The Workshop featured the theme “Waste Diversion”. Among other topics, sessions addressed ways to increase recycling rates, discuss increasing organics diversion and organics management alternatives, and consider options for difficult-to-manage materials.
The Workshop was conducted in all plenary sessions. It was structured to provide a forum for information-sharing and dialogue among participants.
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Presentations
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established a national recycling goal to increase the recycling rate to 50 percent by 2030. This panel will discuss State, local government, and private sector activities to increase recycling of municipal solid waste, addressing challenges and successes.
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Solid waste program managers with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (AK DEC) will discuss how the DEC’s work to engage with rural communities has resulted in significantly increasing the rural recycling rate.
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This session will showcase recent work by the ASTSWMO Radiation and Beneficial Use Task Forces. The Radiation Task Force has recently completed two posters, one primarily for use at solid waste facilities that need to report the presence of radiation, and the other to provide basic radiation awareness. The Beneficial Use Task Force is currently evaluating findings from their recent survey to gather information about the analytical criteria States and Territories use in evaluating proposals for beneficial use of materials.
Last year EPA released the Wasted Food Scale prioritizing actions to divert food waste and avoid landfill disposal. Following a brief introduction to it by the moderator, speakers will highlight programs implemented in alignment with the Wasted Food Scale to avoid traditional disposal. Two State grant programs will be presented, and a company representative will discuss the company’s processing of waste from food intended for human consumption into animal feed.
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This session will feature a panel of EPA ORCR speakers who will discuss three EPA activities regarding measurement of solid waste. Speakers will provide an overview of the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) grant program, with a focus on State measurement efforts; an overview and update of EPA’s recycling measurement guide; and an overview of a circular economy vision and its data elements. Attendees will be invited to provide input.
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Batteries and tires topped the list of the top five materials identified as difficult-to-manage by States and Territories in the April 2024 Difficult-to-Manage Materials Survey Report produced by the ASTSWMO Sustainable Materials Management Task Force. Battery topics to be discussed include collection, recycling, and the evolution of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation. Tires will be addressed in a presentation of a State Tire EPR.
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This session will focus on the implementation of Wyoming’s animal mortality composting program.
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EPA ORCR speakers will provide updates on national strategies, including the final National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics, and highlight interagency implementation work.
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