Welcome to RCon™: Where Waste and Resource Management Professionals Go to Think

Event Dates: November 12 – 15, 2025
Exhibit Hall Open: November 12 – 14, 2025 
Location: Greater Columbus Convention Center | Columbus, Ohio 

Nearly 1,700 waste and resource management professionals attended SWANA’s inaugural RCon™ to shape the future of waste as a resource. RCon is a new annual event experience that redefines the waste and resource management landscape.

View photos to relive the experience or to see what you missed!

SWANA will release a recap of session insights for attendees at no additional cost. This recap will be available for purchase to all others to help share the cutting-edge industry insights to move our industry forward.

RCon in the News

Check out media coverage from RCon to learn how our industry will turn our biggest global challenges into solutions that serve as a driving force behind the next era of waste and resource management.

• RCon 2025: A Landmark Success in Waste and Resource Management (SWANA)
• RCon™ Powered by SWANA Goes Full Steam Ahead and Revitalizes an Annual Event (Waste Advantage)
• Live from RCon 2025 with Elizabeth Roe (The Recyclist Podcast)
• RCon 2025: The Value of Safety (Waste Today)
• The Fight for EPR with Heidi Sanborn (The Recyclist Podcast)
• SWANA Celebrates America Recycles Day with Special RCon Keynote (SWANA)
• Waste and Recycling Leaders Gather in Columbus Ahead of America Recycles Day for Inaugural RCon Event (SWANA)
• SWANA Unveils Future RCon Destinations: St. Louis in 2026 and Portland in 2027! (SWANA)
• SWANA Launches Inaugural RCon: Empowering the Future of Resource Management (SWANA)

See Who Attended

View the list of industry colleagues at RCon 2025.

The Sold-Out Exhibit Hall 

The RCon Exhibit Hall was a hub of innovation and networking, featuring 211 supporting organizations. Attendees experienced industry leading equipment and solution providers, attended 20-minute Rapid Insight Sessions in the New Way Theatre, visited SWANA Central, and even brought their energy to the pickleball tournament! View the interactive Exhibit Hall floor plan and directory.

Interested in exhibiting at RCon 2026? Email rcon@swana.org.

Save the Date: RCon 2026

Mark your calendar for RCon 2026, held September 29 – October 2 in St. Louis, Missouri.

Plan ahead for RCon 2027 too, held September 21-24 in Portland, Oregon.

2025 Award Recipients

Prior to RCon, SWANA announced the recipients of the 2025 Awards, honoring innovation and excellence in waste and resource management. SWANA rolled out the red carpet for this year’s awardees for a celebration at the historic High Line Car House in downtown Columbus. Learn more about our 2025 award recipients.

SWANA is proud to host the first RCon in Columbus, Ohio, a vibrant city committed to sustainability.

Mayor Andrew J. Ginther welcomes SWANA, RCon participants, and the U.S. Plastics Pact to Columbus.

About RCon

RCon is SWANA’s new event experience delivering insightful keynote messages, technical trainings, concurrent sessions, poster presentations, and experiential learning tours. RCon offers flexible scheduling, empowering attendees to build their own agenda to achieve their professional goals.

Background: In 2024, the SWANA Board of Directors decided to sunset two previous events—SOAR and WASTECON®—to launch RCon as a unified, innovative experience for the solid waste and recycling industry.

View 2025 registration rates, including group rate discounts.

Watch a Video on How to Maximize your RCon Experience

Know exactly what to expect for your first RCon by watching this video with SWANA CEO Amy Lestition Burke telling attendees how to achieve your professional goals at RCon, the best spots to explore downtown, what to pack, and so much more.

Industry Partners Co-located with RCon

SWANA is committed to bringing together industry stakeholders to advance shared goals and move our industry forward.

During RCon, the U.S. Plastics Pact hosted an in-person event, the Activator Action Summit, to bring together the entire plastics value chain, working to end plastic waste.

The National Waste and Recycling Association (NWRA) convened its annual Fall Safety & Standards Meetings ahead of RCon to collaborate to advance industry safety practices.