SWANA and EREF Sign MOU to Advance Research and Education in Waste and Resource Management
February 25, 2026 — Indian Wells, CA
The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) and the Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) this week during a signing ceremony at the Global Waste Management Symposium in Indian Wells, California. The MOU formalizes collaboration between the two organizations to advance research, education, and awareness in the solid waste and resource management sector.
Areas of collaboration may include developing educational resources and advancing research, reciprocal participation in events, and coordination on opportunities of mutual interest that strengthen industry understanding and best practices. EREF will add public sector representation to its Research Council by selecting a municipality to serve, based on recommendations from SWANA.
“This agreement builds on a long-standing collaboration between our organizations,” shared SWANA CEO Amy Lestition Burke, MA, FASAE, CAE. "It provides a framework to strengthen our work, supporting knowledge-sharing and professional development for industry professionals. Importantly, it also ensures that public sector perspectives are represented in research discussions, helping to align scientific inquiry with the real-world challenges faced by municipalities and the communities they serve.”
"Both of our organizations share a strong commitment to advancing science, education, and informed decision-making,” said President & CEO of EREF Bryan Staley, Ph.D, PE. “This MOU reflects our shared priorities and strengthens the bridge between rigorous research and real-world application, creating new opportunities to connect unbiased data with the professionals and communities who rely on it every day."
The new MOU brings together SWANA’s broad professional membership with EREF’s focus on research to expand the impact and reach of research findings, educational programming, and industry engagement.
About the Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF)
The Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing scientific research and creating educational pathways that enable innovation in sustainable materials management practices. EREF funds targeted, unbiased research and analysis that expands industry knowledge and supports evidence-based decision-making. The Foundation also provides scholarships to promising graduate students and develops educational programs to grow understanding of the solid waste stream and sustainable resource management.