$1000

$1000

Beaver County

PROP Board of Directors Meeting and Dinner

Organics | Siting the Compost Facility / Design & Layout (Required for CCP) (1.5 hrs)

How to start establishing a program, what permitting is required, siting parameters, engineering components, minimizing environmental impact. How to blend engineering, economics, and politics to find the optimal site for your compost facility. Be a good neighbor, setbacks, and flood plains.  Regulations / DEP Permits / Funding. DEP Technical Assistance/ record keeping.

Description Coming Soon:

Welcome & Keynote

Description and speaker coming soon:

Land Reclamation Repurposing Session

• Brent Bobsein from CSX Resources - "Waste Methane Capture from PA Legacy Mines"
• Debra Pontzer from Grow Rural PA - “Capacity Building for Repurposing Energy Assets: Producing Green Hydrogen on Previously Impacted Mine Lands”
• John Patterson from Tetra Tech - Banning/West Newton Coal Refuse Pile Reclamation Project.

Organics | Compost Business and Economics (Required for CCP) (1.5 hrs)
(An examination of the costs associated with the composting processing beginning with the arrival of the feedstocks through the departure of the finished products.  Product sales, end users/ certified product and SAP # with ability to sell material to the Commonwealth of PA for PennDOT reclamation projects.)

Description Coming Soon:

Break with the Exhibitors

$1000

5:45 PM – 7:45 PM     

Offsite

PROP Annual Picnic - Knob Hill Community Park (Elias Fry Barn)

Join us at Knob Hill Community Park for our Annual PROP Conference Picnic, a nice way to wind down after a day of learning and sharing!

Plenary | Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Recycling  

AI is reshaping the recycling industry, enabling smarter, more efficient processes that deliver both environmental and economic benefits. In this session, the CEO of Glacier will showcase several real-world case studies where its recycling AI is optimizing MRF performance, automating the recovery of valuable commodities, and even transforming how the biggest brands approach packaging design. Learn how AI-powered solutions are helping stakeholders across the recycling value chain—from MRFs to manufacturers—make better decisions, enhance recovery rates, and drive sustainability at scale.

Presenter: Rebecca Hu Thrams, Founder, CEO | Ting Zhang, Head of Business Development | Glacier

Organics | Odor Generation & Control, Surface Water Control (0.15 CEU / 1.5 hours) (Required for CCP)

This session will help you understand Odor Generation and Control, as well as Surface Water Control and have a chance to ask questions about any aspect of Composting/Organics Management to the panel of professionals and DEP representatives.

$750

Full Circle: Building Glass Recycling Partnerships from Curb to Furnace

In this session, representatives from the private and nonprofit sectors will come together to explore how collaborative partnerships have revitalized glass recycling in Pennsylvania. This panel will highlight real-world examples of successful glass recycling programs developed through public-private-nonprofit cooperation.

Attendees will gain insight into the full lifecycle of glass—from collection to processing and remanufacturing—as well as the policy, infrastructure, and outreach needed to make these programs sustainable. Learn how to engage municipalities, establish effective drop-off locations, and ensure that clean, sorted glass ends up back in the furnace as a new bottle. Whether you're looking to start a program or strengthen an existing one, this session offers practical steps, lessons learned, and a shared vision for circular glass recycling.

 Presenters: Sarah Alessio Shea (Pennsylvania Resources Council) / Chris Koontz (CAP Glass) / Boyd Jones (Michael Brothers Companies)

Certification | HHW Collections – Multi County Event Based Programs (.15 CEUs / 1.5 Hours)

Description: Session covers overview of how to run event-based HHW collections, including programs in the SEPA Counties of Montgomery, Chester, Delaware, and Bucks, the SWPA Counties of Washington, Fayette, Allegheny, Beaver, and Cambria, and Westmoreland CleanWays monthly events at the Westmoreland County recycling center.

Presenters: Mike Skapura, ED Westmoreland CleanWays; Veronica Harris Recycling Coordinator Montgomery County; Sarah Alessio Shea PA Resources Council

Contract Development

This session is a panel discussion by representatives from the municipal sector, the private sector waste industry and the consultant sector. This session will share procurement strategies and best practices.  Additionally, it will be highlighting a number of solid waste market conditions impacting bids, requests for proposals (RFPs), and similar solicitations for waste and recyclables collection, transportation, disposal and recyclables processing services. Information will include real experience with multi-municipal contracts, CPI indexes to share recyclable sale value, and equitable use of contract deductions to reinforce quality services are provided. Participants will have time for open discussion with the panel members.  credits

Battery Session #1

The PA RMC - Scott Marks - will examines the safety risks of recycling lithium-ion batteries, including fire hazards and chemical exposure, while emphasizing the need for improved recycling strategies to effectively mitigate these dangers. The presentation also presents consumer recycling survey data, offering insights into public perceptions and behaviors related to lithium-ion battery recycling.

PA DEP - Janet Heindel - will discuss the Act 101, Section 901 Battery Management Education Grants updates and information

Zero Waste Events: Waste Management for Events/Venues

This session covers an overview of PSU’s management of materials inside Beaver stadium and at THON, PRC’s Zero Waste Program’s management of events across Allegheny County including the Pittsburgh Marathon, Three Rivers Arts Festival and more including rental program and waste audits.

Battery Session #2

STEINERT presents an integrated sorting system utilizing X-ray transmission, color recognition, 3D detection, and induction sensor technologies for efficient battery detection and removal from material streams.  CALL2RECYCLE will provide an overview of their battery collection and recycling programs to meet both Federal and State specific battery Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws. The presentation will cover current legislation, the Call2Reyclce collection process and how the program is growing to cover larger battery sizes..

Circular Economy – Bridging the Gap Between Traditional Recycling & Circularity

This session, co-facilitated by Bay Epperly from Coalfield Development (WV) and Steven Deasy, Senior Associate of MSW Consultants, draws on real experience from developing and deploying circular strategies, programs, and organization networks as part of the Appalachian ReUse Corridor. The Appalachian ReUse Corridor is a unique convergence of grass roots efforts, sophisticated ideas, and strong partnerships. It is a multi-state initiative to simultaneously improve recycling while developing circular solutions by working collaboratively with stakeholders and manufacturers to gradually replace virgin feedstocks with recovered materials. Leverage strategic materials management as a solution to a declining mining industry that contributes to a variety of socio-economic challenges to spur innovation and investment in resource conservation while creating job opportunities.

Certification | Youth Education – Updates to the State Environmental Standards (0.10 CEUs / 1 Hour Re-Certification Credits)

Updates to the State Academic / Environmental Standards – STEELS (Science Technology Engineering Environmental Literacy and Sustainability)

York County Solid Waste Authority

Plenary | Markets Update - Happenings and Case Study

• Bob Bylone, MEng, President, CEO, Recycling Markets Center Corporation 501c(3)

Plenary | PA Department of Environmental Protection Updates

• PA Department of Environmental Protection Personnel

A&H Equipment / New Way Trucks

Chester County Solid Waste Authority

Greater Lebanon Refuse Authority

CL Trading, LLC

Centre County Recycling & Refuse Authority

Waste Management

Rehrig Pacific Company

West Goshen Township

Clinton County Solid Waste Authority