Joint-Conference-Logo-250x150px

New Mexico Recycling & Solid Waste Conference:
The Value of Materials & Relationships
September 19-20, 2023
Additional Training on September 21, 2023

Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown
Jointly Hosted by The New Mexico Recycling Coalition &
New Mexico SWANA Roadrunner Chapter

Thank you for helping to make the 2023 conference a success!

In September of 2023, we brought together over 170 individuals that work within the recycling, solid waste, compost and source reduction fields as part of our biennial conference.  THANK YOU for helping to make the conference a success.  Over 70% of New Mexico's communities were represented at the conference.  In case you missed it or attended and want to refresh your memory, conference presentations are available online below.  Simply click on the speakers' hyperlinked names to access the presentations.  If you need a reminder of the presentations and speakers, download the full program HERE.

Tuesday, Sept 19, 2023, Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown
Liz Chaptman, Recycle Colorado "Producer Responsibility & Recycling Market Development Policy in Colorado"
Breakout Session A
Recycling & Solid Waste Operations - Urban SettingRecycling & Solid Waste Operations - Rural Setting 
Catelyn Scholwinski - New Gen Strategies & SolutionsMiguel Fernandez - South Central SW Authority
Shirlene Sitton - City of Santa FeGloria Skeet- Navajo Nation Baahali Chapter
Jeff J. Galad - Recycle Coach
Breakout Session B
Organics Diversion!Solid Waste Service Management
Michelle Leonard - SCS EngineersDave Yanke - New Gen Strategies & Solutions
Amy Larsen & Jessie Hook  - Quivira CoalitionHoracio Mormolejo - South Central SW Authority
Genevieve Morgan- NM Enviro Dept: Solid Waste BureauEV and ion-lithium batteries management - South Central SW Authority
Breakout Session C
Workforce Solutions in SW IndustryState & Federal Diversion Efforts & How They Impact NM
Brandy Sarver  & Stephanie Flynn- City of Abq/NM Dept of Workforce SolutionsLevi Lementino & Sonia Suazo - NM Enviro Dept: Solid Waste Bureau
Rafael Leos- South Central SW AuthorityMelissa John & Pam Egan - NASA White Sands Test Facility
Wednesday, Sept 20, 2023, Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown, 2600 Louisiana Blvd NE
Keynote Speaker: Heidi Sanborn National Stewardship Action Council, “Product Stewardship, Truth-in-Labeling, Circular Economy & Policy”
Breakout Session D
Reduce, Reuse, RecycleLandfill Management
Jalal Rastegary -NM State UniversityRay Huff- SCS Engineers
Scott Guffey - Estancia Valley SWAMichael Richardson- Triad Industrial Consulting
Ernie Rodarte - PNM ResourcesTom Parker- SCS Engineers
Plenary Lunch Session - NM SWANA Roadrunner Chapter - Safety in Solid Waste & Recycling
Rafael Leos  Matt Kingsley Ken Ziegler
Breakout Session E
Strategic Outreach & EducationWhere to Start? The Power of Data
Brandi Misquez- South Central SW AuthoritySarah Pierpont - NM Recycling Coalition
Sarah Ortiz- City of El PasoTammy Belone - 8 Northern Indian Pueblos Council
Nico Morales - No Halo, LLC
Breakout Session F
Scalable Recycling Market Development
Todd Wynward - Taos Repurposing Plastic Project
Shelby Kaye- Broken Arrow Glass
Juliana Ciano - Reunity Resources

Keynote Speakers
Liz Chapman: Executive Director of Recycle Colorado

Liz Chapman, the executive director of Recycle Colorado, will help kick things off on the morning of Tuesday, September 19th. Liz will share information about recent policy changes in Colorado (including extended producer responsibility legislation and the Circular Economy Development Center launch), how these new policies came to be, and how they will affect source reduction, waste and recycling in her state.

In 2022 Colorado became the third U.S. state to pass a comprehensive Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law and also passed the Waste Diversion And Circular Economy Development Center Act. The Producer Responsibility Program for Statewide Recycling Act (HB22-1355) sets up a Producer Responsibility program that requires companies that sell products in packaging, paper products, and food service ware to fund a statewide recycling system to recycle those materials that will significantly increase paper and packaging recycling.  The Circular Economy Development Center (HB22-1159), aims to empower Colorado businesses to create products using materials that Coloradans recycle. The new laws will help the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment achieve its commitment to diverting trash away from landfills, and increase how much residents are recycling across the state.

Liz went from being a volunteer with the Colorado Division of Wildlife to currently serving as the Executive Director of Recycle Colorado. Although she began her career in waste in the rural mountains, she now works closely with the waste community in the urban corridor of Colorado and is excited to learn something new each day. Over many years of working with disparate stakeholders, whether in education, nonprofits, for-profit, or waste professionals, she has practiced listening to find the commonalities between perspectives. Dr. Chapman began her journey into waste and recycling systems when waste behaviors became the focus of her dissertation. Recycle Colorado is a non-profit made up of members throughout Colorado, all of which approach waste diversion, reduction, and recovery from different angles (regulatory, profit, environmental protection, social equity, etc.). Her experience as an educator, regulator, researcher, and collaborator has given her the skills needed to build consensus among the vast variety of people and organizations who share the mission to capture the value contained in our waste stream.

Heidi Sanborn: Founding Executive Director of both the National Stewardship Action Council and the California Product Stewardship Council

Heidi possesses over 32 years' experience as a leader within the solid waste industry. She is the nation's foremost expert on producer responsibility and product stewardship. Heidi has helped local governments ensure that producers hold a fair share of the responsibility for the end-of-life impacts and costs of their products. She helped the California legislature pass more Extended Producer Responsibility legislation than in any other state including paint, mercury thermostats, pharmaceuticals and sharps, and packaging with SB 54 in 2022.

Heidi's keynote presentation on Wednesday, September 20th will focus on her work with producer responsibility.  Heidi notes the following:

For much too long what happens to products when we're done with them was considered irrelevant to those who produce them. Meanwhile plastic fills our oceans, toxic chemicals pollute our food and water, and the climate is in chaos. The Circular Economy has long been considered just a fantasy, but no more! Learn how we're reducing waste such as mercury containing lighting and closing the loop on packaging, food waste, and much more! The National Stewardship Action Council is leading the nation by demanding radical transparency and truth in labeling so consumers can vote with their dollars, negotiating producer responsibility legislation with the country’s largest packaging producers, and advocating for a national bottle bill.

Thank you to our generous 2023 sponsors!  Learn how to add your name to the list HERE