2014 National Zero Waste Business Conference

As a conference partner and media sponsor, Ei played a leading role in bringing the 2014 National Zero Waste Business Conference to Atlanta along with orchestrating the local flavor portion of the excellent program. The following ZWA Blog articles substantiate Ei’s prominent role at the conference.

• Creating Value Through Zero Waste – recaps the many powerful Atlanta meetings preparing for the event.
• National in Focus, Local in Flavor – showcases the conference program as a balance between national | local presentations, with sessions geared toward zero-waste veterans and those embarking on the journey.
• USZWBC Conference Theme: Zero Waste Evolution – gives a conference overview with an emphasis on plenary sessions and a recap of the zero-waste evolution within the three USZWBC Annual Conferences.
• Atlanta Shines as Zero Waste Conference Host City – provides an in-depth synopsis on Ei Partners’ and Strategic Allies’ role in the conference program.

In addition, the Ei FB album, 2014 USZWBC Conference in Atlanta, gives a pictorial recap of the conference. Below are the many panels and plenaries that Ei Partners and Strategic Allies moderated and presented on during the two-day conference:

Ei-Moderated Panels

OPENING PLENARY: THE ATLANTA ZERO WASTE STORY

Sustainability leaders representing government, non-profit, and business share their role in shaping Atlanta’s zero-waste past, present, and future.

• Holly Elmore, Founder & CEO, Elemental Impact (Moderator)
• Suzanne Burnes, Executive Director, Sustainable Atlanta
  USZWBC – ATL Zero Waste – S. Burnes Sustainable ATL (5053 KB)
• Denise Quarles, Director, Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, City of Atlanta
  USZWBC – ATL Zero Waste – D. Quarles City of ATL (9008 KB)
• Michael Cheyne; Director, Asset Management and Sustainability; Atlanta Airport
  USZWBC – ATL Zero Waste – M. Cheyne ATL Airport (618 KB)
• Scott Jenkins; General Manager, New Falcons Stadium
  USZWBC – ATL Zero Waste – S. Jenkins ATL Falcons (1219 KB)

PANEL: SCALING UP COMPOST IN CHARLOTTE

A diverse team brings organics and compostable packaging diversion beyond the pilot phase, through a grant from EPA Region IV and participation from government at all levels. The grant team is working with Charlotte-area businesses to turn waste into value through composting food scraps and appropriate packaging. The project partners hope to accelerate the rate at which sustainable materials-management practices are adopted by municipalities and private companies across the United States.

• Holly Elmore, Founder & CEO, Elemental Impact (Moderator | Speaker)
• Anne Bedarf, Senior Manager, GreenBlue’s Sustainable Packaging Coalition
  USZWBC – EPA Grant Panel – A. Bedarf SPC (2193 KB)
• Kim Charick, Environmental Scientist, US EPA Region 4
  USZWBC – EPA Grant Panel – K. Charick EPA (6628 KB)
• Laurette Hall, Environmental Manager – Waste Reduction & Recycling, Mecklenburg County
  USZWBC – EPA Grant Panel – L. Hall Mecklenburg Cty (19498 KB)

PANEL: RECYCLING REFINEMENT…MOVING BEYOND LANDFILL DIVERSION

Within Ei’s Recycling Refinement Platform, industry pioneers create zero-waste practices that align with Recycling Integrity – maintaining maximum material value with minimal energy expended. Learn from the panel of Ei Partners about a template under-development that gives the corporate community an alternative to single-stream recycling while improving bottom lines.

• Holly Elmore, Founder & CEO, Elemental Impact (Moderator)
• Lorraine White, President | CEO, M-PASS Environmental
  USZWBC – Recycling Refinement Panel – L. White MPASS (1416 KB)
• Mark Lanning, SVP of Sales & Marketing, TOMRA North America
  USZWBC – Recycling Refinement Panel – M. Lanning Tomra (6675 KB)
• Preston Fletcher, President, FreshPoint Raleigh
  USZWBC – Recycling Refinement – P. Fletcher FreshPoint (9201 KB)
• Kurt Schmitz, VP, General Manager – Recycling Division SE, Pratt Industries
  USZWBC – Recycling Refinement Panel – K. Schmitz Pratt (10742 KB)

PANEL: ZERO WASTE – GEORGIA GROWN

Presenters focus on Georgia initiatives and first-hand experience with programs that play a critical role in an overall zero-waste goal. Representing state, local, and commercial organizations, collaboration is a central theme for success in zero waste and materials-management endeavors. Another common theme among presenters is their integral role in the 2009 Zero Waste Zones launch and it’s future, which garnered national attention for the city of Atlanta.

• Melissa Selem, Program Administrator, Elemental Impact (Moderator)
• Gloria Hardegree, Executive Director, Georgia Recycling Coalition
  USZWBC – GA Grown – G. Hardegree GA Recycling Coal. (22014 KB)
• Jeff Clark, Conserve Program Director, National Restaurant Association
  USZWBC – GA Grown – J. Clark NRA (5107 KB)
• Steve Simon, President, Fifth Group Restaurants
  USZWBC – GA Grown – S. Simon Fifth Group (11241 KB)
• Abbey Patterson, Program Manager, Atlanta Recycles
  USZWBC – GA Grown – A. Patterson ATL Recycles (293 KB)

Ei Partner | Advisory Council Plenary & Keynote Speakers

Keynote Speaker

• Laura Turner Seydel, Chairperson, Captain Planet Foundation

Pay Dirt: Composting in America to Reduce Waste, Create Jobs, and Enhance the Soil

• Brenda Platt, Co-director, Institute for Local Self-Reliance

Driving to a Closed Loop Business Model and Zero Waste:

• John Gardner, VP & Chief Sustainability Officer, Novelis
  USZWBC – Bus. Model Zero Waste – J. Gardner Novelis (1686 KB)

Ei Partners, Supporters & Affiliates Presentations

• Bruce Buchan, CEO, CleanRiver Recycling Solutions
  USZWBC – Prop. & Facility Management – B. Buchan CleanRiver (2156 KB
• Patrick Cuccaro, Managing Director, Affairs to Remember Caterers
• Steve Davies, Director – Public Affairs & Communications, NatureWorks
  USZWBC – Zero Waste Sust. Pack – S. Davies NatureWorks (2157 KB)
• Cindy Jackson, Associate Director, Georgia Institute of Technology
  USZWBC – Zero Waste Sports – C. Jackson GATech (2632 KB)
• Tim Trefzer, Sustainability Director, Georgia World Congress Center
  USZWBC- Zero Waste Sports – T. Trefzer GWCC|Dome (1989 KB)