Conference Program

WORKSHOP DETAILS

Monday Workshops

Networking Breakfast & Food Waste Diversion Keynote Panel (8am)

Food waste diversion has increasingly become a focus of waste reduction on the local and national scale. 

Join us for a Keynote panel discussion introducing conference attendees to the practical steps for starting a municipal food waste composting program or a food waste diversion program. Our panelists bring on-the-ground experience and examples such as HRRA's experience building a self-sustaining composting system in Ridgefield, CT and Pelham, NH’s recent experience starting a food waste diversion program with Vanguard Renewables, which converts the food waste into energy via an anaerobic digester. We will also discuss recent work to educate solid waste facility operators in NH about food waste diversion under NRRA's current USDA solid waste management grant. This breakfast panel will include moderated questions.

• Panelist Jen Heaton-Jones, Executive Director of the Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority
• Panelist Rhonda Whittier, Transfer Station and Highway Department Office Manager for Pelham, NH
• Panelist Andrea Folsom, NRRA Communications Manager
• Moderator Reagan Bissonnette, NRRA Executive Director

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Session 1 Workshops (9:15am)

Solving the Food Waste Crisis (Webster Room)

The EPA estimates that each year, U.S. food waste is responsible for 170-200 million tons of CO2e. To address this carbon crisis, we need to work together to provide more solutions to keep food waste from ending up in landfills and incinerators. This workshop will focus on the application of turning food scraps into animal feed.

• Presenter Tim Rassias, President & COO of Bright Feeds

From Waste to Resource: Innovations in Food Recovery (Pierce Room)

Join CET for an insightful session at the intersection of sustainability and efficiency. CET will present the challenges and opportunities for two materials: wasted food and building materials. This session will explore innovative strategies, successful case studies, and collaborative initiatives that drive positive changes in both food recovery and construction industries. CET is a resource for municipalities fielding questions from their business community. CET is available to provide free assistance to businesses and institutions throughout New Hampshire and much of New England to help maximize reduction, recycling and reuse opportunities.

• Presenter Olivia Ahner, Program Consultant at the Center for EcoTechnology (CET)
• Presenter Emma Sabella, Waste Reduction Consultant at the Center for EcoTechnology
• Special Guest Speakers from Blue Loon Bakery and Mount Sunapee Resort

Operator Roundtable (Concord Room)

Join other recycling facility operators and staff at this informal roundtable to discuss your biggest challenges and identify solutions. Operators have always found this time valuable to hear about on-the-ground experience from their peers.

• Moderator Brian Patnoe, NRRA Member Services Manager
• Moderator Bonnie Bethune, NRRA Senior Member Services Representative 
  

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Session 2 Workshops (11:00am)

NHDES Inspections: Findings, Updates, & Looking Forward (Webster Room)

Staff from the NHDES Solid Waste Management Bureau will provide an update on findings from compliance inspections conducted in the last year. This session will be a NHDES-moderator directed panel covering the top compliance issues discovered; areas where more education is needed including discussion on operating plans; and covering questions received by permittees and operators during the inspection period. This is an opportunity for attendees to learn more about the roles and responsibilities in keeping in compliance.

• Presenter Tara Albert, Solid Waste Operator Training & Certification Coordinator for NHDES
• Presenter Jaime Colby, Solid Waste Engineering and Permitting Section Supervisor for NHDES
  
• Presenter Emily Jones, Compliance Assurance Section Supervisor for NHDES
• Presenter Austin Mills, Compliance Specialist for NHDES

Regional Landscape for Glass Recycling & Reuse (Pierce Room)

This workshop will provide a brief recap of national policy developments around glass and packaging law. It will then focus on regional development in New England and Canada that may influence markets for recycled glass in the NRRA region. We will also touch on lessons learned through pilots in other regions, partnership, and grant opportunities. This workshop will provide plenty of time for Q&A regarding glass recycling as well.

• Presenter Scott DeFife, President of the Glass Packaging Institute
  

Maximizing Your NRRA Benefits (Concord Room)

Are you getting the most bang for your buck with your NRRA Membership benefits? From cooperative marketing and cooperative purchasing, to educational programs and technical assistance, NRRA offers a suite of benefits you may not even know about! Beyond annual activity reports, learn how NRRA is working for YOU, even when you don't know it. Bring your NRRA Membership questions and let us WOW you!

• Presenter Andrea Folsom, NRRA Communications Manager 
  
• Presenter Bonnie Bethune, NRRA Senior Member Services Representative

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Session 3 Workshops (1:00pm)

Battery & Fire Safety for Transfer Stations (Webster Room)

Refuse and recyclable material collectors are currently ranked in the top ten dangerous jobs in U.S. In particular, lithium battery fires pose increasing safety risks to solid waste facility operators. In fact, the annual cost to the U.S. and Canada due to lithium battery fires is estimated to be more than $1.2 billion. Preventing and effectively dealing with batteries and transfer station fires requires planning, prevention measures, and resident education. Join presenter Jerry Sjogren, who brings 24+ years of transfer station safety experience to discuss ways to improve battery and fire safety at your transfer station. 

• Presenter Jerry Sjogren, Senior Director of Safety, Recycling Materials Association
  

How Municipalities Can Successfully Drive EPR (Pierce Room)

What does it take to pass Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations? This session will give an overview of EPR in Connecticut and the Northeast. We will be answering the questions: What role should municipalities play? What has been successful, what hasn't and why? How do we educate and empower legislators to support extending responsibility of end of life management to the brand owners and manufacturers? Learn and be empowered to make a difference!

• Presenter Jen Heaton-Jones, Executive Director of the Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority

Recycling Markets Updates (Concord Room)

Join NRRA Member Services Manager, Brian Patnoe, to take a look at the trends and forecasting of recycling markets in 2024 and beyond. Where have the markets been and where do we see them going in the next 12 months?  This workshop will give you a better understanding of the effect of recycling markets on pricing, with plenty of time for questions and answers.

• Presenter Brian Patnoe, NRRA Member Services Manager 

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Session 4 Workshops (2:45pm)

Virtual Tour of ecomaine MRF (Pierce Room)

Join ecomaine for an in-depth virtual tour of our single-sort Municipal Recovery Facility (MRF). Here we will see videos outlining how we collect, sort, and bale recyclables to divert material from Maine's landfills. Come and discuss the recycling landscape and leave with actionable steps to be a more efficient and economic recycler!

• Presenter Bea Johnson, Environmental Educator for ecomaine
  

Ag Plastics in the Solid Waste Stream (Concord Room)

Farms and other agricultural producers in the Northeast are increasingly using plastics for a variety of purposes. Our team conducted research to quantify and characterize the breadth of agriculture-based plastics used in Pennsylvania. We identified a wide diversity of plastic types that are being used on farms and are increasingly sent to recycling centers. However, we also found numerous hazardous substances and other contaminants on the ag plastics. Farmers noted greater pressure for them to recycle their plastics but the recycling industry has concerns about contamination. This presentation will discuss the challenges and opportunities to increased recycling of ag plastics.

• Presenter Judd Michael, Professor at Penn State University 

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Tuesday Workshops

Networking Breakfast & Full Cost Accounting Keynote Panel (8am)

Full Cost Accounting was introduced decades ago, but remains one of the best tools available to transfer stations and municipalities to understand the true costs of managing MSW, recycling, composting, and construction and demolition debris. Join us for a Keynote panel discussion introducing conference attendees to the importance of understanding the true costs and revenue for their solid waste operations by developing a full cost accounting (FCA) model. We will talk about why it’s important to have this information and how it can inform and improve operations with real-world examples from Gilford, Hollis, and Littleton, NH. This breakfast panel discussion will include moderated questions.

• Panelist Meghan Theriault, Department of Public Works Director of Gilford, NH
• Panelist Joan Cudworth, Department of Public Works Director of Hollis, NH
• Panelist Brian Patnoe, NRRA Member Services Manager
• Moderator Reagan Bissonnette, NRRA Executive Director

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Session 1 Workshops (9:15am)

The Big Picture of Textile Reuse & Recycling (Webster Room)

Textiles are the fastest growing waste stream by far, currently accounting for 6% of landfill space. The average US resident discards over 115 pounds of textiles each year and 85% of these clothes end up in the trash when most could be reused or recycled. This workshop will dispel some misconceptions surrounding secondhand clothing. We will also discuss what it will take to solve this problem from all stakeholders including EPR legislation, waste bans, municipal involvement, resident education, brand and retailers support, thrift stores, and new technologies and innovation.

• Presenter Alex Husted, CIO & co-founder of Helpsy

The Truths about Single Stream Recycling and the Status of Commodity Markets (Pierce Room)

Recycling works and is not broken; whether it be dual-stream or single stream recycling. Hear from industry experts about the most recent investments and technologies which are creating greater quality and market opportunities for your materials. Learn tools and capabilities to increase awareness, education and communication on how to Recycle Better.

• Presenter Bob Cappadona, Vice President of Casella Resource Solutions
• Presenter  Erin Banfield, Director of Municipal Services, Casella Waste Systems

Operator Roundtable (Concord Room)

Join other recycling facility operators and staff at this informal roundtable to discuss your biggest challenges and identify solutions. Operators have always found this time valuable to hear about on-the-ground experience from their peers.

• Moderator Brian Patnoe, NRRA Member Services Manager
• Moderator Bonnie Bethune, NRRA Senior Member Services Representative
  

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Session 2 Workshops (11:00am)

Regional Cooperation in Solid Waste Management (Webster Room)

Regionalization is prevalent in Vermont due to their solid waste district model. This model has been driven by legislation and regulations that require all towns to do extensive solid waste planning, education, and delivery of services. The regionalization has taken many forms from large organizations like Chittenden SWD, to alliances like the Solid Waste Alliance Communities in Rutland County, to individual towns like Whitingham. This workshop will touch on the benefits and challenges of many types of organization.

• Panelist John Fay, Project Manager, Northeast Waste Management Officials' Association (NEWMOA)
  
• Panelist Erica Douglas, Solid Waste Manager for Lebanon, NH
• Moderator Brian Patnoe, NRRA Member Services Manager 

Battery Recycling with Electronic Waste (Pierce Room)

Have you ever wondered how batteries are recycled? This workshop will dive into the battery recycling process and discuss the importance of battery management specifically within the Electronics Recycling Industry. Batteries pose a unique challenge for electronic recyclers, due to their chemical composition, combustible nature, and potential environmental hazards they pose if not disposed of properly.

• Presenter Ray Ziekle, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Universal Recycling Technologies (URT)
  

Rebuilding Confidence in Recycling (Concord Room)

Recycling has been around for over 40 years, but people are complicated and getting them to recycle consistently isn’t simple or easy. Transfer station operators field many questions about recycling and often face skepticism that recyclables are really being recycled. This workshop will touch on the reasons behind this skepticism and how transfer stations and municipalities can help residents rebuild their confidence in recycling.

• Presenter Alec Cooley, Senior Advisor, Busch Systems 
  

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Session 3 Workshops (1:00pm)

Household Hazardous Waste Recycling (Pierce Room)

Have you ever wondered what happens during a Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) event? This workshop will cover everything from how HHW days are managed to what happens with different materials after they leave a municipal transfer station. There will be plenty of opportunities for questions and answers during this session. 

• Presenter Brett Rogers, Vice President, Environmental Projects, Inc. (EPI)
  

Full Cost Accounting & SWAT Results (Concord Room)

Join NRRA Member Services Manager, Brian Patnoe, to learn more about creating a full cost accounting model for your municipal transfer station. Using the newly revamped NRRA full cost accounting workbook, Brian will walk attendees through the process and share real-life examples of how towns have implemented changes based on insights from their full cost accounting models. This workshop will give you a better understanding of the importance and benefits of full cost accounting, with plenty of time for questions and answers.

• Presenter Brian Patnoe, NRRA Member Services Manager
   

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Session 4 Workshops (2:45pm)

Navigating the Benefits of Mattress Recycling & Best Practices (Pierce Room)

Mattresses are notoriously difficult for transfer stations to manage, often needing to be landfilled where they take up valuable space. This workshop will focus on the benefits of mattress recycling, reuse, and refurbishment. We will walk through the mattress and box spring recycling process. Finally, we will look to the future of mattress recycling and answer attendee questions.

• Presenter Rodney Clara, Vice President of Business Development, Tough Stuff Recycling
  

What's Happening at the State Level: Solid Waste Policy in NH (Concord Room)

Solid waste management has been a central focus for many New Hampshire bills over the 2024 legislative session. At the same time, the NH Solid Waste Working Group has been moving forward with several goals and objectives from the updated NH Solid Waste Management Plan. Learn more about the solid waste-related legislation that had been proposed and what the NH legislature decided, as well as potential impacts on municipalities and local transfer stations in this panel discussion.

• Presenter Representative Karen Ebel
• Presenter Representative Judy Aron
• Moderator Reagan Bissonnette, NRRA Executive Director