Fireworks lit up the sky on the first night of the NY Federation of Solid 91直播 Association鈥檚 Conference and Trade Show. On the beautiful, slightly breezy night of May 17, attendees were treated to a great fireworks show starting with Frank Sinatra crooning New York, New York, along with other classic tunes and patriotic music to set the tone of the night and the upcoming week. Courtesy of H2m Architects Engineers, the fireworks show delighted and entertained attendees who watched them light up the sky over Lake George鈥攁 great kickoff to a full week.
MONDAY 鈥� TAKING THE LEAD
Opening Remarks
On Monday, May 18, Kelli Timbrook, NY Federation Vice Chair, provided opening remarks, including a brief overview of what would be happening over the next couple of days. She spoke about important topics affecting the industry, including shifting recycling markets, tariffs, landfill capacity, rail transportation, fires and lithium-ion batteries, and EPR. Many of these topics would be covered in sessions over the next few days. Timbrook also encouraged attendees to go to the networking lunch and evening party on Monday as well as the daytime activities taking place on Tuesday, and the popular Casino night. She wrapped up her remarks by thanking the exhibitors and sponsors, urging the use of the app to navigate the conference, sharing the date of next year鈥檚 event (May 16-19, 2027), and recognizing the hard workers and organizers of the conference. She also encouraged people to stay curious and look forward to what is coming next, how can the industry rise to the challenge, and that we can discuss it at the event and meet the call for change.
A Focus on AI
The morning keynote showcased a panel of AI technology experts moderated by David Biderman of Biderman Consulting, LLC. Lia Kiam, Head of Strategy and Operations at Visia, and Nik Balachandran, CEO of Zabble were the speakers. David kicked off the discussion by emphasizing that as the industry is evolving, it is important to bring in new leaders and have them recognize that NY Federation鈥檚 annual conference is a great place to learn about 鈥渨hat鈥檚 next,鈥� and one of the most important topics right now is AI. It is the most impactful evolution since the Internet; it is everywhere, leads topics of conversation at summits, and was even on the cover of New York Times. We need to know about and embrace it because it is not just the future, it is now. AI is not just science fiction anymore; it heals diseases, combats climate change and has huge human potential鈥攁nd this includes proper solid waste management.
Structured as a fireside chat, Biderman jumped into the first question, asking where AI in solid waste and recycling is used most. Kiam remarked MRFs are the main places AI is driving value with regards to quality control and understanding what type of materials are coming into your facility. It can also be beneficial in detecting for battery fires, especially penetrating material to see what it is in there. This is where x-ray plus AI comes in. You need to understand what is happening on the line as far as contamination rates, including how efficient your operations are, the efficiency of recovery rates, and whether consumer education is working. It can also be beneficial when it comes to worker safety to have cameras deployed across your yard and facility. AI can help take out human error and judgement.
She did point out there is a fear of the unknown, going back to cultural resistance鈥攑eople are afraid that it is big brother. In order to mitigate this, work with a team to augment the work you are already doing and co-design an AI strategy to make sure it is implemented. Working with a partner is most beneficial but if you don鈥檛 have a champion within your organization, it can die pretty fast. Kiam said to start with just one pain point. What you are looking to get out of it and how are the KPIs making sense? Leverage existing infrastructure and add on AI as another layer.
Balachandran stressed since there are different types of AI, it is hard to just use a blanket term, so how do we make sure policies are implemented correctly? AI is helping with contamination, auditing, and understanding how residents/businesses are participating. Things that take a long time for humans is being augmented in that space. However, once you collect vast amounts of data, how can you use this info to solve your biggest pain points. How can you build a case around deploying technology and is the data really trustworthy?
He said historically industries have been dealing with fragmented data across document types and programs, residents, businesses and now we are seeing the opportunities to bring it together in a structured form. How would you use that information to clean up your systems, streams, and rates? If you are a small organization, what are you trying to solve? How can you leverage ChatGPT and other tools to understand your communities? Is there an enforcement and compliance component? Start at the end and work backwards to leverage AI.
Balachandran suggested the outcomes should be measured in terms of inbound and outbound contamination. When you start to see data points, you are going to want to see how to improve them. 聽He believes that the industry is going to evolve due to AI and create a lot of higher value jobs, and responsible employers will need to have difficult discussions before they make high impact decisions that will affect the workforce.
Kiam emphasized solid waste organizations need to build public trust and be very open about how AI is being used. Consumer and workforce education is very important, as many people are concerned about job loss. She urged attendees to encourage employees to become familiar with AI on their own is helpful, noting that data literacy is very important. AI can manage tasks that are repetitive while employees can take on higher-level responsibilities, enhancing their abilities.
As for the future? Kiam said while she understands people are feeling the fear of AI, it is interesting to work with. If you can keep both of those things in perspective, it can be very powerful. She said she is lucky to be in a time where there is fast and exciting change, especially in this industry.
Balachandran agreed there is a lot of hope and promise. He emphasized his customers have been seeing a real decrease in contamination within 8 weeks. He recommended starting with audits and making sure to reach out to right stakeholders, and identify what you want to solve.
The keynote segued into breakout sessions that included AI in Action, Understanding Today鈥檚 91直播-to-Energy Facilities, Understanding Runoff, Erosion, and Leachate in 91直播 Systems, Cultivating Smarter Organics Diversion Across NY, and Upgrades that Boost Performance and Cut Costs, Preventing Battery Fires, Advancing PFAS Detection, and more.
The AI in Action Session was moderated by David Biderman who introduced the three speakers: Lia Kiam, Head of Strategy and Operations at Visia, Nik Balachandran, CEO of Zabble, and Fearghal Murphy, Director at WIS. Kiam started the session by talking about
AI for material identification. She said poor visibility into material quality at MRFs is costly. What does this mean at the operational level? Recycling facilities had thousands of fires in 2025, rising audit requirements, operational decision making without real time data, employee coaching, and downstream markets demanding higher quality control. It is important to have custom physical intelligence for your operations. The broad range of imaging systems include RGB, XRT and XRC. She also walked through a couple of real world examples, including prohibited material on the tip floor, automated audits, lithium-ion batteries on a conveyor line, and hazards in loads of recycled material.
Next, Balachandran covered From Policy to Practice: Advancing Zero 91直播 through Data-Driven Action. He said the policies that are now being addressed are accessibility, funding, transparency, and accountability. Seven states have passed EPR laws and 12 states have passed organics laws. However, even though 100 percent have food pickup, this has led to more contamination. Many states are implementing new regulations and monitoring compliance. California鈥檚 SB 1383 (Organics) regulation was enacted in 2022 and established statewide greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. By 2025, the amount of organic materials disposed at landfills is supposed to be reduced by 75%. Oregon鈥檚 SB 582 (EPR) was the nation鈥檚 first EPR regulation and implementation started in mid-2025. He stressed prioritizing education and outreach because high contamination drives up processing costs, making the default behavior easier than compliant behavior. In order to move from policy to action, start with an end goal in mind. Measurable actions include education and outreach, maintenance, service charges, and warnings/penalties. These lead to efficient data (account, route, bin info, etc.) and meaningful insights. Leveraging policy and technology can make the world resource efficient.
Finally, Murphy spoke about AI and tech trends in the waste industry. He touched on AI as a way of educating a machine to become logic-based, using machine learning so it starts behaving like a brain. With true AI, you can reduce 30 percent of tasks that your people must do every day. This does not mean that you reduce 30 percent of staff, it means lessening their workloads and have them focus on other tasks, such as safety on the route through automation and true AI. Key areas can be navigation and routing, cameras, contamination and hazard detection, and material recovery. To get to true AI, it takes about 10,000 images to scan in order to allow it to take over. In 2026, camera technology helps with safety on the road (driver behavior), contamination (MRF delivering better separation), and verification (cart presented correctly and on time)
Camera technology is going to be the future of utilities/road signage and garbage trucks are going to be the network for it. For example, streets scanned for potholes, road crew determine when to send out to fix it, etc. There will also be more data on truck performance with improved longevity on trucks.
Battery Fires
Gary Carrel, Solid 91直播 Specialist for Erie County, moderated the session on Preventing Battery Fires Before They Spark that featured speakers, NWRA President and CEO Michael Hoffman, Todd Ellis, Vice President of Services and Solutions for the Battery Network, and Amanda Trinh, Associate for Policy and Programs at the Product Stewardship Institute. Hoffman kicked off the discussion by giving some current background on the state of the industry. He said there about 140,000 routed trucks in service, the typical truck costs $300,000 to $450,000, there are 550 total recycling facilities in service, 71 WTE plants, and 4,000 transfer stations in the market. He explained that 310 million tons of municipal solid waste are generated each year. However, there were 448 publicly reported battery fires in 2025, causing $2.5 billion in damages. These are year-round issues, especially since approximately 1.2 billion vapes are discarded annually. The diversity of materials coming at the industry is crazy and the worst is vape disposal. On the jobsite fires are up to 1,000% in the last 18 months on construction sites. He emphasized educating the public to help close those battery disposal awareness gaps. Most participants are unaware of the serious fire risk posed by lithium-ion batteries or don鈥檛 know about local drop-off programs. He expressed that you should avoid the word 鈥渞ecycle鈥� when talking about battery recovery and correct disposal. We want to talk about 鈥渞ecovery鈥� and use sentences and phrasing that emphasize the danger of improper battery disposal with positive ways that danger can be avoided. NWRA licensed Woodsy Owl (Give a Hoot, Don鈥檛 Pollute) from the US Forest Service to use for its 鈥淪kip the Bin, Turn Your Batteries In鈥� campaign. Event types can include Woodsy Owl鈥檚 educational outreach, educational pop-ups, Woodsy鈥檚 airstream/full pop-up take-back, and more. The public wants to know what the right thing to do it and we want to change the messaging and manage it in a better way.
Next, Ellis talked about The Battery Network (formerly known as Call2Recycle). He discussed how safe battery recycling works鈥攊t depends on a coordinated system that includes public education and clear recycling guidance, accessible locations, safe transportation, sorting batteries by chemistry, and responsible recycling and material recovery. You can manage battery safety risks by identifying and defective batteries. Thermal runaway occurs when a battery overheats, short circuits, and becomes damaged or defective. Possible warning signs include smoke, popping sounds, rapid temperature rise, and strong chemical odor. If it begins overheating or smoking, isolate the battery (metal container) and follow fire emergency response procedures. Battery incidents are increasing because of the growth of lithium-ion batteries, increasing number of battery-powered devices, higher energy density, harder to identify battery chemistries, more counterfeit batteries are on the market, and improper disposal by consumers. He explained that battery EPR requires battery manufacturers to fund recycling programs, support collection infrastructure, provide education and outreach, and ensure responsible recycling. There has been significant growth in the last couple of years鈥�15 states introduced legislation, 3 states passed it. There are 13 more on the table this year, with three to five likely to pass. EPR programs can provide expanded collection opportunities, and producer funded recycling systems for portable, medium format and damaged batteries. Remember that not all batteries are all the same, choose a recycler and packaging solution that suits your needs, and inquire about the downstream of where your batteries are going, etc.
Finally, Trinh talked about the Product Stewardship Institute and designing New York鈥檚 Vape 91直播 Collection Pilot: Reducing Battery Fire Risk Through Infrastructure. The safety, and policy project leads were PSI, ESF, CSMM, and the Syracuse University College of Engineering and Computer Science. She discussed project background, goals, and project timeline, pointing out they are currently in the pilot phase. Regulatory considerations are that households are not regulated while commercial organizations (school, business, retailer) are. Whether the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulations apply to the disposal of any hazardous waste depends on who is generating the waste. She also talked about disposal involving incineration and requiring permitting to transport and dispose. Cost drivers can include collection (supplies, staff time and training, transportation) and processing (fires, permitting regulations).
Industry Connections
Attendees also had a chance to explore the exhibit hall over the course of event, which was packed this year with more than 20 new vendors. People walked the hall before, after and during the sessions, enjoyed refreshments, and discussed the industry with new and longstanding colleagues, exploring the solutions that were offered to make their jobs easier and operations more efficient. I heard some great discussions, laughter, and demonstrations going around the hall as everyone there was welcoming and open to talk about what their company or government agency was working on.
The Monday night networking party saw people let loose and enjoy the popular evening activities, including karaoke, dancing, a cigar tent, and two firepits that offered fixings for S鈥檓ores. Dancing and singing the night away, many friends and colleagues got on stage to show off their talents and get everyone out to the dance floor. Outside, the fires crackled and the buzz of conversation went on as attendees enjoyed puffing on cigars and munching on S鈥檓ores (or just marshmallows!) while warming their hands and watching the fire.
TUESDAY 鈥� WORK AND PLAY
On Tuesday morning, the sessions were in full swing with topics on RNG Production and Emergency Response from 9/11, Core Concepts and Strategic System Improvements for Landfill Gas, Advancing Treatment for Tomorrow鈥檚 91直播 Challenges, Recycling Markets Unpacked, Cutting Contamination One Cart at a Time, Turning Operational Data into Actionable Intelligence, LFG and PFAS Performance and Profitability, Tackling PFAS-Loaded Biosolids, Growing Organics Programs, and more.
Chaz Miller discussed recycling markets, emphasizing buyers want consistent quantity and quality. Noting that recyclables are commodities and referencing RecyclingMarkets.net, he reviewed current trends for different recycling materials. Paper has been fluctuating with trends such as COVID. Residential mixed paper always trades at a discount to OCC (cardboard). Recycled paper market drivers include demand being down鈥攑roduction is down 4%, container board production capacity was down 10% in 2025. Why is this? Consumer product unit sales are down, there is more e-commerce (less OCC, more paper and plastic mailers), and supply chain challenges. The U.S. exports because someone else wants American recyclables more than we do, and they are willing to pay for it.
When it comes to plastics packaging, it is much more complicated. NHDPE is in a good place right now: 84.5 cents per pound. CHDPE is 11.5 cents per pound. PP鈥攄airy products, yogurt, cream cheese, etc.鈥攚as 19.5 cents at the end of April, which is tied into PP shortages. 聽For PET, the average is 1 to 2 cents per pound, highest is in southwest at 5 cents. There are very few buyers. Market drivers include the Strait of Hormuz closure, US Virgin PE and PP resin prices up, recycled content requirements, cheap recycled resin imports, excess virgin resin drowning RPET market demands, and the fact that three northeast RPET reclaimers closed.
When it comes to metal market drivers, steel production is up, EAF companies have strong Q1 reports, U.S. Steel is resurging in Gary, IN where there is a tin mill. A new aluminum smelter is to be built in Oklahoma. Twenty percent of aluminum is produced in the Gulf states. Similarly, glass market drivers have less demand for alcoholic beverages. Glass prices have been flat year over year, however, Ardagh saw boost for cans, glass, O-I glass reorienting portfolio to boost non-alcoholic beverages. Coca-Cola is also expanding use of glass bottles.
For markets beyond April 2026, he observed that while paper prices went up in the spring, aluminum prices might decline a bit in mid-summer (steel increase driven by tariffs), and glass is unlikely to change. PET will stay low until beverage companies start buying. The Iran war has an impact on oil and gas prices and plastic resin prices will last until infrastructure is repaired. Recyclers must improve reliability, noting this is a relationship business鈥攊f you are good to your customers in hard times, they will tend to be good to you when you are having a hard time.
From Data to Action
Later that morning, Signals from the Field: Turning Operational Data into Actionable Intelligence was moderated by Renee Panetta, Senior 91直播 Reduction Consultant at CET, and featured the following speakers: Herman Sinemus from CAT, Pierce Nixon from Samsara, and Senior Technical Manager David Burns from IETLink. Sinemus kicked off the session by talking about AI in landfills and the need to have it all connected. If we have data in four or five different silos, we struggle. There should be connectivity within Machine OEM Services, LTE Networks, Private/Commercial, LEO Satellite, WIFI, Mesh Networks (group of these can work together but not a seamless integration). With On Safe Source for data, you can collect and get your data from your operation, however, there are all different data types in the same location. Keep in mind Safety Security and Control鈥擥IGO (Garbage In, Garbage out)鈥攁nd figure out which is the good data and which is the bad data. Connectivity is key.
Then, Nixon discussed modernizing solid waste and the driving outcomes for solid waste departments, including service delivery and verification, worker safety and driver exoneration (using data to drive better training), public safety, and reliable operations. He talked about what Samsara has to offer with regards to hardware, cameras, technology, and pointed out they can streamline the process and empower agencies with real time data鈥攑roximity search, coverage map, service verification, and driver safety (who are safest drivers, driver issues, coaching). The 91直播 Intelligence Tool helps with service verification, overfill detection, contamination detection.
Last, Burns spoke about landfill monitoring in the 21st century. He explained landfills have been run with clipboards for years, but with data in your hand you can run your operation more efficiently. Current challenges in landfill management are increasing regulations (reducing surface emissions), millions of dollars in assets, high operational costs, etc. The time has come to embrace technology for improvement. Technology gives you fully operational view of the landfill. In terms of reactive to proactive, he shared real world results shared and demonstrated what kind of data the tool will give.
Afternoon Activities
Offering a take-and-go lunch and in order to take a break from sessions and build relationships outside of the classroom, attendees were invited to take part in the afternoon鈥檚 social activities, which included a boat tour on Lake George, a culinary experience, fishing, horseback riding, kayaking, pickleball, golf, tennis and hiking. A unique part of the conference experience, for a few hours, people were able to enjoy the beautiful weather while seeing the area through a different lens. And the best part? Making long-term connections by bonding through the experience.
On the way back from the activities, some attendees chose to relax before the evening reception, admiring the educational displays available to view on the conference center, while others enjoyed the talk on Messaging that Moves People: Education and Outreach that Actually works, presented by the Suzanne D. LaLonde Institute and featuring Kate Howe, a Sustainability Project Manager from Weaver Consultants Group, Lisa Piering, Recycling Specialist from OCRRA, and Yifei He, a student at the University of Buffalo.
Casino Night
Well-rested after the day鈥檚 activities, an evening reception was held by Lake George, where attendees were treated to a variety of hors d鈥檕euvres, hot food, drinks and other refreshments while getting the chance to network in a casual setting. Cornhole, Connect Four and other outside games were set up for people to enjoy and many attendees were out on the grass or relaxing in the chairs having conversations about the industry.
After the reception, everyone returned to the conference center to enjoy the Conference鈥檚 annual casino night, where attendees were given a certain chip value to start and had their choice of playing craps, blackjack, poker, and roulette. The room was packed and cheers could be heard coming from all the tables as wins were celebrated. At the end of the night the chips were counted and prizes given to the top eight winners. While the results were being counted, attendees had a chance to build their own ice cream sundaes to top off the night!
WEDNESDAY 鈥� WRAPPING UP A GREAT WEEK
The last day鈥檚 sessions topped off a great week with topics that covered Innovations Driving the Future of Sustainable 91直播 Management, Unleashing New Tech to Hunt Down Landfill Gas, Emerging Methods for PFAS in Complex Systems, Repair and Reuse, and Insight to New York Legislation and Policy Changes.
The morning keynote session focused on the NYSDEC Forecast for New Regulations given by Richard Clarkson, Director of the Division of Materials Management for NYSDEC. He talked about reducing landfill gas emissions and Part 360 and 363 rulemaking. If implemented, the new rules would likely amend permit application, landfill design, and operating requirements. DEC is looking for stakeholder feedback; there will be a stakeholder meeting on June 4, and the new rules are likely to be implemented by 2028.
Expanded poly foam ban amendment for cold storage began January 1, 2026. Small bottle hospitality personal care product restrictions law has been implemented for hotels with 50 or more rooms in 2025 and less than 50 rooms in January 2026. Several states have passed laws on EPR for packaging and if it is effective, it will increase recyclability of that stream. All EPR programs have been preceded by a needs assessment. New York state did their needs assessment, and the first two phases are complete, and phase 3 is active now. There will also be a carpet collection program EPR law. The program鈥檚 full launch is scheduled for July 2027 and requires convenient producer funded collection of carpets.
He also covered PFAS and the restriction of sales of products containing PFAS鈥攆ood packaging, apparel, carpet (December 2026), and firefighting PPE (2028). They are sampling actual products to see whether they are compliant. DEP is also working on a food donation and food scraps recycling law. Rule revisions for 2027鈥攇enerators covered at 1 ton per week (currently 2 tons per week) and the Designated Food Scraps Generator list for 2027 will be posed June 1st. Recycling mileage requirement increasing to 50 miles; 2029鈥攇enerators covered at 1/2 ton per week.
Reuse and Repair
Moderated by Ellen Hooker, Deputy Director of Solid 91直播 for St. Lawrence County Solid 91直播, Norm and James Ruttan, President and CEO of i91直播Not, kicked off the session by talking about 10 Flawed Assumption about Reuse. They want to expand the scope of how we think about things when it comes to reuse. They have been developing online and reuse platforms since 2004. Norm stressed that while there are already systems in the economy that support reuse, we need to extend these approaches to materials that are not currently being reused. The key to more reuse is systemic change; individual reuse is great but should be encouraged, systematic reuse scales better and will make a great difference. We need to build convenient systems into the general economy. Many 鈥渘arrow鈥� reuse systems are successful (geographically or by material type), but redistribution is not always necessary. There is a new paradigm 鈥渟urplus chain鈥� which is analogous to the supply chain; it feeds back into supply chain and materials exchange marketplaces are just one component of the surplus chain鈥攊t needs infrastructure and logistics/tracking systems and needs information management tools to direct the flow of items and materials. Circular economy starts within an organization鈥攑rocurement, use, surplus, waste or resale. You can find value in waste, but you must invest in it first. Many organizations are using spreadsheet or basic tools to keep track of material, while some have no systems at all. James said reuse is about more than resale鈥攊t is about better value recovery from internal reuse. It can be motivated by cost savings, regulation, or environmental ethics. Many drivers of reuse include economic, regulatory, resource scarcity and general efficiency. i91直播Not provides platforms for reuse at a large scale. They create an inventory so surplus items are available, and people can come and 鈥渟hop鈥� for items needed. They have already implemented such systems at several universities.
Designing Reuse Systems that Fit: From Community Needs to Scalable Solutions was the next discussion given by Sue Momberger, SMM Impact Entrepreneur, Independent Consultant and NYSAR3/NRC/SWANA member. She asked how can we scale reuse? Demand is growing, benefits are clear, but systems remain fragmented. While restore works, it doesn鈥檛 solve everything. There are many different types of reuse models鈥攏on-profits, retail, municipal, hybrid鈥攈owever, in order for reuse to be scalable, it depends on a network of supporting services to work together to move the material through the community, such as collaborative collection, repair services, data and digital platforms, skill development, collection and reuse logistics. These services are the building blocks for communities to use the mix of services that best meet their needs. Reuse access and location must be accessible to both donors and shoppers鈥攅asy drop-off visible retail, parking, major routes. We can create a hub and spoke design for scale; the central hub handles complexity, spokes provide access. A community reuse center can provide sorting, storage, repair, redistribution, data platform and system coordination, and it can also offer repair services, community partners, retail stores, thrift and resale outlets, pop-up shops. One size does not fit all communities. There are three main models: urban (high-capacity networks), suburban (hub-and-spoke), and rural (flexible or mobile systems). It is important to right-size the system鈥攊f it is too small, it may limit impact; if it is too large, it can create operational risks. Successful scaling requires strategic design, whether that means a small system with one site, a regional system with two to three hubs, or a large network with multiple hubs. Matching the model to the community type helps ensure the system meets local needs.
Morgan Ingraham, Program Manager at the Institute for Sustainability Engagement at Syracuse University, closed out the session by talking about The Power of Repair. She showed audience members how to develop your own reuse cafe. It is important to plan, such as thinking about how people will find out about your events and how often you will run them. When it comes to finding a location, connect with already existing venues, like community organizations. Take into consideration how close it is to the public transit, walking distance, light, bathroom and water accessibility, indoor and outdoor space, space for tables, chairs, secure day/time of the event ahead of time (at least 2 months ahead), how early/late are you able to arrive/stay, are you able to serve refreshments, etc. When recruiting volunteers, create flyer and post it everywhere as well as sharing it digitally. Are you vetting volunteers ahead of time, are you organizing and communicating with them, do they know the location/rules/what to bring, what do they usually fix, etc.? Promote the event by posting flyers in the community and digitally, find out how your community gets their news. Have a sign up, encourage them to do it ahead of time, include the host venue and hours. Ask visitors what they are bringing, how did they hear about event, where they are from. Acquire supplies, refreshments, sign up forms, etc. Setting up stations should include wide or long tables with chairs. Establish a separate area for waiting, check in desk, and have at least one floating volunteer. Always thank volunteers and vendor space and post any pics on SM. These events also promote repair businesses through collaboration, raising awareness and name recognition (does not compete with local businesses), Right to Repair laws and advocacy, skill sharing, knowledge transfer, community resilience, builds into other community programs, strong for workforce entry jobs, etc.
A well-attended brunch closed out this year鈥檚 conference and trade show with a raffle and recap of the week. Overall, it was a fantastic event, where attendees learned, reconnected, networked, played, and enjoyed the beautiful venue that offered a perfect setting for the week. During the Opening Keynote Session, David Biderman, who has attended many solid waste events in his nearly 30 years in the solid waste industry, remarked that NY Federation is 鈥渢he best state-level solid waste conference in the United States.鈥� Based on the May 2026 edition, I would agree, and we are already looking forward to next year鈥檚 NY Federation Conference and Tradeshow in May 2027!
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Photos courtesy of Angelina Ruiz and David Biderman.