Program 2026

Speakers Program Sponsors

Time

Topic

Presentation

  • 9:00 am

    Welcome

    Intro

    Welcome to the 30th Annual Recycling Update, 2026!

    Speaker(s): Freddy Coronado

  • 9:05 am

    University

    San Francisco State University-Integrating Operations, Curriculum, and Climate into Its Commitment to Zero Waste

    SFSU has worked with the San Francisco Environment Department for decades to implement zero waste policies….

    Speaker(s): Caitlin Steele

  • 9:21 am

    Schools

    CVSan’s Schools Programs – Growing Zero Waste Focused Schools​

    CVSan’s Schools Programs have been educating students and engaging schools about the 4 Rs of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rot for over 30 years…

    Speaker(s): Jordan Figueiredo

  • 9:37 am

    DEI
    Schools
    Textiles

    Mend the Future: Building Climate Literacy Through Reuse, Repair, and Policy Action

    Equity-centered reuse, repair, and education can strengthen textile recovery systems under California’s SB 707 Textile Recovery Act…

    Speaker(s): Clementina Martinez-Masarweh

  • 9:53 am

    Fashion Design
    Reuse

    Slow Down Your Fashion at SCRAP-SF

    SCRAP was established in 1976 as the original creative reuse center and has always been at the forefront of keeping leftover fabric out of landfill by redirecting it…

    Speaker(s): Laki Rajan

  • 10:09 am

    Textiles

    Textiles Circularity and PFAS: Materials Choice and Lifecycle Management

    Let’s explore how materials selection and product design decisions make or break textile safety and circularity, and examine solutions…

    Speaker(s): Claudia Richardson

  • 10:25 am

    Update

    CRRA Updates

    Tracie will provide an update on CRRA and what to expect for 2026.

    Speaker(s): Tracie Bills

  • 10:31 am

    Break

    Morning Break

    Thank you to our sponsors!

    Speaker(s): Speakers to be announced

  • 10:46 am

    SB 54

    SB 54 in Action: Updates for Jurisdictions and Service Providers

    Circular Action Alliance is the Producer Responsibility Organization implementing SB 54, the nation’s most ambitious Extended Producer Responsibility…

    Speaker(s): Emily Coven

  • 11:02 am

    SB 54

    SB 54 implementation realities for local facilities and collection programs

    This is an update on how it’s going so far in Napa.

    Speaker(s): Tim Dewey-Mattia

  • 11:18 am

    HHW
    Legislation

    The Hidden Hazards of Disposable Vapes in California’s Waste Stream

    Disposable vapes are flooding California’s waste stream

    Speaker(s): Tony Hackett

  • 11:34 am

    HHW
    Legislation

    Recalled Products – Who’s Responsible?

    AB 1860 (Huffman, 2008) established a form of EPR for Recalled Products, putting the cost and recovery obligation on the manufacturers…

    Speaker(s): Joanne Brasch

  • 11:50 am

    Policy

    NCRA Advocacy Update

    NCRA’s Legislative Committee Co-Chairs provide an update on NCRA’s Priority Legislation and its upcoming Advocacy Day.

    Speaker(s): Bailey Hall, Gwynn Mackellen

  • 12:06 pm

    Update

    Thirty Years of Professional Education and Networking at NCRA’s Recycling Update: “From Out of Touch to Up to Date”

    From an Arthur Boone quote about RU

    Speaker(s): Steve Lautze

  • 12:22 pm

    Break

    Lunch

    Thanks to our Sponsors!

    Speaker(s): Speakers to be announced

  • 1:27 pm

    Education
    Schools

    The Banana Slug String Band Presents…

    Don’t let the kid-friendly format fool you: grown adults have been known to leave humming about the water cycle.

    Speaker(s): Banana Slug String Band

  • 1:43 pm

    State of NCRA

    State of NCRA

    Sharing highlights from 2025, including our Annual Meeting, Sacramento Day, and ongoing work around SB 1383 implementation, along with a look ahead at what’s in store for 2026

    Speaker(s): Christopher Slafter

  • 1:54 pm

    Edible Food Recovery

    Investing in Food Recovery and the Value It Creates

    Food recovery is not a cost center. It is a high-impact investment with measurable environmental, social, and regulatory returns…

    Speaker(s): Eve Birge, Will Dittmar

  • 2:10 pm

    Carbon Sequestration
    Procurement
    SB 1383

    Carbon Farming with Compost on City Sports Parks

    StopWaste partnered with UC Merced and the cities of Dublin and Pleasanton to conduct research measuring the soil carbon sequestration potential…

    Speaker(s): Trevor Probert

  • 2:26 pm

    Education
    Outreach

    A Countywide Approach: San Mateo County’s Campaign for Healthier Compost

    Discover the strategies behind the San Mateo County Sustainability Department’s compost improvement campaign…

    Speaker(s): Rosalynn Gallo, Jack Steinmann

  • 2:42 pm

    Education
    Home Composting
    Outreach

    Expanding Access to Home Composting Education

    City of San José staff utilized creative problem-solving skills and grant funding to overcome barriers that had prevented Vietnamese home composting classes…

    Speaker(s): Alex Ulrich

  • 2:58 pm

    Break

    Afternoon Break

    Thanks to our Sponsors!

    Speaker(s): Speakers to be announced

  • 3:13 pm

    AI

    How AI Is Transforming Modern MRF Operations

    As MRFs face increasing pressures to improve resource recovery, artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a powerful tool to drive efficiency, insight, and profitability…

    Speaker(s): JD Ambati

  • 3:29 pm

    Deconstruction
    Reuse

    Unlocking Exponential Growth for Deconstruction & Reuse at the National & Local Level

    Momentum for Deconstruction and Reuse has reached an all-time high, with favorable policies and industry research poised to dramatically scale the industry…

    Speaker(s): Nicole Tai

  • 3:45 pm

    Reuse
    Shoe Recycling
    Textiles

    UCSB Shoe Recycling

    The UCSB Shoe Recycling Program is a student-led initiative run through the Zero Waste Committee in partnership…

    Speaker(s): Matthew Schoen

  • 4:01 pm

    Circular Economy
    Recycling

    The Missing Link: Unlocking Value at the End of the Chain

    Shred Cycle transforms polyurethane skateboarding waste into refurbished products and recycled textiles by…

    Speaker(s): Jessie Frietze-Armenta

  • 4:17 pm

    DEI
    Tech Reuse

    Old Tech Into New Futures: Big Tech & Community Power for Equity

    Even in 2025, there are still families and communities in California and across the U.S. without access to a computer at home…

    Speaker(s): Ulises Zatarain

  • 4:33 pm

    Anti-Incineration
    Zero Waste

    Bold Collaboration, Big Impact: GAIA’s 25 Year Journey, Global Insights, Local Action, and the Future of Methane, Plastics, Zero Waste, and More

    Exploring GAIA’s 25-year arc driving zero waste policy, influencing global plastics and methane action, and advancing ambitious solutions for the future.

    Speaker(s): Denaya Shorter, Monica Wilson

  • 4:49 pm

    Closing Remarks

    Closing Remarks

    Thanks to our Speakers, Volunteers, Staff and Sponsors!

    Speaker(s): Julia Au