The National Waste & Recycling Association (NW&RA) and Keep America Beautiful (KAB) will be joined by the major grocery chain H-E-B and the chief of recycling for the city of Philadelphia for a panel discussion on the future of recycling in America at the SXSW Eco conference in Austin on Oct. 5. Sharon H. Kneiss, NW&RA president and CEO, will serve as moderator of the panel, 鈥淩ecycling More vs. Recycling Right in America,鈥� which also features KAB鈥檚 President and CEO Jennifer M. Jehn. The panel will examine the origins and current state of American recycling, underscore the importance of managing contaminants in the waste stream and pursue solutions to balance the goal of expanding recycling options with preserving the quality of recycled commodities.聽
鈥淲e are pleased to engage the central debate of how America moves forward in expanding recycling while managing contamination to improve the quality of recycled commodities, as well as understanding the economics of recycling. SXSW Eco is a fantastic platform to discuss this important issue, and we are pleased to bring widely recognized names to the table,鈥� Kneiss said. 鈥淥ur panel features diverse perspectives and real-world experience鈥攖hese are the thought leaders who will be shaping American recycling for the near and far future.鈥�
Kneiss will represent the private waste and recycling industry鈥檚 perspective, while Jehn will offer the point of view of the nation鈥檚 premier nonprofit that builds and sustains vibrant communities. Susan Ghertner, director, environmental affairs for H-E-B Grocery Company, and Phil Bresee, recycling director for the City of Philadelphia Recycling Office, will provide the corporate and municipal perspectives, respectively, to round out the panel. 鈥淭he barriers to recycling are many: 聽lack of convenience, lack of infrastructure and lack of understanding of what, when and how to recycle,鈥� Jehn said. 鈥淜eep America Beautiful and its community-based affiliates are focused on influencing recycling behaviors at work, at home and on the go through awareness and education campaigns that motivate and encourage people to recycle more often and recycle right.鈥�
Following the recycling panel, NW&RA will sponsor a visit to Texas Disposal Systems鈥� (TDS) waste management complex south of Austin for a select number of SXSW Eco participants. TDS, a member of NW&RA, boasts Texas鈥� first fully integrated landfill system. Attendees will visit鈥攁mong other sites鈥攁 modernized recycling Materials Recovery Facility, an organic composting facility and a land reclamation project, featuring an exotic wildlife preserve home to animals from six continents. 鈥淢embers of the sustainability community attending SXSW Eco will first tackle the issue of recycling smarter and then have an opportunity for an on-the-ground view of the remarkable complex TDS operates in Travis County, Texas,鈥� Kneiss said.
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