Launching August 12 – 13, the WR Expo is a new and innovative event that provides the waste and recycling industry with an opportunity to network, learn, tour local facilities, and enjoy the Florida sunshine.
The solid waste and recycling industry is filled with innovative entrepreneurs, and the trade show portion of the industry is no exception.
WR Expo is being launched on August 12 – 13, 2026 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and will feature a busy and buzzy exhibit hall, a terrific educational program, tours of several of South Florida’s leading solid waste facilities, and numerous networking opportunities for haulers, facility owners, municipal government officials, and the companies that provide trucks, equipment, technology, and services to the solid waste and recycling industry.
WR Expo will fill the gap left by Waste Expo’s decision to go to alternate years. The show owner has more than 25 years of experience in the trade show business and attended Waste Expo in 2025 to learn more about the industry and start planning for WR Expo more than a year in advance. To maximize attendance and synergies, WR Expo is being co-sited with a popular annual water and wastewater trade show called The Water Expo.
WR Expo’s goal is to provide a new and innovative event that provides all sectors of the industry with an opportunity to learn, network, and have some fun. There has never been a national solid waste trade show in South Florida, one of the fastest growing parts of the U.S. Due to South Florida’s increasing population and limited local disposal capacity, solid waste planners are looking for innovative solid waste solutions to process waste efficiently and reduce disposal.
Educational Program
The WR Expo educational program includes keynote sessions, panel discussions on key industry topics, and a diverse array of breakout sessions. Some of the most important sessions will take place on the show floor in a dedicated educational space.
The August 12 Opening and Welcome Session will feature key local municipal officials, including the Miami-Dade County Solid Waste Management Department’s Director. Brendon Pantano, the CEO of Coastal Waste & Recycling, will be a Keynote Speaker and discuss Coastal’s rapid growth in the Southeastern United States, the values that drive the company, and future plans.
Panel sessions on safety, PFAS, and Latin America/Caribbean solid waste opportunities and challenges featuring industry leaders will be held. The Latin American/Caribbean panel includes two former Presidents of the International Solid Waste Association, Carlos Silva (Brazil) and Atilio Savino (Argentina). The World Bank will also be speaking at WR Expo about their recently released report, “What a Waste 3.0,” and will focus on Latin America and Caribbean issues. Delegations from several Latin American countries will be attending WR Expo, and companies interested in selling to that growing market should plan on meeting them.
With AI an increasing part of everyone’s personal and professional lives, WR Expo includes an AI/Software track which features four different perspectives on how AI or software can improve solid waste collection and post-collection operations.
Other sessions will cover recycling, recovering from natural disasters (WR Expo is in Florida, after all), landfill gas, landfills, and fire suppression. Miami-Dade County’s proposed Zero Waste Master Plan will also be the subject of a breakout session.
Demo sessions on the floor by several major exhibitors have been scheduled. Approximately 60 speakers will be presenting over the course of the two-day program.
Tours
WR Expo features tours of two important South Florida solid waste facilities. The FCC Broward Waste-to-Energy facility in Fort Lauderdale and WM’s new Pembroke Pines MRF have generously agreed to host tours. The FCC facility converts more than 2,250 tons per day into electricity and recovers about 15,000 tons per year of metal for recycling. WM’s MRF opened earlier this year and is one of the largest MRF’s in the U.S. The MRF has the capacity to process up to 275,000 tons per year and includes 18 optical sorters and a dedicated educational station.
All tours will take place on Thursday, August 13 in the afternoon.
Exhibit Hall
WR Expo’s exhibit hall will display a wide variety of trucks, equipment, and services available in the solid waste and recycling industry. Diamond Sponsors who will be exhibiting include WM, Box Gang Manufacturing, and Pac-Tech. Caterpillar and Waste Pro are among the familiar names that will be exhibiting as well. Other major exhibitors include Platinum sponsors TBI Waste Products and J&J Portable Sanitation Products, and Gold sponsors FCC, TrashLab, and CurbWaste.
A handful of exhibit spaces remain available as of June 15.
Important Details
WR Expo will take place at the Broward County Convention Center, which is close to Fort Lauderdale’s world-famous beaches. WR Expo has arranged discounted room rates at several nearby hotels, including several located on the beach. From August 12 – 13, South Florida will be the place to be for learning, networking, and fun for solid waste leaders.
For more information about WR Expo, including links on how to register as an exhibitor or attendee, please visit www.wrexpo.com or contact Show Director Jose Garcia at [email protected]