A Safe Bet

WasteExpo is the preeminent show for the solid waste industry. This year’s program, slated for Las Vegas May 20-23, is expected to bring more than 10,000 attendees to the land of high rollers, glitzy lights and the possibilities of fabulous wealth and spectacular collapses. For recyclers, the opportunities are more “hit and miss.”

While WasteExpo, far and away, is the largest conference for the waste management industry, the breadth of the four-day program is, in many ways, intimidating. The recycling component of the show is only a small aspect of the overall program. This section has to contend with other areas such as waste hauling, incineration, landfilling and vehicle maintenance.

Adding to the diverse roster of topics covered by the educational sessions will be hundreds of exhibitors aiming to attract attendees.

IN SESSION

While the show traditionally has been heavily focused on exhibitions, this year’s organizers have attempted to develop a more well rounded education program.

One area that appears to have been enhanced is the number of sessions dedicated to the recycling industry. Several sessions have been put together that will touch on various components of the recycling industry, including urban recycling programs, paper recycling issues and the growing interest in single stream recycling.

While additional sessions concerning recycling offer a reason to go to this year’s show, some recyclers are less sure of this decision. Mike Benedetto of Tidewater Fibres, Chesapeake, Va., is slated to be one of the speakers at the program. He is blunt when he says that unless a recycler operates a truck, there really isn’t a reason to attend the sessions.

Although recycling is a component of the solid waste industry, it represents only a portion of the overall waste handling business. And, with the condition and status of the recycling market right now, more traditional solid waste companies may even oppose many of the issues that are most pressing for recyclers.

In light of struggling recyclable commodities, the question some recyclers are asking is: Instead of going to a show that attempts to cover all aspects of the waste management industry, might time be better spent at programs that are more narrowly focused on their company’s particular segment of the industry?

Adding to the confusion are the number of recycling-related conferences and conventions that now appear on the annual calendar.

While some recyclers feel that the payoff from attending WasteExpo is tough to justify, several other attendees feel that the program is an ideal environment for developing and cementing relationships. Brian Fielkow, CEO of The Peltz Group, a large paper recycling operation in Milwaukee, Wisc., says that WasteExpo is a great opportunity to meet both present and prospective clients. “Waste haulers are customers of ours,” he notes.

Along with attending, Fielkow is scheduled to be one of the speakers at the conference.

This year’s WasteExpo has dedicated several sessions to various aspects of the recycling industry. These include sessions on handling and recycling wood pallets; trends in the paper recycling industry; electronics and computer recycling issues; and the growing controversy over single-stream recycling programs.

While tough markets may have driven some waste haulers out of collecting recyclables, Fielkow believes that many of these companies are open to the possibilities of working with recyclers. “Things may be different. But people are always open to good economic ideas.”

Miriam Zimms, with the consulting firm Kessler Consulting, is scheduled to be a speaker on the wood-recycling segment of the industry. While this is her first time attending the conference, Zimms feels that the private sector waste management industry is becoming more interested in the construction and demolition industry. “This industry is growing in interest by the private sector,” Zimms says.

Several other recyclers who are mulling attending the program say that while there is more of a “hit and miss” approach to the sessions at WasteExpo, there are enough potential clients to make the trip.

Additional recyclers say they may attend because of the number of companies and people who will be attending the program. The basic rationale for going is to see more than 10,000 people, some of whom are prospective customers. Granted, many of the companies have absolutely nothing to do with the recycling industry. In fact, some companies have business models that are diametrically opposed to recycling.

However, a number of recyclers agree with Fielkow. While some of the attendees don’t have much interest in the recycling industry, there are enough people who will be attending the program that it makes it worth their while.

GENERATING ADDITIONAL ATTENDEES

One area that the conference organizers hope will be popular is the Waste Generators session. This section was introduced last year at WasteExpo’s program in Chicago. The show’s organizers are putting more emphasis on the program, which is geared toward larger generators of waste.

As for other sessions, conference organizers feel a session focusing on the significant cleanup required after the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, DC, will be of great interest to attendees.

While many long-time attendees see the various sessions as only minimally interesting, the session focusing on the World Trade Center and Pentagon clean-up operations is expected to generate a great amount of interest.

Called “Attack on America: Anatomy of the New York City and Pentagon Clean-up . . . an Amazing Effort,” this session, to be held May 22, will look at the clean-up efforts in New York City and at the Pentagon. With the support of demolition contractors andpublic and private waste haulers, the disasters of September 11, 2001, not only involved cleaning up the debris, but also insuring that crime evidence was protected. This session will look at how local waste management firms worked with government officials to complete the enormous task, while at the same time preserving evidence.

Speakers at this session will include Richard Sheirer, director of the Office of Emergency Management, New York City Office of Emergency Management; Robert Guidry, director, Health, Safety & Transportation, Waste Management Inc.; and Mike Ensor, division president and general manager, Waste Management Inc.

While sessions are a way to attract some attendees, much of the space and effort of the show is dedicated to the exhibit hall. With as many as 12,000 attendees expected to make the trip to Las Vegas this year, more than 400 exhibitors will be planning on introducing and promoting products to attendees.

The size and scope of the program is one attraction for recyclers, but the allure of going to Las Vegas cannot be discounted either. This convention-friendly town has been the home of several other recycling-related shows this year, including the Annual Convention of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc. (ISRI).

Several recycling company personnel planning on attending Waste Expo remark that Las Vegas as a destination provides an important additional reason to attend this year’s event. 

The author is senior editor and Internet editor of Recycling Today, and can be contacted at dsandoval@recyclingtoday.com. He will be attending the WasteExpo program.