Actual presentation order and times will be posted in mid March.
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): Valeria Avila
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!
