Thank You to Our Media Partner

Get Ready for Virtual SWANApalooza!

We were really looking forward to seeing everyone in Atlanta; however, it has become clear that the safest thing for you is to have SWANApalooza come to you!  We’ve taken the best parts of SWANApalooza and transitioned it to the virtual conference. Get ready to learn, make new contacts, see your friends, and even have some fun!  We’ve added some bonus sessions and can’t wait to have you join us for our first virtual conference.


Note: The conference schedule is subject to change due to speaker availability.

Monday, June 22, 11:00 AM - 5:30 PM

Conference Opens
Start your Virtual SWANApalooza experience!
Exhibit Hall Open
Location: Virtual Exhibit Hall

Monday, June 22, 4:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Live in the SWANA Booth: Meet Arminda Vallles-Hall, Director of Education & Member Learning
Location: SWANA Booth - Virtual Exhibit Hall

Tuesday, June 23, 11:00 AM - 5:30 PM

Exhibit Hall Open
Location: Virtual Exhibit Hall

Tuesday, June 23, 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM

Live in the SWANA Booth: Meet Darryl Walter, Director of Membership
Location: SWANA Booth - Virtual Exhibit Hall

Tuesday, June 23, 12:30 PM - 1:00 PM

Live in the SWANA Booth: Meet Sara Bixby, Deputy Executive Director
Location: SWANA Booth - Virtual Exhibit Hall

Tuesday, June 23, 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Keynote – COVID-19: The Impact on Solid Waste Operations and Lessons Learned
Location: Virtual Keynotes Room
Gain a first-hand account and lessons learned from the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tuesday, June 23, 2:30 PM - 2:45 PM

Networking Pop-up! Coffee Break Edition

Tuesday, June 23, 2:45 PM - 3:30 PM

* Knowledge is Power: Waste Reduction Education through Schools, Programs and Special Events (View pre-recording in advance.)
Location: Virtual Room A
Waste education with schools helps reduce contamination and increase community participation.
Advancements in the Recovery of Metals and Aggregates from WTE Ash (Available as pre-recording only, no live session)
Location: Pre-Recorded Only Session
Learn about innovations in waste to energy ash recovery systems.
From Up High to Down Below: Using Drones and Other Innovations to Gain a More Complete Picture of Your Landfill (Live session only, no pre-recording)
Location: Virtual Room D
Use satellites and drones to reach new heights and depths of data on your landfill.
Health Risks in the Waste Industry: A Focus on Injury Prevention and Crash Risk Reduction (Live session only, no pre-recording)
Location: Virtual Room E
Explore ways to reduce work-related injuries, illness, crash and death.
Modern Sales Approach To Managing Diversion Programs, Customer Engagement, and Data Tracking (View pre-recording in advance of joining "Capturing Metrics" roundtable discussion on Thurs, June 25, 2:45 pm EDT.)
Location: Virtual Room A
Improve operations, customer service and data management with a customer relationship mgmt platform.
The State of Solid Waste: The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same (Live session only, no pre-recording)
Location: Virtual Room B
Explore the state of the industry using external factors, not just internal KPIs.

Tuesday, June 23, 2:45 PM - 4:15 PM

* You Work WHERE?! How to Communicate Positively About Your Job (View pre-recording in advance)
Location: Virtual Room C
Learn how to talk about the importance of your solid waste work and its positive community impacts.

Tuesday, June 23, 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Live in the SWANA Booth: Meet David Biderman, Executive Director and CEO
Location: SWANA Booth - Virtual Exhibit Hall

Tuesday, June 23, 3:40 PM - 4:15 PM

* Calling 911 Is Not a Landfill Fire Mitigation Plan (View pre-recording in advance)
Location: Virtual Room D
Begin to develop your own landfill fire mitigation plan.
* If You Don't Measure It, You Can't Manage It (View pre-recording in advance)
Location: Virtual Room A
Are your operations taking into consideration profits and costs of managing a solid waste system?
* Process-Engineered Fuels: A Low-Cost Alternative for Recovering Energy from Waste (View pre-recording in advance)
Location: Virtual Room B
Learn about groundbreaking PEF projects that have recently begun commercial operations.
How Innovative Technologies are Improving Landfill Operations (Available as pre-recording only, no live session)
Location: Pre-Recorded Only Session
Learn how current and emerging technologies are being applied to landfills.
Hydrogen Sulfide Removal: Exploring New, More Efficient Technologies and Methods (Available as pre-recording only, no live session)
Location: Pre-Recorded Only Session
Gain insight into the latest methods and technologies that are removing H2S with greater efficiency.
Predicting Peaks and Valleys: Improving Tonnage and Revenue Forecasting via Better Planning and Modeling Techniques (Live session only, no pre-recording)
Location: Virtual Room E
Improve tonnage and revenue forecasting via better planning and modeling techniques.

Tuesday, June 23, 4:15 PM - 5:00 PM

Keynote – Ocean Plastics & Marine Litter
Location: Virtual Keynotes Room
A global expert on marine litter discusses her work and discoveries in waste management innovation.

Tuesday, June 23, 5:15 PM - 5:45 PM

Networking Pop-up! Happy Hour Edition

Wednesday, June 24, 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Live in the SWANA Booth: Meet Jesse Maxwell, Senior Manager of Advocacy & Safety
Location: SWANA Booth - Virtual Exhibit Hall

Wednesday, June 24, 11:00 AM - 5:30 PM

Exhibit Hall Open
Location: Virtual Exhibit Hall

Wednesday, June 24, 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Live in the SWANA Booth: Meet Jeremy O'Brien, Director of Applied Research
Location: SWANA Booth - Virtual Exhibit Hall

Wednesday, June 24, 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM

Live in the SWANA Booth: Meet David Biderman, Executive Director and CEO
Location: SWANA Booth - Virtual Exhibit Hall

Wednesday, June 24, 12:30 PM - 1:00 PM

Live in the SWANA Booth: Meet Shelby Truxon, Membership Program Manager
Location: SWANA Booth - Virtual Exhibit Hall

Wednesday, June 24, 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

* Keynote – PFAS Management Research in Solid Waste Landfills (View pre-recording in advance)
Location: Virtual Keynotes Room
Learn about research to understand environmental risks posed by PFAS in solid waste management.

Wednesday, June 24, 2:30 PM - 2:45 PM

Networking Pop-up! Coffee Break Edition

Wednesday, June 24, 2:45 PM - 3:30 PM

* Achieving 90% Diversion from Landfill with a Proven MBT Technology (View pre-recording in advance)
Location: Virtual Room C
Consider a scalable, flexible, and affordable solution for achieving 90% diversion from landfill.
* Applications of MRF's Plastics from Chemical Recycling (View pre-recording in advance)
Location: Virtual Room B
Learn of novel technologies developed in academia to utilize plastic wastes by chemical recycling.
* Biogas and RNG Characterization: Sampling and Analytical Challenges and Solutions (View pre-recording in advance)
Location: Virtual Room A
Learn how to sample, test and ship biogas and RNG to meet emerging pipeline specifications.
* PFAS Treatment and Concentrated Waste Management Alternatives in Solid Waste Landfills (View pre-recording in advance)
Location: Virtual Room E
Compare the benefits, costs and potential drawbacks to PFAS treatment options in landfill leachate.
* When Recycling Goes Awry: Exploring Miami-Dade's Recycling Contamination Abatement Program (View pre-recording in advance)
Location: Virtual Room D
Consider how a county dealt with contamination by addressing misconceptions about what's recyclable.
Are Your Workers Safe? OSHA, SWANA and NWRA—Working Together to Improve Safety and Health and Build a Better Work Environment (Available as pre-recording only, no live session)
Location: Pre-Recorded Only Session
OSHA, SWANA and the NWRA are working together to ensure a safe workplace.

Wednesday, June 24, 3:40 PM - 4:15 PM

* Making the Most Out of Waste Plastics: An Overview of Plastic Transformation Technologies (View pre-recording in advance)
Location: Virtual Room B
The recycling industry is in a paradigm shift in which waste plastics can be a source of revenue.
* Optimal Routing and Scheduling Solid Waste Collection (View pre-recording in advance)
Location: Virtual Room A
Discover how collection route optimization and scheduling leads to cost savings for municipalities.
* This Week or Next? A Solution to the Recycling Challenge (View pre-recording in advance)
Location: Virtual Room E
Learn how the cities of Charlotte and Tucson tackled the challenge of every other week collection.
* Using Behavioral Safety to Move Beyond Zero (View pre-recording in advance)
Location: Virtual Room C
Learn a system of focused behavioral safety observations to examine how tasks are completed.
Georgia EPD Solid Waste Management Program Regulatory Update (Available as pre-recording only, no live session)
Location: Pre-Recorded Only Session
Learn about recent updates to the GA Solid Waste Management Act and of the impact of those changes.
Navigating the Maze of Federal Air Quality Regulations for Landfills (Available as pre-recording only, no live session)
Location: Pre-Recorded Only Session
Learn about the EPA's landfill regulations, including NSPS, NESHAPs and emission guidelines.
Roundtable Discussion: City Resiliency in the Time of COVID-19 (Live session only, no pre-recording)
Location: Virtual Room D
Join waste and recycling technology experts to explore city resiliency in the time of COVID-19.

Wednesday, June 24, 4:15 PM - 5:15 PM

Keynote – Legislation and Policies Needed to Reach Zero Waste to Landfill by 2040
Location: Virtual Keynotes Room
Learn about legislation to move from disposition of waste to zero waste to landfill by 2040.

Wednesday, June 24, 5:15 PM - 5:45 PM

Networking Pop-up! Happy Hour Edition

Thursday, June 25, 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Live in the SWANA Booth: Natalia Giraldo, Certification & Training Coordinator
Location: SWANA Booth - Virtual Exhibit Hall

Thursday, June 25, 11:00 AM - 5:30 PM

Exhibit Hall Open
Location: Virtual Exhibit Hall

Thursday, June 25, 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Live in the SWANA Booth: Meet Sara Bixby, Deputy Executive Director
Location: SWANA Booth - Virtual Exhibit Hall

Thursday, June 25, 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM

Live in the SWANA Booth: Meet Darryl Walter, Director of Membership
Location: SWANA Booth - Virtual Exhibit Hall

Thursday, June 25, 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Keynote – Overcoming Recycling Challenges and Taking Advantage of New Opportunities
Location: Virtual Keynotes Room
Explore how disruptions to recycling are opening new opportunities.

Thursday, June 25, 2:30 PM - 2:45 PM

Networking Pop-up! Coffee Break Edition

Thursday, June 25, 2:45 PM - 3:30 PM

* Developing Your Action Plan for Managing PFAS (View pre-recording in advance)
Location: Virtual Room D
Get the information and tools you need to develop a PFAS action plan.
* EPA LMOP Session: Partnership Opportunities (View pre-recording in advance)
Location: Virtual Room B
Learn what’s new from EPA programs that encourage landfill gas energy and food waste diversion.
* Roundtable Discussion: Capturing Metrics That Work for You (View two Mon, Jun 23 pre-recordings in advance -- If You Don't Measure It and Modern Sales Approach.)
Location: Virtual Room A
Bring your questions to this roundtable discussion about how to make metrics work for you.
Career Growth & Development: An Interview with David Biderman, SWANA CEO (Available as pre-recording only, no live session)
Location: Pre-Recorded Only Session
Gain practical advice for getting your career on the right path.
ZW Plan / Comprehensive Plan Starter Kit: A Quick, Low-Cost Way to Select Your Next Priority Programs (Available as pre-recording only, no live session)
Location: Pre-Recorded Only Session
Use a "20 Questions" approach to identify which programs are suitable for specific communities.

Thursday, June 25, 2:45 PM - 4:15 PM

Special Crowdsourcing Session! Developing an Effective Public Engagement Campaign (Live session only, no pre-recording)
Location: Virtual Room C
Brainstorm a public engagement strategy and identify any missing components.

Thursday, June 25, 3:40 PM - 4:15 PM

* Disrupting Collection with Cooperative Multi-Community Contracts (View pre-recording in advance)
Location: Virtual Room A
Prepare and negotiate a successful joint bid process for multiple communities with varying needs.
* EPA LMOP Session: Renewable Natural Gas Tools & Opportunities (View pre-recording in advance)
Location: Virtual Room B
Explore the opportunities and challenges of upgrading your biogas and turning it into RNG.
* Sequestration of PFAS in Landfills: Sustainable Waste Management (View pre-recording in advance)
Location: Virtual Room D
Gain insight into updated research on the level of sequestration of PFAS mass in landfills.

Thursday, June 25, 4:30 PM - 5:15 PM

Keynote – COVID-19: Steps to Recovery
Location: Virtual Keynotes Room
How will the industry navigate to a 'new normal'?

Thursday, June 25, 5:15 PM - 5:45 PM

Networking Pop-up! Happy Hour Edition