2026 Schedule Details, Day 1
October 21
Zero Waste Businesses & Institutions
All activities are on the Main Stage – except Concurrent Sessions.
Click session titles to access descriptions.
Times are listed in Pacific Standard Time
| Time | Track A | Track B | Track C |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:45 am | Networking & Zoom AssistanceSpeakers: Ruth Abbe, Chris Sparnicht | ||
| 8:00 am | Welcome & OpeningSpeakers: Richard Anthony, Stephanie Barger | ||
| 8:15 am | Plenary 1 • Using Data and AI to Drive Progress Toward Zero WasteYou can't manage what you don't measure. This is especially true… Speakers: Bryce Gerritsen (moderator), Lucy Bai, Sam Brundrett, Laurent Canneva, Dennis Carlberg | ||
| 9:15 am | Keynote 1 • Building Zero Waste Systems in Major Sports and Entertainment VenuesInsights from Intuit Dome Speakers: Stephanie Barger (moderator), Katie Bailey | ||
| 9:45 am | Plenary 2 • Waste Diversion and Circular Economy with the San Diego PadresDriving High-impact Waste Diversion Through Smart Sorting and… Speakers: Ciara Aw, Risa Baron, Randy McWilliams | ||
| 10:15 am | Plenary 3 • Urban Mining: The Circular Economy of E-WasteBuckstop is transforming how companies think about asset disposal,… Speakers: Stephanie Barger (moderator), Alexander Olesen | ||
| 10:45 am | |||
| 11:00 am | Piloting Reusable Foodware at AirportsThe transition towards reusable foodware is gaining momentum as… Speakers: Randall Russell (moderator), Evelyn Amara Ferreira, Patricia Gomez-Acevedo, PhD, James Martin | Transitioning K-12 Schools to Reuse in Food ServiceAdvancing sustainability and reducing waste in school lunchrooms is… Speakers: Grace Lee (moderator), John M. Fedyski, Ben Schleifer, Heather Trim | Prevention Meets Payoff – Practical Waste Reduction Assistance for RestaurantsHow Denver's technical assistance program helped 50+ restaurants… Speakers: Lesly Baesens, Amber Barbella, Becky Goyton, Marissa Major |
| 12:00 pm | |||
| 12:30 pm | Keynote 2 • Choosing Your Project’s Sustainability StoryEvery project wants sustainability excellence—a clear… Speakers: Stephanie Barger (moderator), Emi LaFountain | ||
| 1:00 pm | SMM 2030 in Practice: Closing the Loop on Transport PackagingThree perspectives on transport packaging reuse, recovery, and EPR… Speakers: Sabrina Bosch, Jessie Jia, Patrick Owens | Hold the Plastic: Approaches to Reuse & Reduction on College CampusesColleges and Universities are modeling zero waste systems that… Speakers: Daniella Menendez (moderator), Ashritha Kalakuntla, Savannah Robledo, Bella Strollo | Why Zero Waste Programs Stall or Fail and How to Fix ThemHear from Zero Waste experts about how to fix failed or stalled… Speakers: Stacy Savage (moderator), Michelle Horneff-Cohen, Paolo Muir |
| 2:00 pm | Plenary 4 • Aligning Mission and Market to Build Local EconomiesPurpose-driven organizations, educators, and creative entrepreneurs… Speakers: Darlene Cossio (moderator), Madeline LaScola, Shirley Pierson, Claudia Rodriguez-Biezunski | ||
| 3:00 pm | Highlights and Key Takeaways from the DaySpeakers: Ruth Abbe, Christienne de Tournay Birkhahn | ||
Sponsors 2026
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