With Nothing Wasted! we're creating an open forum for new ideas. So, get ready to hear inspired talks from a wide array of thought leaders and visionaries! In each session, you'll hear from three to four thought leaders, visionaries, seekers and seers—who'll share impactful, inspirational, influential, or even provocative ideas. You'll walk away with powerful ideas and perspectives that will make you a more thoughtful and creative problem-solver on the job. Don't miss this chance to think about the waste industry in brand new ways!

Tuesday, May 7
10:30AM – 12:00PM

Industry Visionaries Discuss Solutions to Food Waste
 

In this session, you’ll hear from thought leaders who will share their ideas about Solutions to Food Waste and Wasted Food - Prevention, Loss, Recovery, and Achieving a Sustainable Food System in the U.S.

Speakers:

• Darby Hoover, Senior Resource Specialist, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Food & Agric. Program. “Waste Not: The Problem of Prevention”
• Dr. Stephen Hamilton, Professor of Economics, California Polytechnic State University. “Keeping Food out of Landfills”
• Jonathan Deutsch, Ph.D., Professor, Center for Food and Hospitality Management and Department of Nutrition Sciences, Drexel University. “From Cost to Revenue: The Food System Sensitive Model for Keeping Nutrition Out of the Dumpster.”
• Komal Ahmad, CEO, Copia. “How can we Solve the world’s dumbest problem?”

Wednesday, May 8

1:45PM - 2:45PM

Pioneers & Visionaries

Presentations & Speakers include:

• Monica Wilson, Associate Director, GAIA U.S. Office
  Zero Waste Cities: Revolutionary solutions to plastic waste in the global south
  Southeast Asia is often portrayed as the epicenter of the plastic waste crisis. But the story is more complex. Large scale centralized waste systems don’t work in this region. Instead, decentralized, community-led zero waste systems are transforming cities, saving money, and keeping plastic out of the ocean. Groundbreaking new data from zero waste cities uncovers the true culprits behind the plastic pollution crisis.
• Eric Randall, Director of Recycling & Founder, Bryson Recycling
  An Emerging UK Multi-Stream Approach Could Replace Single-Stream Comingling
  Eric Randall from Bryson Recycling in Northern Ireland will outline how a new approach to domestic collections of recyclables that generates high quality materials, results in low overall costs; avoids the export of recyclables; generates hundreds of manufacturing jobs and results in tens of £millions of added value to the local economy.
• Lisa von Sturmer, Founder & CEO, Growing City
  Adventures in Compost: Turning a Passion for the Environment into a Growing 7-figure Business
  After a successful career as an editor in the professional MMA sports & television world, Lisa decided to follow her passion for the environment into a completely new direction - corporate composting. Ten years and tens of millions of pounds of waste later, she proved to naysayers that the world was ready for mainstream organics recycling. Join her as she shares her story of taking a mini-van and a $15,000 loan and turning it into a seven-figure business that has seen double digit growth for over the past 5 years.
• JD Lindeberg, President and Managing Partner, Resource Recycling Systems
  Solving the Recycling Crisis in the U.S.
  Recycling is under fire in the US because of the impact of Green Fence and National Sword. Yet, at the same time it is one of the most beloved environmental activities of participants across the country AND it provides a practical way for individuals and families to do something tangible about climate change. JD Lindeberg will argue that instead we should resist the urge to cut back on programs and the industry and local units of government should instead take the opposite tack and reinvest in a strong infrastructure, focus on local markets, and improve material quality. The economy and the environment will benefit.