Upcoming Events
Check back later for upcoming event updates!
RAM/SWANA Conference
The RAM/SWANA Conference & Show is the premier recycling and waste management conference in the Upper Midwest.
Please Save the Date to join us at Mystic Lake Center in Prior Lake in April.
Webinar: The Psychology (and Unsustainability) of Our Garbage
We live in a time of converging environmental crises: climate change, air pollution, deforestation, plastic pollution, etc. Join psychological researcher, Dr. Christie Manning, as she proposes “environmental problems” do not exist and are, in fact, human behavior problems.
Hosted by SWANA’s Minnesota/North Dakota Chapter, all are welcome to join this one-hour trash talk to learn about the psychological factors underlying our garbage.
2023 RAM/SWANA Conference
Join us this April at a NEW venue - Mystic Lake Center - for our RAM/SWANA Conference!
ISOSWO Road-E-O
This event is to show case individual skills of top truck drivers, equipment operators and mechanics whom are vital to solid waste operations to demonstrate who is the best operator. This event is open to all representatives of solid waste management organizations, both public and private, and other organizations. The top three contestants will receive a trophy recognizing their skills at an awards banquet and the first place winner will be eligible to compete in the SWANA International Road-E-O on October 14th, 2023 in Colorado.
Participants are required to be a SWANA member or be sponsored by a member, complete the Waiver of Liability and Release and Indemnification Agreement and complete the application form. The registration fee is $200.00 for this event. This will include a light lunch, an event t-shirt and a dinner ticket to the awards Banquet at Jethro’s, in Ames. Additional banquet tickets are available for $65.00 each.
2022 SWANA MN Annual Meeting
Join us VIRTUALLY for our 2022 annual meeting! Hear about our past year, our goals moving forward, and meet our newly elected board members!
Recycling and Reuse Tour
Join us on Wednesday, November 9th for a tour of the University of Minnesota’s Como Recycling Facility. We will explore the facility with time for Q&A, and then head down the block to Insight Brewing for networking and beverages.
Schedule:
2:00 - 3:30 Tour of Como Recycling Facility, 3009 Como Ave. S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55414
(Free parking on Como Ave SE)
3:30 - 5:00 Networking at Insight Brewing, 2821 E Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55413
Tickets: $15
2022 SWANA / AWMA Arrowhead Conference
Join us in-person in Duluth, MN for the 2022 Arrowhead Conference!
Organics and Food Waste Biodigester Tour and Happy Hour Networking
Join us on Wednesday, August 10th for a tour of the Organics and Food Waste Biodigester at North Park Elementary in Fridley!
RAM / SWANA Conference and Show
The Recycling Association of Minnesota and the Solid Waste Association of North America, Land of Lakes Chapter, are excited to be back in-person for the 2022 joint conference and we want you to be a part of it!
If you would like to introduce the results of your research or recent project to a broad regional audience, or are looking for an opportunity to present your work to an audience of solid waste and recycling professionals from a five state area and beyond, we would like to hear from you!
The conference organizing committee invites speakers to submit abstracts for presentations within the following conference topics:
* Recycling
* Solid Waste
* Organics Recycling
* Sustainability
*Hazardous Waste Management
*Environmental Justice
*Industry Related Trends
Please limit submissions to ONE per speaker. Preference given to presentations qualifying for Continuing Education Credits for MPCA Type II/III Landfill Operator Certification.
As you prepare your proposal, it should be designed for seasoned professionals. Target your presentation to the potential audience as well as the reviewers. Sales presentations not accepted.
SWANA / AWMA Solid Waste Operator Conference
Save the date!
Join us at Holiday Inn St. Cloud for a day of Solid Waste Operator training.
RAM / SWANA Webinar Series: Webinar #7
The Recycling Association of Minnesota and the Minnesota chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America are pleased to announce that registration is now open for their 2021 Fall Webinar Series! The series includes 7 webinars between September 16th and November 4th as well as tours and a social networking happy hour co-hosted with SWAA on September 22nd. For complete information, click here to visit our website.
Reducing Food Waste in Minnesota and Nationwide
It is our pleasure to welcome Dr. Jean Buzby, the USDA Food Loss and Waste Liaison in the Office of the Chief Economist, to talk to us about activities at the national level to address food waste. Dr. Buzby is an internationally-know economist who has worked for the USDA for over 25 years.
Speakers: Jean C. Buzby, PhD, US Department of Agriculture
RAM / SWANA Webinar Series: Webinar #6
The Recycling Association of Minnesota and the Minnesota chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America are pleased to announce that registration is now open for their 2021 Fall Webinar Series! The series includes 7 webinars between September 16th and November 4th as well as tours and a social networking happy hour co-hosted with SWAA on September 22nd. For complete information, click here to visit our website.
Hazardous Waste Part II: Industry Wide Delays for Hazardous Waste Incineration and Alternate Approaches to Achieving Regulatory Compliance
Part II of our hazardous waste week presents an industry perspective as to what is creating the backlog of getting hazardous waste scheduled for hazardous waste incineration across the country and creating storage time limit exceedances for so many hazardous waste generators. We will also be hearing from several speakers discussing alternate strategies for achieving regulatory compliance to include use of ISO 14000 auditing to MN OSHA’s Consultation Program.
This is a 2-part series, but you are welcome to register for either session on its own or both!
Speakers: Jamison Reginek, Veolia Environmental Services
RAM / SWANA Webinar Series: Webinar #5
The Recycling Association of Minnesota and the Minnesota chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America are pleased to announce that registration is now open for their 2021 Fall Webinar Series! The series includes 7 webinars between September 16th and November 4th as well as tours and a social networking happy hour co-hosted with SWAA on September 22nd. For complete information, click here to visit our website.
Hazardous Waste Part I: MPCA Hazardous Waste Regulatory Updates and MPCA/Minnesota’s Toxics and Pollution Prevention Program
Please join us for part I of our 2-part hazardous waste week to hear Josh Burman present on hazardous waste regulatory updates from MPCA and US EPA. Al Innes, MPCA will be presenting on The Minnesota Chemicals in Products Interagency Team (CPIT), made up of representatives of the Department of Commerce, Department of Health and the Pollution Control Agency has been conducting product testing to encourage compliance with the state’s statutes restricting toxic chemicals in children’s and other manufactured products.
This is a 2-part series, but you are welcome to register for either session on its own or both!
Speakers: Josh Burman, MPCA
Al Innes, MPCA
Back to Networking Event
Networking is an essential part of what we do as solid waste and recycling experts. It has been almost two years since we have hosted a networking event! We hope this event will extend connections for all diverse, non-traditional individuals in environmental fields and assist with career placement, advancement and planning.
Join SWANA for a facilitated discussion and an opportunity to connect and build a stronger network. All are welcome!
Join SWANA MN on October 19th for a kick-off to networking, mentoring, and meeting others in our industry!
Date: October 19, 2021
Time: 3:30-5pm
Location: HDR Offices, 1st floor lobby/meeting room -
1601 Utica Ave S #600, St Louis Park, MN 55416
Cost: $10 (Includes light appetizers and beverages)
Speakers:
Laura Babcock: Director of Minnesota Technical Assistance
Program, MnTAP
Colleen Scholl, P.E.: Senior Vice President & Director of Professional
Services, HDR. Past President of the National Society of Women Engineers
Agenda:
3:30pm to 3:45pm - Arrival, Check-in and Networking
3:45pm to 3:55pm - Introductions around the room
3:55pm to 4:15pm - Featured Speaker, Laura Babcock
4:15pm to 4:25pm - Question / Networking
4:25pm to 4:45pm - Featured Speaker, Colleen Scholl
4:45pm to 5pm - Networking
Post-event happy hour to follow for those wanting to continue the conversation!
Covid Safety Information:
-We will be at 50% capacity for this event.
-In compliance with HDR masking requirements, anyone who is not vaccinated will be required to wear a mask. Anyone who is vaccinated is not required to, but will be strongly encouraged to wear a mask.
RAM / SWANA Webinar Series: Webinar #4
The Recycling Association of Minnesota and the Minnesota chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America are pleased to announce that registration is now open for their 2021 Fall Webinar Series! The series includes 7 webinars between September 16th and November 4th as well as tours and a social networking happy hour co-hosted with SWAA on September 22nd. For complete information, click here to visit our website.
Recycling Markets in 2021
For the first time in several years, speaker Chaz Miller has some positive words about the markets for recycled material. Miller, a prolific speaker, writer and advocate in the waste and recycling industry, will bring a little bit of silver lining to our year by discussing some of the driving forces in today's markets and his outlook for the near future.
Speakers: Chaz Miller, 40-Year Recycling and Waste Industry Veteran
RAM / SWANA Webinar Series: Webinar #3
The Recycling Association of Minnesota and the Minnesota chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America are pleased to announce that registration is now open for their 2021 Fall Webinar Series! The series includes 7 webinars between September 16th and November 4th as well as tours and a social networking happy hour co-hosted with SWAA on September 22nd. For complete information, click here to visit our website.
Solid Waste Policy: Metro Waste Policy Plan and Driver Shortages
During this webinar, Peder Sandhei will dive into the Metro Waste Policy Plan, including challenges faced due to Covid, social unrest, and employment. The Metropolitan Solid Waste Management Policy Plan establishes the plan for managing the Metropolitan Area’s solid waste. The policy plan is prepared every six years with input from state agencies, county staff, and a variety of stakeholders: representatives of the waste industry, environmental groups, businesses, and citizens. The conversation will then shift to the topic of driver shortages in the waste industry, an issue many are facing due to increased competition for drivers in other services. We will explore the challenges, stories, and solutions to this pressing issue.
Speakers: Peder Sandhei, MPCA
Additional speakers TBA
RAM / SWANA Webinar Series: Webinar #2
The Recycling Association of Minnesota and the Minnesota chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America are pleased to announce that registration is now open for their 2021 Fall Webinar Series! The series includes 7 webinars between September 16th and November 4th as well as tours and a social networking happy hour co-hosted with SWAA on September 22nd. For complete information, click here to visit our website.
Extended Producer Responsibility: Successes, Challenges and What it Means for Minnesota
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a hot topic in both mainstream and industry news recently due to new legislation in Maine and Oregon, as well as the growing concern over management of materials that are hard to recycle. In this webinar we'll hear national and local insights into this movement, learn more about the various legislative proposals, the response from producers and what we might see in Minnesota.
Speakers: Heidi Sanborn, National Stewardship Action Council
Garth Hickle, Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota
RAM / SWANA Webinar Series - IN PERSON tours in the Brainerd Lakes Area: Green Forest Recycling and Crow Wing County Landfill
The Recycling Association of Minnesota and the Minnesota chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America are pleased to announce that registration is now open for their 2021 Fall Webinar Series! The series includes 7 webinars between September 16th and November 4th as well as tours and a social networking happy hour co-hosted with SWAA on September 22nd. For complete information, click here to visit our website.
RAM and SWANA are joining SWAA to offer tours ahead of the annual SWAA Conference. Registrants can choose to tour either Green Forest Recycling or Crow Wing County Landfill, both located in Brainerd. This is a FREE event, but registration is required and space is limited.
Click here to for more info and to register for the tours
*The event organizers are monitoring the COVID-19 data and may request or require masks at this event as recommended by local, state and national health officials. Please plan accordingly and thank you in advance for your understanding.
IN-PERSON Social Networking Happy Hour in Baxter hosted by RAM, SWANA and SWAA
Come catch up with your colleagues face-to-face at this happy hour prior to the Annual SWAA Conference! Registration to this event is FREE and you do not need to be attending the conference to join. Location: Arrowwood Lodge at Brainerd Lakes, 6967 Lake Forest Rd, Baxter, MN.
*The event organizers are monitoring the COVID-19 data and may request or require masks at this event as recommended by local, state and national health officials. Please plan accordingly and thank you in advance for your understanding.
RAM / SWANA Webinar Series: Webinar #1
The Recycling Association of Minnesota and the Minnesota chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America are pleased to announce that registration is now open for their 2021 Fall Webinar Series! The series includes 7 webinars between September 16th and November 4th as well as tours and a social networking happy hour co-hosted with SWAA on September 22nd. For complete information, click here to visit our website.
Embracing Equity and Social Justice
This webinar will look at King County, Washington, as an example of implementing equity and social justice in the solid waste and recycling industry. King County is one of three counties in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metropolitan area. The King County Solid Waste Division has had a long-standing commitment to equity and social justice (ESJ) initiatives as a local service provider. Over the past few years, they've been focused on the internal aspects of their workforce and how they can develop a strategy to bring clarity and direction of these important ESJ efforts, along with a strong alignment with the broader King County ESJ goals.
Speakers: Mark Monteiro, King County, WA
Pat McLaughlin, King County, WA
Landfill Operators Webinar Series
This webinar is focused on presenting relevant information related to the safe and effective operations of solid waste facilities in compliance with all applicable regulations. We will also cover emerging issues affecting the management of these facilities.
Landfill Operators Webinar Series
This webinar is focused on presenting relevant information related to the safe and effective operations of solid waste facilities in compliance with all applicable regulations. We will also cover emerging issues affecting the management of these facilities.
Landfill Operators Webinar Series
This webinar is focused on presenting relevant information related to the safe and effective operations of solid waste facilities in compliance with all applicable regulations. We will also cover emerging issues affecting the management of these facilities.