Agenda

Note:  Session titles and names highlighted and are linked to pages that contain speaker/moderator profiles.

1:00 pm – 6:30 pm

Registration Open

1:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Exhibitor Setup

3:30 pm - 5:00 pm

Pre-Conference Workshop:

EPR, Capital, and Markets: The Forces Reshaping U.S. Recycling in 2026

Moderator: TBD

Critical EPR Developments Shaping the U.S. Landscape: What You Need To Know

Jason Bergquist, CEO, RecyleMe - North America

Financing Circularity in a Challenging Climate: Innovative Sources of Capital for Circular Solutions

Ray Hugel, Director of Closed Loop Catalytic Capital & Private Credit, Closed Loop Partners

Recycling Markets Update

Angela Webb, Chief, Recycled Products & Marketing, Maryland Environmental Service

5:00 pm – 6:30 pm

Welcome Reception – Exhibit Hall

8:10 am – 6:30 pm   

Registration Open

8:10 am – 8:50 am

Continental Breakfast – Exhibit Hall

8:50 am – 10:00 am

Opening Keynote Session

Welcome:  Gene Jones, Executive Director, Southern Waste Information eXchange, Inc.

Moderator: TBD

Beyond Simply the OCC Recycling Rate: An Exclusive First Look at Historical Ground-Truth Data

Myles Cohen, Founder, Circular Ventures, LLC

10:00 am – 10:30 am

Refreshment Break – Exhibit Hall

10:30 am –  12:00 pm

Session I:  

AI in Recycling: From Business Strategy to Processing Solutions

Moderator:  Gene Jones, Executive Director, Southern Waste Information eXchange, Inc.

Panelists:

Vincent Hunt, Founder & CEO, The Bureau of Creative Intelligence

Peter Lakanen, President, Platinum Web Development

Ting Zhang, Head of Business Development, Glacier

Aoife Duna, Head of Revenue, Visia

Daryl Arias, CEO & President, Nix Waste

Jordan Wyrick, East Coast Sales Manager, Machinex Technologies

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Lunch

 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Session II: 

The Future of Recycling: Technologies & Trends Shaping 2026 and Beyond

Moderator: TBD

Recycling Equipment In 2026

Cameron Cecil, Director of Key Accounts & Marketing, Recycling Equipment, Inc.

Battery Detection and Removal in Material Streams: A Multi-Sensor Approach for Enhanced Safety and Regulatory Compliance

Edel Rodriguez, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing, STEINERT

The Big Tech Trends in 2026 for the Waste Industry

Fearghal Murphy, Director, WIS

Scaling Recycling: Challenges and Opportunities in MSW Processing

Carling Spelhaug, Director of Corporate Communications, AMP

3:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Refreshment Break – Exhibit Hall

3:30 pm – 5:00 pm

Session III: 

Innovations in Waste Conversion: Pyrolysis, Green Tech & Biomass Optimization

Moderator: TBD

Pyrolysis as a Sustainable Solution for Agricultural Plastic Waste Management

Dr. Steve Wong, CEO, Fukutomi Recycling Ltd.

Discover New Revenue Streams Through Green Technologies

Terry L. Moore, Chief Business Development Officer, WastAway

Enhancing Biomass Flowability for Entrained Flow Gasification: The Role of Densification, Torrefaction, and Blended Waste Processing

Dr. Jordan Klinger, Researcher, Idaho National Laboratory - BEA

5:00 pm - 6:30 pm

Reception - Exhibit Hall

8:00 am – 2:30 pm

Registration Open

8:00 am – 8:30 am

Continental Breakfast – Exhibit Hall

8:30 am – 10:00 am

Session IV: 

Advancing Recycling: Innovations to Recover More, Waste Less

Moderator: TBD

Recycling the Unrecyclable

Lennart Bendfeldt, Solutions Manager, eFACTOR3

Reducing Contamination in the Recycling Stream 

Neal Yancey, Principle Engineer, Idaho National Laboratory - BEA

Modular Solutions for Plastic Waste Reduction and Process Optimization

Ruslan Muraca, Founder, Brighi Shredding

10:00 am - 10:30 am

Refreshment Break - Exhibit Hall

10:30 am - 12:00 pm

Session V: 

Innovation & Compliance: Strategies for Problematic Materials and Emerging Policies

How To’s, Do’s and Don'ts for Controlling Odors and Emissions in Composting Facilities

Dan Collins, P.E., Organics Consultant, Sustainable Generation, LLC

Success Recycling Foam Packaging Waste 

Louis Troiano, Owner and Founder, Foam Cycle LLC

Treading New Ground in Tire Policy

Stratton Kirton, Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Liberty Tire Recycling

11:00 am – 6:00 pm

Golf Outing

• 11:00 am - 12:30 pm Golfer Sign-in 
• 12:30 pm Shotgun Start

11:30 am - 12:30 pm

Lunch On Your Own

2:00 pm - 5:00 pm 

Networking Session (On your own)

5:00 pm 

Adjournment