2019 Agenda

We collect less than 30% of the glass in the Colorado market and we have a closed-loop system for recycling glass. Aluminum remains valuable and yet our statewide recycling rate is below the national average. PET bottles are recyclable yet over half of the bottles produced worldwide are not recycled. How can we work together to increase our capture rates of these materials without legislation?

Subject-Matter Experts:
Mark Diggins, Rocky Mountain Bottle Co.
Jenifer Jessep, Swire Coca-Cola
Kerrin O’Brien, Michigan Recycling Coalition
Eliza Schultz, Schultz Public Affairs

Special Presentation: How the Colorado Legislative Session Works and How Recycle Colorado is Involved in Shaping Policy for Recycling

Welcome Remarks
Speaker: Nicholas Gradisar, Mayor of Pueblo

Opening Keynote
Sustainability Initiatives and Partnerships to Tackle the Global Plastics Challenges

Speaker: Nicole Smith, Coca-Cola North America (PDF Presentation)

Concurrent Break-outs

• How Big Brands Can Work at the Local Level to Improve Package Recycling  (C-West)
  This session explores ways to create synergy between local product manufacturers, the packaging industry and recyclers such as promoting the use of recycled content, switching to recycling-friendly materials with value in Colorado’s market and increasing commitment to collection.

  Speakers:
  Kate Bailey, Eco-Cycle (Presentation PDF)
  Ron Basak-Smith, Sana Packaging
  Wendy Fauth, Alpine Waste & Recycling | GFL Environmental Inc. (Presentation PDF)
  Alyssa Harding, Justin’s Nut Butter (Presentation PDF)
  Jenifer Jessep, Swire Coca-Cola (Presentation PDF)

• What's Happening with C&D in Colorado?  (C-East)
  Construction and demolition materials make up 20 to 80 percent of the waste going to Colorado landfills, although more local markets can exist for those materials than for single-stream recycling. Explore market solutions for drywall, painted and treated wood and solar panels and learn about new projects and programs in Colorado addressing construction and demolition materials.

  Speakers:
  Brian Chesson, 5280 Waste Solutions
  Michael Gross, Zanker
  Cathy Hall, Pitkin County
  Stella Hodgkins, GE Johnson Construction Company
  Steve Meima, Gypsum Association
  JP Strait, Aspen Deconstruction

• Local Policy Round Table: Making Change Happen  (Heroes Pavilion)
  Is your community looking for ways to introduce or expand local policies to increase waste diversion? This round table will allow you to discuss proven approaches with colleagues from around the state and learn from their experiences in pursuing and implementing local policy.

  Subject-Matter Experts:
  Building Codes for Construction and Demolition Waste
     Charles Kamenides, City of Longmont
     Jonathon Nagel, City of Fort Collins
  Cardboard Landfill Ban
     Brandy Dietz, Colorado Springs
     Caroline Mitchell, City of Fort Collins
  Universal Zero Waste Ordinance
     Alexis Bullen, City of Boulder
  Single-hauler Collection & Procurement Policy
     Kevin Schorzman, Town of Carbondale

• Recycling 101  (Meeting Room 4/5)
  An industry training and overview of single-stream recycling for those new to recycling and sustainability or those who want to understand more than just one sector of the industry.

  Speakers:
  Laila Amerman, Waste Management
  Alicia Archibald, A2 Solutions
  Jessica Burley, Town of Breckenridge
  Brent Hildebrand, AMP Robotics

Luncheon Plenary: Material End Markets
What are Colorado and other states doing to address the current state of recycling and the need for domestic end markets for materials? An expert panel discuss what is happening in Colorado, Michigan and South Carolina to address this issue.

Speakers:
Chantal Fryer, South Carolina Department of Commerce
Jamie Gormley, Centennial Recycling
Kerrin O’Brien, Michigan Recycling Coalition
Rachel Wilson-Roussel, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

Business Partner Showcase

Silent Auction Round 1 Closes at 2:15PM

Concurrent Break-outs

• Recycling Solutions for Multi-Family Buildings  (C-West)
  This session provides an overview of the challenges to recycling in multi-family buildings by looking at two Recycle Colorado pilot programs. Learn about possible solutions from multi-family industry experts.

  Speakers:
  Destiny Bossert, Apartment Association of Metro Denver (Presentation PDF)
  Courtney Cotton, City and County of Denver/Denver Recycles (Presentation PDF)
  Rob Hanzlik, Bestway Disposal | GFL Environmental Inc.
  Rod Kennard, Valet Living (Presentation PDF)
  Jamie Von Steeg, Republic Services

• Solutions for Plastics in Colorado (C-East)
  Get an overview of supply streams, market demand, potential end-market solutions, current and future pricing and outlook for these recovered plastics: HDPE, LDPE, PPE, PET, and pre-consumer polystyrene.

  Speakers:
  Kate Bailey, Eco-Cycle (Presentation PDF)
  Priyanka Bakaya, Renewlogy (Presentation PDF)
  Mike Bernier, Swire Coca-Cola (Presentation PDF)
  Tim Dailey, Waste-Not Recycling

• What is the Public's Perception of Recycling? (Heroes Pavilion)
  This session will address both the confusion and misperceptions the public has about recycling and what we can do about it. How can we influence behaviors to increase recycling rates, minimize contamination and communicate the importance of the recycling/compost industry in Colorado?

  Speakers:
  Laila Amerman, Waste Management (Presentation PDF)
  Rosie Briggs, Eco-Cycle
  Caroline Mitchell, City of Fort Collins
  Lisa Skumatz, Skumatz Economic Research Associates

• Grants and Funding Available for Recycling Projects in Colorado + Mini Grant-Writing Workshop  (Meeting Room 4/5)
  The first half of this session provides an overview of the grant and funding opportunities available for organizations and businesses involved in recycling infrastructure and end-market manufacturing in Colorado. In the second half learn how to write grants in a mini workshop.

  Speakers:
  Kendra Appleman-Easvtedt, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (Presentation PDF)
  Amanda Hong, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Presentation PDF)
  Joey Jenkins, Colorado Small Business Development Center
  Anne Peters, Gracestone, Inc. (Presentation PDF)

Tours

• Pueblo RecycleWorks & Roots Recycling - ($15)
• Southern Colorado Services and Recycling & Rock Worx ($15) - SOLD OUT
• EVRAZ Rocky Mountain Steel ($15) - SOLD OUT 
• Vestas Wind Towers Plant ($15) - SOLD OUT
• Yoga & Walking Tour ($10)

Business Partner Showcase

Silent Auction Round 2 Closes at 9:45AM

Concurrent Break-outs

• Empowering Regulatory Leaders with the Knowledge of What Organics Recycling Entails  (C-West)
  Learn what the industry does, how it does it, the benefits and challenges associated with organics recycling and how it works within a community. This knowledge is vital to successfully creating and maintaining the infrastructure needed to meet the rapidly expanding demand for organics recycling in Colorado. The intended audience for this session includes Colorado’s legislators, city council members, county commissioners and planners as well as staff and inspectors that create policy, implement regulations, issue permits and oversee operations of organics recycling infrastructure in Colorado.

• State Policy Round Table: Building On the Momentum We Have Created  (C-East)
  Recycle Colorado has made some huge strides this past year working with Governor Polis and the new legislature, yet our work is hardly complete. Attendees to this round table will discuss Recycle Colorado’s state policy accomplishments and strategically plan to support them so they are fully implemented and result in success. The round table will also identify items in the Policy Committee’s strategic plan that still need development and prioritize action items to accomplish in the next year.

• NextCycle Pitch Session: Colorado’s Next Big End-Market Ideas  (Heroes Pavilion)
  In 2018 the Colorado Dept. of Public Health and Environment launched Colorado NextCycle, an innovative program to jumpstart end-market development in the state. Hear directly from the selected NextCycle teams as they share their business ideas with recycling professionals and investors. Each team has five minutes to ‘pitch’ their business plan, and the audience will have time to ask questions immediately following the pitch. The session doesn’t end there! At the end of the presentation period, the teams and the audience will engage in one-one-one discussions about partnerships, collaboration and investment opportunities.

  Moderator: Juri Freeman, RRS
  Teams: 9Fiber, Direct Polymers, Ekomats, Natural Buildings Innovation, Renewlogy, Resolar, San Juan Organics, Spring Back Colorado, Vartega

• Regulatory and Industry Efforts to Reduce Contamination at Colorado MRFs  (Meeting Room 4/5)
  This session highlights a Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment MRF contamination survey and follow-up report that contains free outreach materials as well as Waste Management's efforts to reduce contamination at MRFs. Audience members will participate in a larger discussion about contamination and what's needed to increase contamination reduction efforts.

  Speakers:
  Laila Amerman, Waste Management
  Emily Kaps, CO Dept. of Public Health and Environment (Presentation PDF)
  Wolf Kray, CO Dept. of Public Health and Environment
  Sarah Meline, City of Fort Collins

What’s Next at the State Legislature for Recycle Colorado?
This year we had great success in passing Senate Bill 192, the Front Range Waste Diversion Enterprise Grant Program, under the leadership of Senators Faith Winter and Kevin Priola and Representatives Dominique Jackson and Lisa Cutter. Senators Winter and Priola join us for an in-depth discussion of how we were able to pass a monumental recycling bill and what is next for state policy. Senators Winter and Priola share their experiences as legislators working on these issues and provide important advice to our organization on how to be even more effective at the state level. This is a unique opportunity to talk one-on-one with these legislators and get their personal insights.

Speakers:
Kevin Priola, State Senator
Faith Winter, State Senator

Concurrent Break-Outs

• Round Table: Rural Region  (C-West)
  Facilitator: Beth Lenz, Upper Arkansas Recycling

• Compost Contamination Action Team (C-CAT) Workshop  (C-East)
  The second meeting of the C-CAT, this workshop focuses on the development and delivery of an effective organics diversion Tool Kit targeting food waste contamination, a major obstacle in the development of composting infrastructure, end markets for compost and policy.

• Round Table: Mountains Region  (Heroes Pavilion)
  Facilitator: Sarah Jones, Yampa Valley Sustainability Council

• ReCircle Training  (Meeting Room 4/5)
  Learn about the newly launched Recirclecolorado.com website. ReCircle is an online platform designed to facilitate the diversion, recovery, repurposing and remanufacturing of materials in Colorado. ReCircle showcases a listing of materials available and sought after. Requestors of materials are matched with producers to encourage a circular lifecycle for all reusable and recyclable materials.