On August 20-23, Suzie Pederson, SFCC's E-waste crew leader, attended the California Resource Recovery Conference (CRRC) in San Diego. The CRRC "organizes one of the most comprehensive and informative conferences dedicated to recycling and sustainable materials management in California and beyond" (http://crra.com/conference). This conference was a great opportunity to continue our collaboration with other organizations and learn about upcoming opportunities to expand our impact.
Suzie states, “while attending the CRRA’s 41st annual conference in San Diego, CA I had the opportunity to hear from educated professionals about the latest policy, technology, and community organization related to the state’s current zero waste initiatives. There were a variety of speakers discussing a range of topics from the future of organics recycling to the latest policy put in place to address California’s zero waste goals. Some specific discussions that I took particular interest in were about educating and engaging students in zero waste, protecting fresh water systems by recovering drugs, oil, and mercury, and thinking about new ways to motivate change within our communities. I had the opportunity to meet the representatives of corps programs from different jurisdictions around the state to discuss future opportunities and current best practices within the corps. I now realize that it isn’t only San Francisco/NorCal that is taking action to address the issue of waste, but rather the entire state of California has taken a stance and there are people working all over to be a part of the solution. As said at the conference, California is a beacon of light for the rest of the country and is leading the way for zero waste. Overall, it was an enriching experience while being a part of several informative discussions and meeting others in the field who we could potentially form partnerships with.”