Student Design Competition
The Student Design Competition
The SWANA Student Design Competition (SDC) is a team project focused on solving a “real world” problem faced by waste and resource management professionals.
The competition provides professional experience to students pursuing an education and/or career in waste, resource management and related environmental fields. The goals of the SDC are to:
● Provide students with real world experience in solving complex waste, resource management and environmental issues in a supportive and fun environment.
● Provide students with an opportunity to display their problem-solving, professional writing and communication skills.
● Encourage student involvement in SWANA.
2026 Team Registration Open Now
The 2026 Student Design competition focuses on emerging technology with this year's topic "AI-Driven Route Optimization and Hazardous Waste Sorting for Municipal Solid Waste Management."
As a part of the competition, teams will be tasked with solving for inefficient routing for collections, contamination within the cities Material Recovery Facility (MRF) and budget strain - mirroring real-world issues waste and resource management professions are facing.
Additional details on the problem statement and deliverables are available in the 2026 Student Design Competition Protocol.
Interested teams should complete the Team Commitment form by January 26, 2026.
2025 Virtual Presentations
Student design teams will present their solutions virtually April 9, 2025. This year’s project will challenge each team on “Disposal Planning for Sustainable Technologies in Generation and Transportation.”
Congratulations to the 2025 Student Design Competition Winners!
| University of Florida | First Place |
| Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico | Second Place |
| Jackson State University and the University of South Carolina | Third Place |
| University of Florida | Best Team Presentation |
| Angelique T Pagán Medina | Emerging Leader/Rising Star Award |
Questions regarding the competition should be directed to James Swart.
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