Southern Hospitality

After hosting 2006 in Las Vegas, WasteExpo planners have arranged a return to the Southeast in 2007, holding its annual gathering of the solid waste industry in Atlanta from May 7-10.

The conference and exhibition usually draws a crowd of between 11,000 and 12,000 attendees, including exhibitors and media. In addition to three days of educational conference programming, WasteExpo has some 500 exhibitors on hand displaying the latest industry products and services.

IN SESSION. The conference portion of the program runs May 7-9. The event’s organizers strive to put programming together that appeals to the wide variety of WasteExpo attendees. This is no small feat given the diverse nature of the event, which draws attendees from both the public and private sectors of the industry.

This year, conference sessions touch on a number of timely issues facing the solid waste industry, from recycling to landfill operations to every day business decisions like employment and pricing of commercial services.

Attendees from the recycling end of the business have many sessions to keep their interest. Conference sessions are scheduled that cover many major commodity markets, including steel, paper, glass and plastic. The growing market segment of construction and demolition recycling is also scheduled to be discussed in its own session the afternoon of Monday, May 7.

A kickfoff commodities session will include remarks from Recycling Today staff member Dan Sandoval on the secondary fiber markets.

The conference also examines larger trends in the recycling industry. Patrick Fitzgerald of RecycleBank and Steve Thompson of the Curbside Value Partnership (CVP) discuss ways to revitalize the recycling industry in a session entitled "Breathing Life Back into Recycling," on Monday afternoon. The speakers examine innovative techniques for increasing participation in recycling, and attendees get the chance to discuss how these strategies can be applied in other areas.

Tuesday morning, May 8, attendees have the chance to participate in a roundtable discussion with some recycling industry insiders to examine recycling from the businessperson’s perspective. Michael Benedetto, Tidewater Fibre Corp. Recycling; Ben Harvey, E.L. Harvey & Sons Inc.; and John Pausma, Homewood Disposal Service Inc., along with moderator Chaz Miller of the National Solid Wastes Management Association are on hand to discuss how they deal with employment issues, stream management, equipment and vehicle decisions, collection, community and government relations and competition while trying to run a profitable, successful operation.

Kate Krebs of the National Recycling Coalition (NRC) also informs attendees of the coalition’s efforts to reinvigorate recycling at a session entitled "Rebranding Recycling" on Tuesday afternoon.

Attendees with an interest in electronics recycling are encouraged to attend the E-Waste Breakfast and Forum on Wednesday, May 10, a new feature for 2007. Following breakfast, a panel that includes Carole Cifrino, state of Maine; Jason Linnell, National Center for Electronic Recycling; Hillary Miller, state of Maryland; Shirley Willd-Wagner, state of California; Joe Aho, Recycle America; Andrew McManus, Metech Group; Joe Nardone, Amandi Services; and others discuss successful programs for managing end-of-life electronics and recycling electronic scrap material.

In addition to the conference programming, WasteExpo attendees also have access to the exhibit hall, which features the latest products and services of some 500 exhibitors.

DISPLAY CASE. This year, the event’s organizers have added more conference sessions on Monday to give attendees more time to walk the show floor on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. With more than 500 exhibitors, it’s time that can be well spent.

To guide attendees to the newest products, WasteExpo features a 2007 New Product Showcase that includes new products and services from Allegheny Paper Shredders, American Roll-off, Harris Waste Management Group and Marathon Equipment, among others. The New Products Showcase gives product descriptions and manufacturer booth information and can be found online at www.wasteexpo.com/attendees/New_Products_Showcase.

WasteExpo 2007 will be May 7-10 at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center. More information, including the most up-to-date session and speaker information and how to register, is available at www.wasteexpo.com.