CEO Column

So how was your summer?

By: SWANA CEO and Executive Director David Biderman

Like many of you, I spent most of the summer working from home, participating in numerous Zoom calls, trying to adjust to the “new normal.” Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic continues and SWANA was forced to cancel WASTECON^® 2020 in Texas and pivot to a virtual conference to be held in January 2021. This difficult but necessary decision was made because your health and safety are paramount.

But SWANA’s mission continues, and so we all must make adjustments.

Your association will be holding a series of dynamic virtual events this Fall and in early 2021. These events will provide SWANA members in the United States and Canada with the tools, resources, and information they need to be more successful and productive at their jobs. We are planning and curating top-notch speakers and sessions on the topics that matter most – to you.

The first event will be MRF Summit 2.0.  The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) approached SWANA earlier this year and asked whether we were interested in a sequel to the successful 2018 MRF Summit jointly held at WASTECON^® in Nashville. Instead of holding MRF Summit 2.0 at WASTECON^® in Dallas, it will be a separate two-day event on November 18-19. The Summit will include experts from companies and government agencies who will discuss how to reduce contamination, technology implementation in the MRF, what buyers of commodities are looking for, safety concerns, and what’s on the horizon in 2021. Registration will open in late September.

The second event will be virtual WASTECON^®, which will be a three-day event on January 26-28. The program will be a series of high-level keynote type sessions in a variety of interesting and engaging formats. There will be ample opportunities for interaction, as we know that networking with peers is an integral part of the WASTECON^® experience. In 2019, we selected “Embracing Disruption” as our WASTECON^® 2020 theme. Little did we know how “disrupted” our personal and professional lives would be this year!

The third event will be a virtual Safety Summit. We usually hold our popular Safety Summit at WASTECON^®, but holding it as a separate event will provide SWANA the opportunity to dive a little deeper into some of the key safety issues and hazards that you are facing. The virtual Safety Summit will take place on February 25, 2021. Although we are in the early stages of designing the program, one important session will be SWANA’s release of its 2020 Solid Waste Industry Safety Report.

We intended to hold our Board of Directors and Advisory Board meetings at WASTECON^® 2020 in Dallas. Those meetings will take place in the late Fall, and the Boards’ three Standing Committee meetings are in the process of being scheduled.

We also intended to hold a Strategic Planning session at WASTECON^®. We are exploring how to have a meaningful virtual Strategic Planning process, as we develop our vision for the next five years.

Lots of change. Lots of disruption. But through it all, SWANA continues to be the leader in helping the industry respond to the ongoing challenges posed by COVID-19, and is increasingly recognized by national media organizations (e.g., NPR) as a subject matter expert on a growing number of waste and recycling topics.

What do we want from you? We ask you to be engaged: Renew your SWANA membership. Invite a prospective YP to join. Register for and participate in our upcoming virtual events. Consider becoming a leader in a Technical Division or in your chapter. 

SWANA needs you. But you need SWANA. Let’s work together to make sure all the waste and recyclables in the United States and Canada continue to be managed properly and safely, as the unforgettable summer of 2020 comes to an end.