Experiential Learning Tours
Step beyond the conference room and into the field by adding one or more Experiential Learning Tours to your RCon™ registration to tour nearby facilities.
These guided site visits connect theory to practice, deepening participant understanding with hands-on learning to spark new ideas as you look for actionable solutions to bring back to your organization.
Registration for tours will be an add-on to an RCon Registration.
Tours Offered
- Along the Greenway: Native Habitat Restoration & Recycling in Practice
- Inside Recycle City: Advanced MRF, Transfer & Composting Operations Tour
- Champ Landfill: A Frontline Look at PFAS Treatment & Sustainable Operations
- Play with Purpose: Disc Golf, Sustainability & Smart Land Reuse
- Washington University: Waste Reduction, Circularity & Campus Sustainability in Action
- Energizer Park: Community-Centered Stadium Design & High-Impact Diversion
Explore how environmental restoration and waste management infrastructure intersect along the Gravois Greenway.
Beginning at the Mysun Charitable Foundation Trailhead, this guided walking tour takes participants through a thoughtfully designed corridor of prairie, woodland, and wetland ecosystems—each representing intentional native habitat conversions that support biodiversity and ecological resilience in an urban setting.
Along the route, attendees will also gain perspective on the adjacent Republic Services recycling node, offering a unique opportunity to see how natural and built systems coexist within a shared landscape.
Covering approximately 1.2 miles, this tour provides a firsthand look at how green infrastructure, habitat restoration, and recycling operations can align to create multifunctional community assets. It’s an ideal experience for professionals interested in sustainability planning, environmental restoration, and the integration of waste management within broader land-use strategies.
Important Notes for Participants:
- This walking tour covers approximately 1.2 miles
- Comfortable walking shoes are recommended
- Portions of the tour are outdoors—please dress appropriately for the weather
Duration: 2 hours
Tour Date/Time: Tuesday, September 29, from 8:45 am - 10:45 am
Tour Cost: $50
PDHs Earned: 1.25
Step inside one of the region’s most innovative integrated waste management campuses and explore how materials are transformed into valuable resources.
At the City of St. Peters Environmental Campus—home to Recycle City—attendees will experience a comprehensive, behind-the-scenes look at a fully co-located system featuring a state-of-the-art Material Recovery Facility (MRF), transfer station operations, and a large-scale composting facility.
The tour begins with a guided walkthrough of the newly constructed Machinex MRF, where advanced sorting technologies—including optical and ballistic systems—enable efficient processing of residential single-stream and mixed commercial recyclables at up to 12 tons per hour, achieving recovery rates as high as 90–95%.
Participants will then observe transfer station operations before diving into the world of organics management with an in-depth look at the aerated static pile composting system. Designed by Engineered Compost Systems, this facility processes more than 10,000 wet tons of biosolids annually and produces up to 50,000 cubic yards of high-quality compost products.
This immersive experience offers valuable insight into the technologies, processes, and operational strategies driving modern resource recovery—making it an ideal tour for professionals interested in recycling innovation, infrastructure integration, and sustainable materials management.
Important Notes for Participants:
- This is an active facility tour and includes significant walking, including stairs
- Closed-toe shoes are required; PPE will be provided
- Limited ADA accommodations are available via a modified tour experience
Duration: 3 Hours*
Tour Dates/Times:
- Tuesday, September 29:
- 7:15 am - 10:15 am
- 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm
- Wednesday, September 30, from 7:15 am - 9:15 am
- Thursday, October 1, from 7:15 am - 9:15 am
- Friday, October 2, from 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Tour Cost: $55
PDHs Earned: 1.5
*Tour duration on September 30 and October 1 is two hours.
This guided bus tour takes participants deep into the site—located within a 200-foot limestone quarry—for a rare, up-close look at large-scale landfill operations in action. Along the way, attendees will learn about key processes, site management strategies, and infrastructure that support safe and efficient waste disposal.
The experience includes a visit to the facility’s PFAS Water Treatment Plant, highlighting emerging approaches to managing complex contaminants and protecting environmental quality.
Following the landfill tour, participants will visit the Waste Connections Sustainability Campus, where education and environmental stewardship take center stage. Explore greenhouses, beehives, and a nature trail culminating in a scenic overlook of the landfill—offering a unique perspective on how active sites can coexist with environmental initiatives.
This tour provides a balanced view of modern landfill operations alongside forward-thinking sustainability efforts, making it ideal for professionals interested in disposal infrastructure, environmental protection, and community engagement.
Important Notes for Participants:
- Closed-toe shoes are required
- Portions of the tour are outdoors—please dress appropriately for the weather
Tour Date/Times:
- Tuesday, September 29, from 1:00 pm - 3:15 pm
- Wednesday, September 30:
- 7:00 am - 9:15 am
- 3:00 pm - 5:15 pm
- Thursday, October 1, from 7:00 am - 9:15 am
Tour Cost: $55
PDHs Earned: 1.25
Join us for a fun, all-skill-level disc golf experience at a local course. . The event begins with an introductory lesson, followed by a flexible round played from the “short tees,” making it approachable for newer players. Along the way, you’ll learn how disc golf courses can be installed on landfills, why they’re a smart post-closure use, and how they can strengthen community relationships while creating a potential revenue stream (with small courses possible for under $10K). You’ll also hear examples of successful landfill-based courses, including Morley Field/Arizona Street Landfill.
All participants receive:
- A disc golf disc made from 100% pre-consumer recycled materials
- A disc golf lesson, plus the chance to play a round on an 18-hole course
- Practical takeaways on implementing disc golf on landfill sites and the benefits it can deliver
- Lunch will be Provided
Tour Date/Time: Tuesday, September 29, from 10:15 am - 2:15 pm
Tour Cost: FREE
PDHs Earned: 1.5
SPONSORED BY:
Explore how a leading university is advancing sustainability through integrated waste reduction, circularity, and building design strategies.
This guided tour of Washington University in St. Louis offers a behind-the-scenes look at how campus operations support a comprehensive approach to sustainability—from front-of-house collection systems to back-of-house operational practices. Participants will visit campus buildings to see how three-stream waste collection (recycling, compost, and landfill) is implemented, including collection points, service docks, and operational spaces that support efficient material management.
Attendees will also gain insight into how dining facilities are incorporating waste sorting and food waste measurement into their daily operations, using data-driven practices to reduce waste before it reaches the compost stream.
For groups interested in circular economy strategies, the experience may include a visit to the university’s off-site Circularity Center—a warehouse space dedicated to redistributing surplus items and recovering high volumes of clothing and household goods during student move-out periods.
Throughout the tour, participants will hear directly from campus partners involved in sustainability and waste operations, offering a multidisciplinary perspective on program design, implementation, and continuous improvement across the university.
This experience provides a practical look at how large institutions can align waste systems, operational practices, and sustainability goals—making it ideal for professionals interested in organics diversion, circular economy programs, and institutional waste management strategies.
Important Notes for Participants:
- This tour includes walking through campus buildings and operational areas
- Comfortable walking shoes are recommended
- Portions of the tour may be outdoors—please dress appropriately for the weather
Tour Date/Time: Wednesday, September 30, from 3:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Tour Cost: $100
PDHs Earned: 1.5
Discover the sustainability story behind Energizer Park on a guided, behind-the-scenes stadium tour that highlights how thoughtful design and day-to-day operations work together to divert more than 80% of waste from landfills. Along the way, you’ll explore unique stadium spaces, learn how innovative technology and intentional food-and-beverage decisions support sustainability goals, and enjoy plenty of photo opportunities.
Beginning outside, you’ll explore how Energizer Park was designed to support both sustainability and community—integrating native landscaping, water-efficient design, and a connection to the history of Mill Creek Valley. Inside, the tour highlights how technology, food and beverage operations, and day-to-day decision-making drive sustainability outcomes, alongside a look at key stadium spaces. You’ll also get an up-close view of back-of-house operations, including the waste sorting area, where materials are hand-sorted to achieve the stadium’s 80%+ diversion rate. Time for questions is built in throughout the experience.
Important Notes for Participants:
- Closed-toe shoes are recommended/encouraged.
- Portions of the tour are outdoors—please dress appropriately for the weather.
Tour Date/Time: Thursday, October 1, from 3:15 pm - 5:30 pm
Tour Cost: $100
PDHs Earned: 1.5
