having previously directed U.S. PIRG’s (Public Interest Research Group) zero waste program. He remains passionate about waste reduction, public policy, and working with others to incrementally solve messy environmental problems. Alex has lived in Denver, Colorado since 2017, where he enjoys abandoning recipes in the kitchen, making music with others, and avoiding bears in the wilderness.

Reducing Contamination and Improving Diversion with Better Product Labeling

Clearer product labeling policies can reduce compost contamination and improve diversion. That's why BPI, together with USCC and their respective members, deliberated and agreed on a set of labeling principles. These principles consider everything from testing requirements to on-product text and coloring and were designed to distinguish certified compostable products while also discouraging misleading marketing tactics.

Executive Director

EDC Food Coordinator

Ben was a former School's Associate with StopWaste (4 years) and has transitioned to working as a Food Coordinator with CEH. He uses his graduate degree in Neuroscience to understand how toxic chemicals can affect the brain of youth, but also how to influence the people he works with to change their behavior to a safer and more sustainable lifestyle. While he has passion for recycling and rot, the work has taken him to a higher R and he is exploring reusable across the country in K-12 schools.  

How to Transition your K-12 School to Reusable Foodware

Learn about:

• How to implement reusables in K-12 schools.
• The three barriers to reusables in schools and how to overcome them. 
• How to build momentum for reusables in the school community.
• How reusables in schools can affect youth’s waste behavior.

District Recycling Coordinator

Stephanie Willits is the FUSD Recycling Coordinator and has been working with schools to teach students about the importance of composting and recycling for over 5 years. 

How Fremont Unified is Moving Towards Reusable Foodware

Learn about:

• How to make the idea of reusable become a reality.
• How to coordinate with Nutrition and Maintenance staff to change school lunch systems.
• The many co-benefits of moving to reusables.
• How to launch and monitor the transition to reusables.

MPH Public Health Nutrition

Celeste has worked at the Nutrition Policy Institute at the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources for several years as a project policy analyst and contributes to projects to improve children's nutrition through food changes in school and childcare settings.

School Meal Waste Study - Design, Measures, and Baseline Observations

Learn about:

• Research design to evaluate food waste in elementary school meals 
• Which foods are associated with more food waste by 1-6th grade students at school lunch (preliminary results)
• What a 1-year waste study can show and how waste may be related to school lunch practices such as reusable serviceware and scratch-cooking

Zero Waste Systems Manager, Dept. of Sustainability and Energy Management

Director of Environmental Affairs

Richard Ludt is the Director of Environmental Affairs at Interior Removal Specialist, Inc., and currently sits on the Board of the Construction and Demolition Recycling Association where he holds the position of Chair of the Legislative Committee. Richard came to the construction industry after a long career in the entertainment industry and has become a recognized expert in the field of recycling construction and demolition debris. Richard is responsible for complying with California’s heavily regulated solid waste ordinances and coordinates the extensive efforts involved for the recycling of the various construction debris obtained from tenant improvement demolition projects, including E-Waste, Acoustic Ceiling Tiles, carpeting, and over 450,000,000 pounds of drywall. Richard oversaw the permitting of the IRS construction and demolition processing facility in the City of South Gate and continues to find new markets for the unique debris generated in the commercial interior construction and demolition industries. In the past Richard sat on the board of the US Green Building Council Los Angeles Chapter and held the position of Corporate Director of Recycling and Material Recovery for the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) for 12 years.

Construction and Demolition Recycling in a Circular Economy

Construction and Demolition debris makes up nearly 50% of all solid waste entering our landfills. As the largest segment of the waste stream, development of an energetic circular economy for the construction and demolition debris industry is essential to recapturing valuable resources and preventing pollution and achieving zero waste and other sustainability goals pursued by many entities.

Currently, lower hazard C & D materials are the most common materials regularly diverted from landfilling. These include concrete, asphalt, metals and wood. This diversion is often touted as a success story. However, significant volumes of materials not normally targeted by recyclers remain. These materials are often landfilled even though they tend to contain high-value raw materials and pose a greater threat of pollution.

A comprehensive transition to a circular economy for the construction and demolition industry presents many challenges. New markets need to be identified and developed for non-traditional materials, existing markets need to be expanded, manufacturers must change production methods, and the C & D debris industry needs to become more fluid and proactive. Appropriate standards need to be implemented to accurately qualify and quantify the materials and their recovery.

We will explore the non-traditional materials in the C&D waste stream and will discuss new and future markets for these materials. We will discuss best practices in collection, processing and marketing of recovered drywall, asphalt shingles, carpet, and other overlooked items. The participants will leave the session with a better understanding of C&D materials and what is currently being done, as well as useful information for increasing the diversion of this universal waste stream and steps to help develop a circular economy for C & D materials.
 

Vice President, LEED Associate

Brock Hill is the Vice President of Premier Recycle Company located in San Jose, CA and has been with the firm for 15 years. He is the current Vice President of the national Construction and Demolition Recycling Association, and an active member of the USGBC Materials and Resources Technical Advisory Group. As an outspoken proponent of intelligently decreased solid waste regulation, he advocates an ideal coined "Fair Market Recycling". Holding strong against anti-competitive legislation, his team was able to take a case to the US Supreme Court on the private property rights of C&D material. Brock holds a degree in Political Science from the University of CA, Irvine, and has been an active advisor on hundreds of certified sustainable construction projects across the Bay Area.

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Executive Director

Stephen M Bantillo has been in the recycling and resource management industry for over three decades. He assisted the Construction and Demolition Recycling Association (CDRA) in developing the National Standard Protocol (CORR) to provide third-party certification of C&D facilities. CDRA subsequently requested that he launch the Recycling Certification Institute (RCI) in California where he now serves as its Executive Director.

He created the nation’s first program to document and certify C&D material recycling facilities during his tenure with the City of San Jose. While there, he created and managed numerous innovative resource programs on materials management, economic modeling, and the flow of materials and finances.

Stephen was appointed to San Jose Unified School District’s Bond Oversight Committee, establishing protocols on construction funding of $429M and assisting the District with the greening of its construction projects. He is co-founder and past Chair of CRRA’s Construction & Demolition Council, and also served several years as CRRA's Executive Director.

Governor Schwarzenegger appointed Bantillo in 2007 to oversee California’s beverage container recycling program, which included management of the program’s $1.2 Billion annual budget and oversight of the certification and monitoring of thousands of recyclers.

Mr. Bantillo continues to work with public and private organizations as well as assist the building community applying an emphasis on increasing achievable material recovery performance with effective policy, practice, and regulation.

see above

see above

Recycling Program Specialist III

Executive Director

Frank Green is the Executive Director of Victory Mission based in Salinas California. Victory Mission has been reaching out to the homeless of Salinas and Monterey County for over 63 years, helping to provide both emergency and transitional housing for men in the region. This faith-based program provides 250 meals a day to individuals. Frank is a licensed minister and has spent several years in community outreach. Utilizing his background as an Army cook, Frank is also working on reducing waste at the on-site kitchen to ensure donations go further and safety programs are paramount to the operations.

The View: Victory Mission

The VIEW from Victory Mission will be a discussion of the day-to-day operational realities of the non-profit and how the recent edible food recovery grants has impacted the operation. Frank will also discuss the current kitchen operations, donation programs, the dynamics of the non-profit world and how SB 1383 could provide opportunities to support Victory Mission. In addition, Frank will discuss what more needs to be done, what other opportunities are out there for the Mission and what he sees as the next steps for his operation. This guided discussion will provide an opportunity to share stories of the successes and opportunities of Victory Mission. Importantly the audience will walk away with a better understanding of non-profit operations and how they may be impacted by SB 1383.

Director/Co-Founder

Elizabeth volunteers as the Director/Co-Founder of Life Acts, an outreach of Life Christian Center International Ministries. She & her family have led food rescue efforts for 34yrs. Since her teen community leadership until now, she has studied, trained, & invested years in cultural diversity & engagement, in the government, corporate, & nonprofit sectors. Her heart is to encourage collaboration & bring solutions to food rescue, ultimately addressing food insecurity & climate issues. She believes in the Biblical principle of "we are blessed to be a blessing" - how to unite forces & maximize resources, as generous givers & grateful receivers.

The View: Life Acts

The VIEW from Life Acts will be a discussion of the 100% volunteer operation, based in San Diego County. They conduct weekly food distributions & community outreach, as well as global relief projects, helping provide essential resources & food for up to 16,000+ people per month, to date. Their food rescue advocacy has been featured on Netflix, NBC news & the front cover of the San Diego Union Tribune, with a unique perspective on how organizations can work together to support the mission to end food insecurity. Elizabeth will present their current operational trends & how their outreach mobilizes to strengthen SB 1383 goals. Most importantly, the audience will understand the resources non-profits need & and the best ways for groups to collaborate, beyond SB 1383 compliance, with the visionary focus to provide important resources for battling food insecurity.

Executive Director

Yuka leads Food Shift, a nonprofit shifting the way people think and interact with food by uplifting communities through rescued produce: reducing waste, nourishing our neighbors, and building community capacity. As a turnaround expert guided by values of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI), Yuka excels at creating roadmaps for organizations and communities at a point of inflection by focusing on comprehensive strategies that are collaboratively implemented, and mindfully minimizing and navigating financial, operational, and cultural risks. Yuka was born and raised in Japan, educated in North America, and eventually settling in SF Bay Area via Denmark.

The View: Food Shift

The VIEW from Food Shift will be a discussion on their battle against food insecurity in the Bay Area and their innovation regarding community approaches to addressing hunger. Working to recover surplus and imperfect foods Food Shift looks for innovations to move beyond traditional models of food recovery and charity. Food Shift will discuss how they are working on these initiatives and how their approach goals beyond SB 1383 compliance. In addition Food Shift will discuss their operational realities, trends, dynamics with other non-profit organizations large and small, how food recovery policy is changing trends and where their program is headed. Food Shift will present the opportunities as they see it and discuss their future. Importantly the audience will gain a better understanding of how to assist non-profit organizations in achieving their goals in partnership with the goals of SB 1383.

President/Community Relations Coordinator

President

Regulatory Affairs Director

Veronica Pardo has served as the Regulatory Affairs Director for the Resource Recovery Coalition of California for ten years, advocating on behalf of the waste and recycling industry. Recently her work has focused on organic waste recovery and the transition to zero emission fleets, as haulers face increasingly difficult regulatory expectations in California’s unremitting struggle to evade catastrophic climate change

The Road to Zero Emissions

Beginning in 2024, many public and private heavy-duty fleets will be required to start purchasing or exchanging their trucks for zero emission vehicles, including refuse vehicles.

In this presentation, attendees will learn about the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Advanced Clean Fleets regulation and public and private fleet regulatory expectations. They will also learn about a multi-year advocacy effort to include renewable natural gas derived from organic waste in the rulemaking. 

Finally, attendees will hear about how waste collection companies are grappling with zero emission technology and charging infrastructure requirements to meet these new regulations, while simultaneously working alongside their cities and counties to achieve SB 1383 organic waste diversion obligations.    

Come join us and together we can dicuss the road to zero emissions!

Vice President

Trevor Blythe has over 15 years of consulting experience with EcoNomics, Inc. in the sustainable materials management industry. Trevor works daily with local governments and private industry to overcome operational and financial barriers to implementing sustainability programs at the municipal and corporate scale. Trevor holds an Masters of Business Administration degree in sustainable management from the Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences from the University of California, Santa Barbara with an emphasis on Geographic Information Systems.  He also teaches 2 sustainability classes at Irvine Valley College. 

The Wild World of Refuse Vehicle Fleet Electrification

California is on the frontlines of scaling up electric vehicles to fight climate change. Indeed, CARB will phase out internal combustion engines in heavy duty vehicles, including refuse collection vehicles, by 2040. Not surprisingly, local governments and refuse collection vehicle equipment manufacturers are not waiting around until 2040 to scale up electification of refuse collection! We have compiled a panel of experts to discuss their experiences with fleet electrification, including representitives from local governments that have hands-on experieince with fleet electrification. The VP of eMobility for Mack trucks will also be on the panel to discuss the equipment manufacturers progress toward fleet electrification. Lastly, a sustainability consultant for local governments with experieince including electrification in RFPs will share an overview of the industry and the costs and benefits presented by fleet electrification. Any local government agency that is interested in fleet electrification, or who is considering requiring their contract hauler to expand its fleet of electric vehicles, should attend this session to understand the state of the indsutry, cost inmpacts, grant funding available, the challenges of electrification, what to expect in regards to installing charging infrastrure, vehicle performance, etc. 

Executive Director

Scott is the  Executive Director of Yuba/Sutter Regional Waste Management Authority. Prior to that, Scott served as General Manager for GreenWaste of Palo Alto for 13 years helping to create a safe and successful overall operation. As the GM of Green Waste, Scott partnered with the City of Palo Alto to take a forward position in meeting and exceeding the cities goals related to the Sustainability and Climate action plan by the successful move to zero emission collection vehicles. 

The Wild World of Refuse Fleet Electrification

California is on the frontlines of scaling up electric vehicles to fight climate change. Indeed, CARB will phase out internal combustion engines in heavy duty vehicles, including refuse collection vehicles, by 2040. Not surprisingly, local governments and refuse collection vehicle equipment manufacturers are not waiting around until 2040 to scale up electification of refuse collection! We have compiled a panel of experts to discuss their experieinces with fleet electrification, including representitives from local governments that have hands-on experieince with fleet electrification. The VP of eMobility for Mack trucks will also be on the panel to discuss the equipment manufacturers progress toward fleet electrification. Lastly, a sustainability consultant for local governments with experieince including electrification in RFPs will share an overview of the industry and the costs and benefits presented by fleet electrification. Any local government agency that is interested in fleet electrification, or who is considering requiring their contract hauler to expand its fleet of electric vehicles, should attend this session to understand the state of the indsutry, cost inmpacts, grant funding available, the challenges of electrification, what to expect in regards to installing charging infrastrure, vehicle performance, etc. 

Vice President eMobility Business Unit Leader

Head of eMobility Business Unit at Mack Trucks. Responsible for the commercialization of our battery electric products and services. I'm working with customers and industry partners to accelerate the successful adoption of our carbon-zero transport solutions.

The Wild World of Refuse Fleet Electrification

California is on the frontlines of scaling up electric vehicles to fight climate change. Indeed, CARB will phase out internal combustion engines in heavy duty vehicles, including refuse collection vehicles, by 2040. Not surprisingly, local governments and refuse collection vehicle equipment manufacturers are not waiting around until 2040 to scale up electification of refuse collection! We have compiled a panel of experts to discuss their experieinces with fleet electrification, including representitives from local governments that have hands-on experieince with fleet electrification. The VP of eMobility for Mack trucks will also be on the panel to discuss the equipment manufacturers progress toward fleet electrification. Lastly, a sustainability consultant for local governments with experieince including electrification in RFPs will share an overview of the industry and the costs and benefits presented by fleet electrification. Any local government agency that is interested in fleet electrification, or who is considering requiring their contract hauler to expand its fleet of electric vehicles, should attend this session to understand the state of the indsutry, cost inmpacts, grant funding available, the challenges of electrification, what to expect in regards to installing charging infrastrure, vehicle performance, etc. 

Sustainability Coordinator

Tosin Folorunso is the Coordinator of Sustainability at CSUN’s Associated Students. Tosin began her journey into sustainability in 2011 after experiencing waste and pollution issues in the fashion industry. She founded a zero-waste fashion brand which she ran in the US and Nigeria from 2017 to 2020 creating apparel and accessories from textile and plastic waste. Tosin holds a Master’s in Global Sustainability from the University of South Florida and began her role at CSUN in 2021. She is also a co-host on the Sustainability Nuggets podcast where listeners are exposed to climate solutions and innovations. 

Reduce, Reuse, Repair - The Race to Zero-Waste at CSUN

The transition of Associated Students (AS) CSUN from recycling only services to education and outreach programs has provided the opportunity for the advancement of zero-waste culture at CSUN. All programs and events are aimed at helping the campus achieve its zero-waste goal of 90% diversion rate from landfill and waste-to-energy facilities.  

Since the return from pandemic, AS – Sustainability relaunched Matador Exchange an exclusive online marketplace to encourage resale of personal items among students and staff and redistribute campus office supplies. We provide waste sorting and recycling education through our Trash Talkers event and waste sorting game. In addition, we began a series of outreach events branded as Reuse Culture.

Reuse culture events hosted since Spring 2022 include, Sustainable Fashion Expo, Sustainable Decorations showcase and a Repair Clinic. Our aim is to create awareness and inspire action by partnering with local organizations to provide resources that student can engage with.

This presentation will highlight the successes and challenges experienced and next steps toward cultivating a mindset and behavioral change at CSUN.  

Energy and Sustainability Analyst

See other abstracts for Rachel's bio.

Standardizing Bin Infrastructure by Repurposing and Mapping

In October 2022, a mission to locate, map, and finalize the 3-stream outdoor bin system on campus was underway. This project was perfect for Aspen Coty's skillset but her colleague, Rachel Singleton will present Aspen's findings on her behalf. She will go into detail about how technology like ArcGIS Collector, repurposing existing infrastructure, and building campus partnerships aided in completion of standardizing CSUN’s three-stream outdoor bin system. This was a campus wide effort between Sustainability, Printing, Grounds, and Logistical Services that was coordinated through Sustainability. Although the standard infrastructure now exists, we still have challenge of understanding how the campus interacts with it and how to improve education and utilization. This presentation will highlight the successes, challenges, and next steps in standardizing bin infrastructure and creating a zero-waste culture.

Rachel Singleton is the Energy and Sustainability Analyst at CSU, Northridge. Rachel graduated from CSU Sacramento with her bachelor's in mechanical engineering and continued to receive a master's in science with a concentration in Manufacturing and Material Science (with a focus on plastic waste). While in school, Rachel started working for the Sacramento State Sustainability team, overseeing the revamping of their current Climate Action Plan and collecting EUI (Energy Use Index) data for the school. Through these experiences, she has gained a passion for intertwining her engineering background with sustainability.

Supporting Students' Basic Needs While Striving for Zero Waste

The Institute for Sustainability's mission is to support and promote sustainability through academics, engagement, and research through a social justice lens. This presentation will focus on two programs that intersect waste reduction and students' basic needs - sustainable food systems and menstrual equity.

Executive Director

Co-Chair

Co-Chair

Ruth Abbe is co-chair of the CRRA Global Recycling Council which advocates for:  Zero Waste, End Welfare for Wasting, and Jobs from Design and Discards. She is a Zero Waste practitioner with more than 25 years of experience in recycling and composting program and facility development. As the principal of Abbe & Associates LLC, she is working with municipalities across the U.S. to develop the social and physical infrastructure to achieve Zero Waste.

Behavior Change for Zero Waste through Community-Based Social Marketing

California communities are faced with a dizzing array of impacts (climate change, pandemics, social and political upheaval, generational divides) and must motivate residents and business to change behavior. State law requires communities to reduce waste and increase recycling, composting, and surplus food recovery. Investing in the same strategies over and over again and expecting the same results is an exercise in futility. 

The Community-Based Social Marketing (CBSM) method of outreach and education was created to produce lasting and sustainable changes in the actions people take everyday. Historically, many costly and time-intensive programs fail to drive behavior change due to only addressing economic incentives or attitude change through increased information. Many campaigns have too broad a scope with not enough focus, and with mixed results. Doug McKenzie-Mohr, the author of Fostering Sustainable Behavior-An Introduction to Community-Based Social Marketing, created the CBSM method to address the psychological motivations and barriers that influence people to behave differently. CBSM encourages program administrators to take a systematic, empirical approach to behavior change, thereby maximizing the effectiveness of their program dollars.

Before you invest in that next mailer, social marketing strategy, website redesign, or outreach campaign, come and hear about how to  design behavior change strategies that "stick."

Senior Associate

Nancy Roberts has over 25 years of experience in marketing and public relations, communications, and project management for mission-driven organizations. At Gigantic Idea Studio she focuses on strategic communications planning, metrics and integrating social media into traditional outreach campaigns. Recent projects include digital and general outreach strategy for the California Carpet Stewardship Program, Zero Waste Marin, MCSTOPPP, City of San Rafael, California Stormwater Quality Association and Livermore Recycles. A climate activist in her spare time, Nancy holds B.A. and M.A. degrees from The George Washington University and an M.B.A. in Sustainable Enterprise from Dominican University of California.

SB1383 Outreach and Perception of Food Waste and Climate Change

The implementation of SB 1383 has increased outreach to Californians about the connection between climate change and food waste. But are the spirit and message of the law sinking in with the general public? Has that knowledge changed behavior? We will present an update on a survey of perception of the connection of food waste to climate change that was first conducted  - and presented at CRRA – in 2020, that we conducted again in 2023. Has the public got the message and changed behavior, or is there still some distance to go? In addition to analyzing results of the second survey round, we will present various examples of climate messaging in SB 1383 outreach. Participants will get tips for incorporating the messaging to maximize effectiveness.

Co-Owner

Kirk is a co-owner and principal of ReCREATE, specializing in waste characterizations, data management and tracking, and logistics coordination with waste haulers and municipal staff. Over the past decade Kirk has worked with public, private, and non-profit organizations in the waste industry, from state agencies to local municipalities.

Kirk’s professional specialties include the development and implementation of waste characterization studies; including cart-based sampling and route audits, coordinating with haulers and municipality staff to plan and coordinate fieldwork around complex routing schedules, developing data collection and management systems, and development of outreach and education materials.

Oops Tags vs In Person Outreach - What's more effective?

ReCREATE was selected to develop and conduct a recycling contamination outreach pilot project across 9 communities in the San Bernardino County JPA. The 1,200 household study included three test groups: a control, an oops tag only group, and an oops tag and direct contract (in-person outreach) group. The project set out to understand 1) how effective cart tagging versus cart tagging AND door-to-door outreach is on behavior change 2) which type of messaging resonated most with residents and 3) how social media can be utilized to engage the community in the process.

The presentation will cover the development of the study design, the challenges of implementing the study in communities spread across a vast area of California’s high desert and mountains, and project successes. The presentation will include the behavior change and contamination reduction results from the three test groups using household cart-based waste characterization data to support the findings. 

By sharing our methodology and an analysis of our results, we hope that it may provide insights for other communities seeking to address contamination in their resource recovery programs.

Co-Founder

Natalie is an education and outreach strategist that has 12 years of experience working with local jurisdictions across the nation on policy planning, recycling and organics implementation and creating effective communitywide behavior change. Her background lies in public relations specific to climate change, and she uses her passion and training in community based social marketing to educate other thousands of businesses and residents about sustainability. She has multiple online education and outreach courses, has developed a recycling coordinator training program, manages the Education and Outreach team and oversees the firm's projects related to edible food and single-use plastics stakeholder engagement and implementation.

Project Manager

Chelsea Nelson is the Project Manager at Action Research where she supports the development of research-based outreach programs to spark behavior change related to pollution prevention, food scraps diversion, and recycling. With over five years of experience in the behavioral and environmental sciences, she has worked closely with local and state government agencies to launch campaigns to reduce household food waste and support the implementation of SB 1383. Chelsea graduated with honors from the University of San Diego with a BA in Environmental Science and Psychology.

To Pail or Not to Pail?

In January 2022, SB 1383 went into effect, prompting California agencies to develop new outreach efforts to promote participation in residential food scraps collection programs. At the same time, most of the available research was focused on reducing household food waste, and little was known about effective behavioral approaches to engage residents in proper organics disposal. Beginning in April 2022, Action Research, in collaboration with the Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority, developed, implemented, and pilot-tested new outreach approaches with the goal of identifying the most cost-effective method for promoting participation in the residential organics collection program. The outreach was developed and tested using the community-based social marketing (CBSM) framework. CBSM is a data-driven process that focuses on reducing barriers to target behaviors while incorporating behavioral science tools to enhance motivation. The outreach strategies were informed by a mail survey administered to Salinas Valley residents to identify the perceived benefits and barriers to participating in the curbside food scraps collection program. Three strategy variations were pilot-tested and compared to a control group of households who only received information about the program. The strategies consisted of three core elements: an educational flyer, a normative feedback letter (mailed to two groups), and a countertop pail (delivery or pickup). Participation rates were evaluated using lid flips in three treatment neighborhoods and one control neighborhood. The results of the lid flips demonstrated that outreach approaches incorporating countertop pails were significantly more effective than education alone in getting residents to participate in food scraps diversion.

PhD Candidate

Jessica is a PhD Candidate at the University of California, Berkeley, focused on sustainable and just transitions to waste-free systems. Specific research includes an analysis of the effect Operation National Sword had on the U.S. recycling system, the current state of California’s plastic waste exports, the trend of waste reduction policies across the U.S. over the past two decades, and the amounts and types of waste produced during COVID-19. 

Disposable Free Berkeley: A Four Year Field Based Analysis

In 2019, in partnership with the Ecology Center, Jessica launched a longitudinal quantitative research study to assess the effectiveness of Berkeley’s historic Single Use Foodware and Litter Reduction ordinance. The four years of data collection have culminated in a rare insight into the challenges and successes of a waste reduction policy, which contains numerous legislative mechanisms leveraged in similar policies across the U.S. 

Attendees can expect to learn what policy mechanisms were most effective in reducing foodware waste and litter as well as how to create and implement such policies in their jurisdictions. 

The take-aways are that foodware reduction is possible, but it requires policy compliance by prepared food vendors (businesses), a budget to support the change in operations, and enforcement measures by the jurisdiction. 

Zero Waste Consultant

Independent zero waste specialist, educator, and advocate. Chair of Berkeley’s Zero Waste Commission (designed/facilitated public outreach efforts for landmark Single-Use Disposable Food Ware & Litter Reduction ordinance). Experience: Instructor, ZWUSA certification program; Palm Springs SU ordinance implementation, Washington DC Zero Waste Strategic Plan, Abbe & Associates; project manager of MEO, California’s CARE Carpet Stewardship Program; Outreach team/R3, Marin County single-use foodware reduction ordinance; program manager, Dominican University, Sustainable Business Practices certificate program. Creative professional (30 years) in design, marketing, and manufacturing. Certified ZW Associate; certificates in Sustainable Resources Management (San Jose State) and Sustainable Business Practices (Dominican). BA, UC Berkeley.

Lessons Learned: Implementation of Single-use Foodware Reduction Ordinances

Since 2019, single-use foodware reduction ordinances have proliferated, with the Bay Area and state as a major epicenter. When Berkeley's landmark ordinance passed in February 2019, it inspired many others to follow suit. In the wake of an unprecented health crisis, labor issues, and supply chain challenges, what have we learned about how these ordinances are working when implemented? What can make them stronger and more effective, while responding to individual communties' specific stakeholders and infrastructure, and how can we improve them to achieve reduction? Several communities will be profiled in their efforts to reduce waste, comply with SB1383, and ensure economic health of businesses.

Coastal and Marine Scientist

As Heal the Bay’s Coastal and Marine Scientist, Emily works to keep our oceans healthy by advocating for strong legislation and enforcement both locally and statewide. She focuses on plastic pollution, marine protected areas, sustainable fisheries, and climate change. Emily co-founded and now co-leads Reusable LA, a coalition of organizations working to reduce plastic pollution in Los Angeles to safeguard public health, communities, and environment. Before arriving at Heal the Bay, Emily earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Elon University and an M.A.S in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.

A Plastic Free City of Angels

The City and County of Los Angeles have had some major wins in local policy to reduce plastic pollution. In this talk, scientist and advocate Emily Parker will showcase how community advocacy led to the passage of four new major laws in the LA Region in 2022. She will cover the history of the Reusable LA coalition and their years of organizing efforts, and the new laws themselves and how they will reduce pollution from single-use plastic and how they can act as a model for other jurisdictions to follow. 

Executive Director

Director of Stadium Operations

I am the Director of Stadium Operations at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. I am in my seventh year at USC and the Coliseum and my fourth in the director’s position. I oversee all aspects of the operations at the stadium including managing facility operations, event operations, custodial and sustainability efforts. My team and I are responsible for the day to day running and upkeep of the 100 year old stadium, event setup and execution, and capital projects to the building. I am entering my 15^th season working in stadium operations with 14 seasons of college football and 9 seasons of NFL experience. Prior to joining USC, I was at the University of Minnesota at Huntington Bank Stadium.

Going Green at The Greatest Stadium in the World

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum completes waste diversion for all USC football games and all other events over 10,000 people. Since 2015, more than 1,200 tons of Coliseum event waste has been diverted from landfills. During the 2022 football season, the Coliseum's zero waste program successfully achieved a 91.74% diversion rate. The Zero Waste Process at the Coliseum is a highly coordinated effort of multiple stakeholder and collaborators. During and after zero waste events, a team of 4-12 waste sorters review the contents of waste bin liners that have been collected by the janitorial staff and allocate them to compactors that store the waste. This is then removed from the premises by our waste haulers to the proper facilities. This presentation will breakdown that process, examine where we have found success and where we can still improve. We will also touch on future sustainability plans and efforts coordinated with USC Office of Sustainability and other stadium improvements.

Sustainability + Environmental Policy Director

Senior Environmental Specialist

Paula Morreale is a Senior Environmental Specialist at the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority and has worked there for 6 years. She oversees the SAN Green Concessions Program, leads educational opportunities on various environmental topics, leads data collection related to GHG emissions and waste, and works with stakeholders for sustainable infrastructure development. Topic areas of her work include energy, water, waste, transportation, air quality, and green purchasing. Before working at the Airport Authority, Paula served as the Sustainability Coordinator at the University of San Diego for 6 years working on zero waste initiatives, student education, and alternative transportation.

San Diego Airport's Zero Waste Plan

The Zero Waste Plan (ZWP) serves as the San Diego County Regional Ariport Authority’s (Authority) strategy and plan for managing various waste issues and covers all waste generated at San Diego International Airport (Airport). The ZWP provides an organized framework for eliminating or reducing waste generation and responsibly managing materials that we do produce. The Authority sees zero waste as addressing five primary focus areas, including sustainable materials management, infrastructure and development, training and education, metrics and reporting, and leadership and influence.

This presentation will give an overview of the plan along with gaols, timelines and accomplishments to date. The presentation will also describe various successes the Authority has achieved working towards zero waste initiatives and exciting next steps towards reusable food ware at an airport. Featured items include annual recycling check-ins, education and training, annual waste audits, construction and demolition diversion, and waste data collection. 

Participants will learn how to work towards achieving zero waste goals in a complex and dynamic environment. They will also see how a large-scale organization puts in place specific policies and works collaboratively with stakeholders to further progress towards zero waste. 

Zero Waste and Compliance Lead

Evelyn is San Francisco International Airport's Zero Waste and Compliance Lead, where she is responsible for leading the design and coordination of the Airport’s transition to zero waste by way of waste reduction practices, policy, infrastructure, and program implementation. An urban planner by trade, since 2008 Evelyn’s work has focused on the intersection of urban planning, public health, sanitation, and social equity.

A Model for Zero Waste Airport Design and Operations

San Francisco International Airport is recognized as a global leader for aviation sustainability and zero waste. In 2016, SFO set the goal to achieve zero waste going to landfill and become the world’s first zero waste airport. We aim to reach this objective by 2027 through our diverse zero waste programs including, plastic-free concessions and the launch and development of our first zero waste terminal in 2023 using reusable food service ware. SFO looks to inspire and support other large organizations, public agencies, and transportation hubs in their implementation of similar policies and practices. In this presentation we will share details on the Airport’s waste reduction achievements to date, current and upcoming zero waste programs, and the challenges to implementing zero waste programs at scale.

Environmental Operations Specialist

Sustainability + Environmental Policy Director

Executive Director

Recycling Program Manager

Peter Slote began his career in recycling in 1991 as a supervisor at San Francisco’s first curbside recycling processing facility at Norcal Waste Systems (now Recology). From 1995-2001 he managed paper recycling facilities in the Bay Area at Weyerhaeuser Company. In 2001 he joined the City of Oakland's Recycling Program and has overseen the program since 2015. Peter served as a member of the California Resource Recovery Association board of directors from 2008-2020.

Oakland! Organics!

In 2012 the City of Oakland released an RFP for an exclusive franchise to collect and process mixed materials and organic materials from Oakland’s approximately 160,000 residential dwelling units and approximately 6,000 businesses. The City awarded the franchise to Waste Management of Alameda County (WMAC), and required WMAC to construct and operate processing facilities to advance the City’s vision to virtually eliminate landfill disposal of compostable organic materials. Since 2015 WMAC constructed and operates three processing facilities: an aerated static pile composting facility located at WMAC’s Altamont Landfill and Resource Recovery Facility in eastern Alameda County to compost source separated organics collected from Oakland’s single family households; an organic material recovery facility (OMRF) to recover organics from mixed materials collected from residences and businesses prior to landfill placement, located at WMAC’s Davis Street Resource Recovery Complex and Transfer Station in San Leandro, CA; and an organic material composting facility (OMCF) to compost source separated organics collected from businesses and the organics recovered at the OMRF. These three facilities represent approximately [$400M - to be confirmed] in capital investments funded by Oakland rate payers through the City’s exclusive franchise. Mr. Slote will share quantitative and qualitative outcomes of Oakland's comprehensive efforts to collect, recover, and compost all organic materials managed under this franchise. He will deliver a detailed presentation of material flows and processes, and a comprehensive overview of Oakland's unique system of source separated collection and recovery from mixed material processing to virtually eliminate landfill placement of compostable organic materials.   

Zero Waste Program Manager

Jack Macy, Zero Waste Program Manager, for the City and County of San Francisco, Environment Department oversees and manages San Francisco’s Zero Waste Program. He has more than 35 years of experience in developing and managing innovative and model composting, recycling and other zero waste programs and policies at the local and state level. He led the development of the first large scale US urban food composting program and many zero waste policies and their implementation for San Francisco. These policies include adopting a zero waste policy, mandatory C&D recovery, mandatory composting and recycling separation, banning polystyrene foam, requiring compostable and recyclable products, and banning single use plastic bags and requiring bag charges among others. He has presented across the globe and helped a wide variety of jurisdictions and organizations in pursuing zero waste.

San Francisco’s Organics Strategies

San Francisco has been implementing strategies for organics recovery for many years including mandatory food, yard trimming and soiled fiber composting collection from all sectors and growing edible food recovery infrastructure. An overview of these strategies in the context of San Francisco’s zero waste policy and climate action plan, along with some key results and where the city is headed to achieve its goals will be presented.

VP of MRF Processing

Ricardo Lopez has been with GreenWaste for more than 25 years, working as a sorter, collection vehicle operator, and MRF Supervisor. Ricardo became MRF Operations Manager in 2008. Ricardo is responsible for the direct oversight and management of all aspects of the GreenWaste MRF operations, including the supervision of staff, commodity management, material hauling and transport, and safety reports. Ricardo also oversees all contract compliance aspects of the MRF, including transportation, allocation, and tracking of all recyclable materials and solid waste processed at the facility.

GreenWaste: Organics Recovery

Director of Sustainability and Zero Waste Programs

Jessica Aldridge is long-time environmental steward and over 15-year waste industry leader. She is an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. For over 10 years with Athens Services, she designs programs for the most challenging waste scenarios, consults with corporate brands, and advances Athens’ environmental goals. She leads on Athens’ organics and Zero Waste outreach and education programs. Jessica hosts/produces EcoJustice Radio an award-winning podcast and radio show (on KPFK Los Angeles and KPFT Houston), presenting environmental and climate stories from a social justice frame.

Designing Outreach With Success In Mind

Jessica Aldridge, from the waste hauler Athens Services, will review their multi-family food scraps collection manual and outreach material including signage, recycling cheat sheet, residential handouts, and online What Goes Where Guide. The multi-family manual is designed for Property Managers and is an easy-to-reference guide that includes a step-by-step check list, communication templates, lease language, and participation surveys.

Sales Strategy Manager

Jennifer Duet has been in the waste and recycling industry for over 17 years.  She is SWANA certified in zero waste principles and practices and is True Advisor certified through the USGBC.  As the Sales Strategy Manager for Athens Services, she oversees outreach and operational strategies and large account management within the City of Los Angeles.  In her tenure, she has led the onboarding of major accounts during the recycLA waste franchise transition and the development of the Athens City of Los Angeles Organics recycling program.

Managing Hauler/Property Relations and Operations

Jennifer Duet of Athens Services will focus on how the waste hauler manages relationships and logistics, identifies cost savings through right sizing, and assists with onsite outreach efforts. We will also address Athens tips for waste infrastructure and operations updates and resident engagement.

Sustainability Programs Manager

Sammy Davies is the Sustainability Programs Manager at EcoSafe Zero Waste. As a climate-conscious educator, she leads program development, online training, and advocacy engagement to drive adoption of composting initiatives across North America. She has trained various distribution networks on jump-starting commercial composting programs to enhance food waste collections for haulers, restaurants, universities, multifamily complexes, grocery chains, large stadiums, and outdoor events. She is an active committee member of the USCC Target Organics Hub as the Marketing Co-Chair, aiming to simplify the implementation and execution of composting programs.

Tools are Key

Sammy Davies of EcoSafe Zero Waste will address the importance of utilizing kitchen containers, bags for food scraps, and bag dispensers to decease contamination and increase participation. She will also highlight other successes around North America.

Vice President of Property Management

Aryn Thomez is the Vice President of Property Management for Prime’s flagship asset, Park La Brea and the entire Los Angeles region. She joined Prime in 2021 and has over 18 years of experience in multi-family operations, asset management, and capital improvements. Ms. Thomez has her ARM and CPM certifications and is an active member of the Institute of Real Estate Management and the California Apartment Association. Prior to joining Prime, she worked for Greystar where she oversaw their Southern California region for their newly developed and owned assets.

Property Implementation and Tenant Relations

Food scraps collection has been implemented for a housing development of 4,255 units. Successful multi-family food scraps collection can divert significant amounts of food discards from the landfill, while identifying cost savings. In this session the waste hauler, third party vendor, and property manager will review their comprehensive approach, outreach and logistics strategy, residential engagement approach, operational and infrastructure optimization, and appropriate tools for tenant participation. 

Resource, Recovery & Recycling Consultant, and President

Director of Advocacy

Board Member

John Wick co-founded the Marin Carbon Project and the Carbon Cycle Institute (CCI) and is a founding Board member of Project Drawdown. He helped to fund the development of COMET-Planner and has contributed research to NRCS Conservation Practice Standards and advocated for CDFA’s Healthy Soils Initiative and related laws. He is the co-owner of Nicasio Native Grass Ranch with his wife, Peggy Rathmann.

Leveraging CA's New Compost Regulations for Scaling Carbon Sequestration

Director of Operations

Leo Beckerman serves as the Director of Operations for Zero Foodprint, ensuring programs and operations have the maximum impact in the fight against climate change. He oversees strategy and day to day management of Zero Foodprint’s programs including Compost Connector in California and the Restore Grants, available to land stewards implementing Climate Smart Agricultural practices. Co-Founder of Wise Sons Deli in the San Francisco Bay Area, he has experience in restaurant operations, large scale production, and business administration. Leo has a background in public health, education, and non-profit management, and has built and managed teams on four continents.

Jurisdictions Teaming up with Agriculture and Businesses to Sequester Carbon

same as above

Co-Founder and CEO

Kourtnii Brown co-founded and serves as the Program Director for the California Alliance for Community Composting (CACC). In this role, she is expanding small-scale composting infrastructure and compost operations training in disadvantaged and low-income communities throughout the state. She is also a worm wrangler, soil slinger, and the Founder and Director of Common Compost in Oakland. Her on-site, flow-through worm composting bins empower local resource recovery in order to improve sustainable food systems, and can be found in Alameda, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles counties. Before Common Compost and CACC were hatched, Kourtnii spent 15 years as an environmental policy analyst working with several nonprofits in Washington, D.C..

Launching Decentralized Community Compost Hubs in California

Since October 2020, the California Alliance for Community Composting (CACC) has been supported by California Climate Initiatives and the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.  We have been assisting CalRecycle to administer their “Community Composting for Green Spaces” (CCGS) grant program, which runs through April 2025.  Kourtnii will present on this state-led funding opportunity for launching, expanding, and improving small-scale composting operations in priority regions throughout California. Our goal is to demonstrate how viable, integral, and affordable community-based organizations are to meeting organics diversion targets at a regional scale. CACC is well positioned to provide local governments and waste agencies with strong evidence that, given continued and adequate public funding and technical assistance, decentralized community composting can contribute in a significant way to California’s methane reduction and compost facility development targets under SB 1383.

Executive Director

Terry McDonald leads the largest social services agency in his region, using entrepreneurial business practices to fund the public good. The St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County operates 14 retail thrift stores -- both online and brick-and-mortor -- and four mattress recycling facilities. They help fund the agency's case-managed homeless shelters, transitional housing and affordable housing programs. A sought-after speaker, McDonald has presented at the Harvard Social Enterprise Conference, The US Chamber of Commerce Circular Economy Summit and many other events in the U.S., Britain and Australia. He has been recognized for outstanding service, recycling innovation and entrepreneurship. 

The Promise and the Pains of EPR for Mattress Recycling

As the organization that pioneered mattress recycling nationally back in 2000, the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County, had 15 years of experience successfully diverting tons of mattresses annually from California's waste stream, before state legislation regulated the process, requiring manufacturers to create a process to divert mattresses from the waste stream and recover for reuse, the materials that make up a mattress. SVdP executive director is

Deputy Director

A Day in the Life of a Mattress Recycling Operation

Hundreds of mattresses of all types arrive on our warehouse docks every day. They may be 60 years old and full of horse hair. They may be 15 years old and full of pocket coils. They may be last year's model with three distinct foams glued together. We take them all. Some of the matresses are in pretty bad shape and require special handling. Each kind of material requires its own machinery to process. In a perfect world we'd find a home for each of the materials -- wood, metal, fabric and foam -- so that these products would continue to be used and not end up in the landfill. But the world of mattress recycling isn't exactly perfect. This presentation goes over what it takes to handle the arrival of 400 mattresses in one day, and where the materials we tease apart end up.

Materials Management Supervisor

Daven Stetson supervises materials, transportation and sales of our products that end up in secondary markets. Books whose useful life is at an end still have value in the pulp market. Foam from mattresses will often end up as part of the underlayment pad in a carpeting installation. Daven ensures that our buyers are happy with the product we sell them. And because markets are always changing, Daven stays up to date on other potential buyers and where markets are headed.

When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Find a Way

Where does the foam from a mattress go? Who wants the wood from a box spring that is full of staples? Is it true that there is an occasional market for mattress dust? Daven will look at where the market has been for the materials in a mattress, where the markets are now, and what could happen in the future, especially with new equipment to process tricky items like pocket coils (the metal in a mattress that is most hard to process and often ends up in the landfill.)  He'll also talk about the ongoing research to come up with new strategies for managing tricky materials.

Assistant to Deputy Director

Executive Director

Sales Manager

Mr. Gratz joined HZI in January of 2016 as Sales Manager for Hitachi Zosen Inova USA, responsible for all sales activities of HZI’s anaerobic digestion and biogas upgrading technologies.  He has been involved in the renewable gas/ biogas industries for over 12 years and brings over 30 years of experience in sales, business development, marketing and public relations. He is experienced in providing technical solutions for  sustainable organic waste management, in both public and private sectors. He has a proven track record of implementing advanced and sustainable technologies in North America.

SB 1383 Compliance with High Solids AD

The presentation is aimed at updating attendees on currently operating and near term developments of High Solids AD projects. The presentation will point out the challenges of developing high solids AD projects, particullarily in the State of CA and the US.  It will further provide current snapshot on existing systems and discuss some of the operational challenges asssociated with such projects, such as offtake management in compliance with SB 1383 as well as maintenance challenges.

Associate Civil Engineer

Kawsar Vazifdar is an Associate Civil Engineer working on municipal solid waste planning and policy development at Los Angeles County Public Works.  She manages Senate Bill 1383 planning, compliance, and reporting efforts for Los Angeles County. Ms. Vazifdar also leads the Southern California Conversion Technology Project, which facilitates the development of policy and infrastructure to create renewable energy from solid waste.  In addition, she oversees the Los Angeles County Commercial and Institutional Recycling Program, the Los Angeles County Recycling Market Development Zone, the Los Angeles County Reduction of Waste from Single-Use Articles and Expanded Polystyrene Products Ordinance, and more.  Ms. Vazifdar is a registered Professional Civil Engineer in California and earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in Civil Engineering from UCLA.

Closing the Gap: A Public-Private Approach to Infrastructure Development

Los Angeles County Public Works is leading regional infrastructure development efforts to help achieve the statewide California Senate Bill (SB) 1383 targets to reduce landfill disposal of organic waste and methane emissions.  Local jurisdictions continue to grapple with organic waste processing capacity shortfalls after the SB 1383 regulations have come into effect. A public-private approach can provide opportunities for jurisdictions to close the infrastructure gap. This model allows local jurisdictions to develop cost-competitive facilities while minimizing risk and customer rate increases.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (Board) adopted a motion directing Public Works to negotiate with a private developer to design, build, own, and operate an anaerobic digestion (AD) facility that will divert organic waste from landfills.  If the project is approved by the Board, Los Angeles County will lease a site to the developer for the construction and operation of the AD facility. Public Works is building upon these efforts by analyzing other locations in the County where this approach can be replicated to develop additional infrastructure.

This presentation will describe how the County developed this public-private approach to organic waste infrastructure projects. The presenter will provide information on site selection, the proposal solicitation process, grant funding, and stakeholder engagement. The presenter will share lessons learned to help other jurisdictions identify infrastructure development opportunities, navigate through the complexities of the development process, and create a sustainable waste management future.

Director

Tom Koutroulis is the Director of OC Waste & Recycling, began his career in the waste and recycling industry over 30 years ago in a family business. Prior to being appointed Director in 2017, he served as Senior Manager, Organics Project Development for Waste Management, Inc. Tom oversees the solid waste disposal systems serving Orange County’s residents and 34 cities, operating three active landfills, three new compost facilities, and four household hazardous waste collection centers. His vision for the agency to provide the highest benefit to the region by protecting public health and the environment through resource recovery. The agency is transitioning to address the lack of local infrastructure and creating a circular economy.

OCWR SB1383 Saga: Imagine What Can Be

The OCWR SB1383 Saga continues. From “Things are different now” to “Imagine what can be” The presentation of OC Waste & Recycling’s transformation and expansion of an essential public service to help address the impacts of SB1383 and augment the lack of local organics recycling infrastructure. Orange County, as the 3rd highest generator of waste and was once the largest user of PGM as ADC, is expanding its infrastructure from solely landfilling activities to resource recovery. A journey that started over 5 years to transform and expand to create local solutions for organics recycling and increase industry expertise. The presentation will share the beginnings, the challenges faced and met, the hurdles that were overcome, and future vision of the agency’s adventure to create a circular economy in organics.

Founder

Ted Reiff is the founder of The Reuse People. Prior to founding TRP in 1995, Ted was managing partner with an investment banking firm that provided financial services to young technology companies. Now, in addition to guiding TRP’s national expansion program, he consults with private companies and government bodies on a variety of demolition and waste diversion projects. A graduate of Ohio State University and a licensed demolition contractor, Ted served three terms as board president of I Love a Clean San Diego and is an advisor to Urban Habitat Chicago.

Keynote Presentation: Building Materials Reuse: From Outlier to Mainstream

President / Executive Director