Tuesday - March 26th 2019
9:00 - 10:00 Registration
9:00 - 10:00 Breakfast & Vendor Show
10:00 - 10:15 Welcome & Introductions
Welcome - Kelli Timbrook (NYSAR3 President) & Jesse Kerns (Organics Council Chair)
10:15 - 11:00 The Future of Organics Management in New York State
Moderator: Kendall Christiansen (Gaia Strategies)
Hear from two industry professionals on the state of organics management in NYS, major trends and what they perceive as our future moving forward.
The Future of Organics Management in NYS
• Jeff LeBlanc (Denali Water Solutions)
• Abbie Webb (Casella Waste Systems, Inc.)
11:00 - 12:15 Rochester Rocs: Growing our Local Roots
Moderator: Missy Hall (NYS Pollution Prevention Institute)
Hear directly from Rochester-based stakeholders about efforts to address wasted food, food donation and food scraps recycling in the community. This session will dive into the Rochester landscape, its challenges and future outlook.
Rochester Rocs: Growing our Local Roots
• Brent Arnold (Community Composting)
• Mitch Gruber (Foodlink)
• Chris Noble (Natural Upcycling & Noblehurst Farms)
• Mark Stein (Monroe County Department of Environmental Services)
12:15 - 1:15 Lunch
1:15 - 1:30 Hot Topic: Depackaging Happening
Depackaging Happening - Nate Carr (Denali Water Solutions)
1:30 - 3:00 Food Scraps Hauling
Moderator: Greg Gelewski (Madison County Department of Solid Waste)
Explore the relationship and current partnerships between large scale and micro-haulers in capturing more food scraps across New York State.
• Food Scraps Hauling - Harry Cohen (Natural Upcycling)
• Food Scraps Hauling - James Condela (Organix Recycling, LLC.)
• Food Scraps Hauling - Meredith Danberg-Ficarelli (Common Ground Compost)
3:00 - 3:30 Vendor Show & Refreshments
Sponsored by Impact Earth
3:30 - 4:30 Up and Coming Organics Recyclers
Moderator: Meredith Danberg-Ficarelli (Common Ground Compost)
A time to highlight and promote the growth of the organics recycling industry in New York State as well as discuss barriers prohibiting up and coming organics recyclers in taking established roots.
Up and Coming Organics Recyclers
• Eileen Banyra (Community Compost Co.)
• Anthony Carbone (Sustainable Materials Management Inc.)
• Eric Merkley (Village of Clifton Springs WWTP)
4:30 - 5:30 Regional Discussions Informed by the Local Setting
Regional Discussions Informed by the Local Setting
Facilitated regional discussions to further strengthen regional connections, identify barriers to success, funding opportunities, and much more.
5:30 - 7:00 Cocktail Hour & Hors d’oeuvres
5:45 - 6:15 USCC Young Professionals Mixer
Sponsored by Nova Products
Are you a student, young professional or maybe new to the composting industry? Join us in meeting one another and hear about various opportunities offered through the U.S. Composting Council.
7:00 Dinner on your own
Wednesday - March 27th 2019
7:30 - 8:25 Registration
7:30 - 8:25 Breakfast & Vendor Show
8:25 - 8:30 Welcome & Introductions
8:30 - 9:30 Compostable Products: What’s not to like?
Moderator: Jean Bonhotal (Cornell Waste Management Institute)
Compost facilities have been wrestling with compostable products from the beginning - compost it or screen it out. Join us as we “sort through” these issues and what to look out for.
• Compostable Products: What's not to like? - Greg Gelewski (Madison County Department of Solid Waste)
• Compostable Products: What's not to like? - Rhodes Yepsen (Biodegradable Products Institute)
9:30 - 9:45 Hot Topic: Rendering Capacity Crisis
Rendering Capacity Crisis - Jean Bonhotal (Cornell Waste Management Institute)
9:45 - 10:45 Compost Markets
Moderator: Chuck Duprey (Naturcycle, LLC)
How can we increase the use of compost in and around New York State? Hear from a panel of experts using compost in the field and what they’re looking for.
• Compost Markets - Darren Shuman (Northern Nurseries, Inc)
• Compost Markets - Andrew Walsh (R.M. Landscape Inc.)
• Kippy Weigelt (Gro Max LLC) - presentation unavailable
9:45 - 10:45 Shaping Our Future
Moderator: Cory Mansell (Center for EcoTechnology)
Educating the youth of our country will drive its future actions and decisions. Exposing youth to composting, reduction practices and donation at a young age is vital to creating a new norm where food scraps are no longer considered a waste, but a resource.
• Shaping Our Future - Tom Ruley (NYS Pollution Prevention Institute)
• Shaping Our Future - Cassidy Putney (Impact Earth)
• Shaping Our Future - Ermin Siljkovic (Orange County Div. of Env. Facilities and Services)
10:45 - 11:15 Vendor Show & Refreshments
Sponsored by EcoProducts
11:15 - 12:15 Growing a Food Scraps Compost Facility
Moderator: Gerardo Soto (Food Waste Experts)
We’ve heard the feel-good stories and know the basics of composting, so let’s dive into the nitty gritty of growing and building a food scraps composting operation.
Growing a Food Scraps Composting Facility - Angelina Peone (Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency)
11:15 - 12:15 Reducing Wasted Food at Home
Moderator: Jesse Kerns (SU Center for Sustainable Community Solutions)
Reducing Wasted Food at Home - Jesse Kerns
Reducing wasted food is at the top of EPA’s Food Recovery Hierarchy. We will discuss educational resources, wasted food reduction tips, and opportunities for communities to effectively interact with their residents.
• Reducing Wasted Food at Home - Michele Conners (Monroe County Cornell Cooperative Extension)
• Peter Ricardo (Food Bank of Central New York) - presentation unavailable
12:15 - 12:30 Hot Topic: NYS P2I Unique Projects
NYS P2I Unique Projects - Ava Labuzetta (NYSP2I)
Hot Topic: US Composting Council Updates
USCC Updates - Brian Fleury (WeCare Organics)
12:30 - 12:45 Conclusions & Farewells
12:45 - 1:45 Lunch
1:45 - 2:15 Travel to Tour Site
2:15 - 3:15 Tour at High Acres Composting Facility given by Waste Management
Sponsored by Elizabeth Whitehouse
Visit a large scale compost facility ten minutes from the Summit venue. Attendees will learn how and why Waste Management of NY started composting yard waste and later food scraps near their High Acres Landfill, and the logistical and economic implications of this undertaking. The tour will include an up close
look at their compost windrows and the equipment they use to process the material for market. The onsite manager will talk about challenges of composting at the site and how they worked to solve them.
Food scraps hauling for the 2019 Organics Summit provided by Natural Upcycling.
