ecomaine CEO Kevin Roche addressed an audience of more than 400 solid waste professionals at the Solid Waste Association Of North America’s annual SWANApalooza conference in Boston. As part of a panel that provided insight into successful strategies for landfill diversion in the land-scarce northeastern United States, Roche described ecomaine’s commitment to single-sort recycling and waste-to-energy as key methods of reducing the amount of landfilled material in Maine.
“We view the decision made by some communities to suspend or abandon recycling programs as quite short-sighted,” explained Roche. “At ecomaine we are committed to recycling primarily in order to divert waste from landfills, and for revenue second. In fact, we have increased our budget for public relations and education during this recent recycling market downturn, instead of retrenching in reaction to the markets.”
Joining Roche on the panel were John Fischer of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and Phil Goddard of the Town of Bourne, Massachusetts. Arturo Santiago, Managing Editor of MSW Management Magazine, moderated the session.