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2021 MRN/SWANA-MA Virtual Conference is in the Books

Revision 2021 is over and despite the challenges of hosting an online conference, we had some great conversations about the challenges the industry has faced and where we can go from here.

In addition to two general sessions and four concurrent breakout sessions over two half-days (Wednesday, June 23 & Thursday, June 24), there was time to visit 13 different virtual booths to hear about the latest and greatest tools available from our industry vendors. Plus, there were four open networking rooms attendees could “slip into” and chat with colleagues about whatever was on their minds.

The day also included a few fun polls and a secret word challenge (see who won). A huge thank you to all who attended, especially to our sponsors and exhibitors (see who was there)! Your continuing support is so appreciated!

Here’s a quick snapshot of how each day went:

Day One: Revision 2021 opened with a warm welcome, some housekeeping notes and a shout-out to our sponsors followed by a keynote presentation on the packaging industry’s journey towards sustainability presented by Adam Gendell.

Attendees then moved into virtual breakout rooms where they could choose to get the scoop on what’s happening in the recycling markets (and it’s good news for a change!) and hear a mill buyers perspective; or take a tour of the newest technologies for remote monitoring at the landfill. Following a quick trip over to the virtual exhibits, attendees returned to the breakouts where they chose between learning more about the latest in using AI and data to automate waste sorting and characterization; or hearing about an innovative project on reviving an aging landfill gas to energy plant followed by the latest updates on landfill regulations.

The afternoon ended with a presentation from Jeremy O’Brien of SWANA on Driving the Narrative – Telling the right story to drive the best behavior. O’Brien asked a provocative question of the audience – “Should curbside recycling be privilege that must be earned?” What do you think?

Day Two: We began with sessions covering the story of two organizations that flipped the switch — one on the challenges brought by the pandemic, and one on an innovative solution to glass recycling; while the concurrent session explored how to implement an effective asset management program to protect investments in your equipment. A second set of concurrent sessions gave attendees the choice of a dive into how the C&D industry has been impacted by and is responding to the changing industry environment; or the story of two communities that found new lives for closed landfills. As on Wednesday, attendees were welcomed to visit the virtual booths between sessions.

The final presentation offered a look at the State of the Industry: Where Do We Go From Here? with Michael E. Hoffman, Managing Director/Group Head, Diversified Industrials, Stifel Financial Corp. Among other trends, Hoffman examined the potential impact of electric vehicles on solid waste fleets, control of PFAS and implementation of an environmental/social/governance framework by major solid waste industry organizations.

We ended the day with a Wordle based on one simple question …

Wordle-1

Nice to see ‘encouraged’ the most prevalent word here.

Winners of the Secret Word Contest!

Congratulations to Rebecca Culler, Recycling Program Manager for Frederick County and Mark Gutberlet, Vice President for EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, each of whom won a complimentary registration to the 2022 conference!

Again, thank you to all our presenters, attendees and sponsors/exhibitors. In the meantime, be sure to save the date for the MRN/SWANA Mid-Atlantic Annual Conference, June 23, 2022 at the BWI Marriott, and yes, it will be IN PERSON!!!