The Waste & Recycling Expo Canada debuted this week at the Enercare Center, offered solid waste and recycling equipment, services and strategies. The first day included extended hours with a Roving Reception that allowed for even more time for attendees and exhibitors to network during the event. Certain sections on the show floor were carved out that let people relax and discuss what they were looking for as well as what trends they saw happening in their region and how they were going to address them. On-the-floor education sessions offered time for attendees to learn about important issues such as waste processing, material flow and the environmental impacts of cannibus waste. The EREF auction gave people a chance to bid on thier favorite items with the second day of the show announcing the winners. Thursday continued with additional floor time and educational opportunities and closed out at the end of the day with well wishes to Arnie Gess, who has handled the management of the show for the past several years and is moving on this year.
Co-located with the tradeshow once again this year was the Waste to Resource Conference, held across the street from the expo center. With great education sessions and keynote speakers, the conference has grown every year and celebrates its 10th year as one of the premier educational events in the industry. With focuses on organics, programs and infrastructure, recycling, packaging and EPR, general collection strategies, etc., the event was packed with attendees who were eager to learn about strategies to move forward in the industry and where things stand today. Topics included Waste Diversion and Recovery Policy, Compostable Packaging, Food and Organic Waste Disposal Bans, Chemical Recycling, Recycling Mega Trends and Opportunities and more. The keynote speaker on Wednesday was Frank Denton, CEO of the The Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority, who spoke about what the organization is doing and the government’s strategy to transition current waste programs to a new system where producers are responsible for products and packaging. Thursday’s keynote, Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, closed out the great event by speaking about the benefits of reducing plastic waste through EPR and the importance of education and outreach as a tool for implementing change.
Good luck to Arnie and we look forward to the next trade show and conference!
