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Annual AOR Conference: Sustainable Oregon 2013- June 6-8 - Seaside, OR

Join AOR at the Seaside Convention Center in Seaside, OR, June 6-8, 2013 for its annual conference and trade show, Sustainable Oregon.

Looking for a quick summary of the conference schedule? Check out the CONFERENCE AT A GLANCE.

Thursday, June 6

7:00am Registration Opens — Lobby

7:00am Golf Tournament — Astoria Country Club

Kick off the conference out on the greens and enjoy 18 holes of golf at the Astoria Country Club on Thursday morning! Your golf registration includes green fees, cart, deluxe continental breakfast, box lunch, use of range/balls and, of course, excellent company. Whether you're making new contacts or re-connecting with old colleagues, golfing right before the conference offers you a prime opportunity to stay engaged with others in the industry.

9:00am–1:00pm CARTM Tour and Lunch ($20/person) — transportation on your own

Join us for a field trip to Manzanita to visit the CARTM site to see how a rural community takes action to reduce waste, takes responsibility for the waste it generates, and recovers value from materials that pass through its wasteshed. Discuss with CARTM board members how their unique business model works and how they build on the strengths of their local and county governments. Enjoy a sit-down zero-waste lunch and shop at the thrift store, which has become a social hub in the Nehalem Bay area.

10:00am–12:00pm Re-TRAC Workshop ($15/person) — Riverview Room

Re-TRAC Connect is the leading waste reduction measurement system for governments and organizations that offers free accounts to help local governments, businesses, schools, universities, and other organizations participate in reporting programs, manage tonnage data, and publish waste reduction information to the public. This highly robust and flexible system is currently being used by over 6,000 waste reduction managers, recycling coordinators, solid waste managers, chief operating officers, and program managers from a wide range of private and public sector organizations in the U.S. What can you do with this software and how can you use it to take full advantage of all its the powerful features? This two-hour-long training will explore the practical applications of this powerful software.

11:30am-1:00pm Oregon Green School Meeting — Sea Mist Room

Oregon Green Schools (OGS) coordinators will have the opportunity to meet many of OGS' board members and get an update on what resources are available. They'll learn about new programs OGS is pursuing and get an overview of their responsibilities. There will be time for questions and sharing success stories and challenges.

12:00pm Exhibit Hall Opens — Exhibit Hall

1:30pm Welcome — Necanicum Room

Rick Winterhalter, AOR Chair

1:30pm–3:15pm Opening Plenary: Recycling Markets: The New Reality — Necanicum Room

Market volatility, technological progress, and a shift in the underlying concept of recycling and materials management have us all thinking about what’s over the horizon for our industry. Join the conversation as we explore a larger dialogue about these critical changes. Bill Caesar, President of Recycling and Organic Growth at Waste Management, opens this session with his unique view of the macro factors that will drive recycling industries domestically and globally in the next 5-10 years. Following Bill’s keynote presentation, a small group of experts will delve deeper into these high-level industry drivers and what they portend for the future.

Keynote
Bill Caesar, Waste Management

Group Panelists
Bill Caesar, Waste Management
Julie Daniel, BRING Recycling
Kevin McCarthy, RethinkWaste

Moderator
Palmer Mason, Oregon DEQ (invited)

3:15pm–3:45pm Break: Exhibit Hall Grand Opening & Silent Auction Opens — Exhibit Hall

3:45pm–5:15pm Plenary: What's Next for DEQ's 2050 Vision? — Necanicum Room

At last year's conference, DEQ shared a comprehensive overview of their 2050 Vision for Materials Management in Oregon. This year's session examines what the next steps are for this historic re-visioning of our industry, including how DEQ plans to implement it. Come join the discussion to a better sense of how the 2050 Vision will affect you and your company or organization.

Speakers
Peter Spendelow, Oregon DEQ
David Allaway, Oregon DEQ
Cheryl Grabham, Oregon DEQ

Moderator
Abby Boudouris, Oregon DEQ

5:15pm–7:00pm Welcome Reception: Network and Nosh— Exhibit Hall
Sponsored by: Waste Management

Meet your fellow recyclers, visit with vendors, and enjoy hosted treats and beverages. A networking game will challenge you to know your colleagues! A winner will be drawn at 7:00pm.

7:00pm Seaside Brewing Co.: Tap a Firkin and Take a Tour (free) — Departs from Lobby
Sponsored by: Republic Services/Allied Waste

The fine folks at Seaside Brewing Company are going to tap a firkin in our honor! We hope you can join us as we take a tour of this brand-new brewery and enjoy some of their hand-crafted beers. Located in the old city jail and city hall building, Seaside Brewing completely refurbished the space using the reclaimed wood and brick in the restoration process. Housing kegs of craft beer in the exact same place where, years ago, a rowdy Oregonian might have spent the night in the drunk tank sets a fun stage for the opportunity to unwind with your recycling friends after a long day of engaging presentations. The tour is free, but we need to know if you're coming so make sure to sign up on the registration form.

7:00am Registration Opens — Lobby

8:00am–9:00am Breakfast and Coffee Talk— Exhibit Hall

Selected industry topics will be featured at tables for informal discussion.

9:00am–10:15am Plenary: AOR Policy Session — Necanicum Room

What do you think are the key issues for AOR? Are there legislative issues we should be paying more attention to? Would you like to see any changes in the organizational structure of AOR? How can AOR better serve you and your company/organization? Speak up and join the discussion in this important annual session.

Moderators
Brenda Pulley, Keep America Beautiful
Rick Winterhalter, AOR Chair
Ali Briggs-Ungerer, AOR Conference Chair

10:15am–10:45am Break — Exhibit Hall

10:45am–12:15pm Concurrent Sessions

1. Glass Manufacturing and Recycling: A Lesson in Sustainable Materials Management — Riverview Room

Sustainable materials management incorporates a cradle-to-cradle assessment of materials and products. The production and recycling of a glass container represents an excellent case study. What are the raw materials that are used to make a bottle? What are the environmental and energy impacts of raw material acquisition, shipping, and use? How does glass recycling affect this lifecycle assessment? These questions and more are explored in this session.

Speakers
Pedro Tchmola, Owens-Illinois
Dan Vermeer, eCullet
Jerry Powell, Resource Recycling

Moderator
Joe Wonderlick, AOR Treasurer

2. Disaster Debris Management in Oregon and Beyond — Necanicum Room

Experts believe it is not a matter of if the big earthquake is going to impact the Pacific Northwest, but when. Safe, proper, and timely management of debris is an essential but often overlooked component of emergency response. Thankfully, there are large scale planning efforts underway in Oregon around disaster debris management. This session is designed to provide valuable information on how vital it is to plan for managing debris before the disaster occurs. It will include an overview of how debris has been handled in recent disasters, such as Hurricane Sandy, important considerations to comply with DEQ requirements, and Tillamook County’s experience with handling coastal tsunami debris.

Speakers
Jeff Hepler, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Audrey O’Brien, Oregon DEQ Northwest Region
David McCall, Tillamook County

Moderator
Kevin Veaudry Casaus, City of Portland

3. Financing Opportunities from Business Oregon – Seaside Room

This session will cover the various business finance programs Business Oregon offers for companies in the recycling and related industries. Business Oregon can issue tax-exempt bonds at low interest rates for companies seeking to borrow $1 million or more in the recycling, solid waste disposal, and waste-to-energy industries, and for manufacturing companies and some agricultural facilities seeking to handle waste resulting from the production or farming process. Business Oregon also offers direct loan and loan guarantee programs for recycling and related companies seeking to borrow smaller amounts. Presenters include David Weiss, Business Finance Officer, Business Oregon and Jennifer Cordova, tax attorney with Hawkins Delafield & Wood LLP, which is Business Oregon’s bond counsel for its Industrial Development Bond program.

Speakers
David Weiss, Business Oregon
Jennifer Cordova, Hawkins Delafield & Wood LLP

12:15pm–1:30pm Lunch: Annual Meeting and Board Elections — Exhibit Hall

It’s time to elect half of AOR’s Board. Positions up for election this year are Education Chair, Legislative Chair, Markets Chair, and Treasurer. Voting quorum must be present.

1:30pm–3:30pm One-on-One Meetings with Business Oregon — Sea Mist Room (by appt at registration desk, space is limited)

Representatives will be available to meet privately with interested parties to discuss Business Oregon’s financing programs and what opportunities may be available for your particular business.

1:45pm–3:15pm Concurrent Sessions

1. Balancing Material Quality and Industry Competitiveness — Riverview Room

Where have we come from, where is MRF technology headed, what are the current challenges and how do we get from here to a more ideal future? Three experts address these questions and more in this session. Get reacquainted with historical material flows and the associated phases in the evolution of the collection and processing system in Oregon. Learn all about what state-of-the-art MRF design looks like today and where MRF design is headed in the future. And lastly, hash out what China’s Green Fence initiative and other market conditions might bode for our recycling system.

Speakers
Peter Spendelow, Oregon DEQ
Steve Miller, Bulk Handling Systems
Dylan de Thomas, Resource Recycling

Moderator
Dan Blue, City of Gresham

2. Residential Food Scraps Collections — Seaside Room

This interactive discussion will provide an overview of three residential food scrap collection programs. You will hear firsthand about the unique experiences and lessons learned in each program. Additionally, each panelist will offer a perspective on what future opportunities exist, both for communities considering adding food scraps collection to their system and for their own programs.

Speakers
Arianne Sperry, City of Portland
Bailey Payne, Marion County
Gerty Coville, King County

Moderator
Doug Zenn, Zenn Associates

3. Growing Local Reuse Communities — Necanicum Room

Building on the ReuseConex conference hosted last fall in Portland, this session will serve as a way to continue the conversation. Using a round robin format, attendees will hear from a dynamic panel of professionals who work or volunteer for unique reuse businesses or organizations. Panelists will be asked to share success stories as well as barriers to program development, outreach, and evaluation. The goal of the session is to share experiences promoting reuse in both rural and urban communities of Oregon as well as identify common themes.

Speakers
Cindy Correll, Reuse Alliance Oregon Chapter
Janet K. Hamilton, CARTM Recycling
Ed Cooper, Mt. Angel ReStore
Zafiro Papastratakos, Swap and Play

Moderator
Rosalynn Greene, Clackamas County

3:15pm–3:45pm Break: Silent Auction Ends — Exhibit Hall

3:45pm–5:15pm Concurrent Sessions

1. Innovative Product Design — Riverview Room

How is Patagonia able to Reduce, Repair, Reuse, and Reimagine the products they sell, and how do they promote these ideals to their customers? Get the inside scoop on this and Patagonia's other innovative initiatives such as the new Encapsil down technology and the Common Threads Clothing Partnership, including what opportunities this business model will present to the consumer and the retailer in the future. How does Nike enable environmental impacts of a product to be driven by design decisions? Learn more about how Nike has developed and used indexes to help product designers make environmentally better choices as they create apparel and footwear. 

Speakers
Jim Goddard, Nike
Jason Klimpke, Patagonia

Moderator
Bailey Payne, Marion County

2. Zero Waste: In Theory and Practice in Oregon — Seaside Room

Zero waste is a principle which, when fully implemented, emulates sustainable natural cycles where all discarded materials are designed to become resources for others to use. Zero waste means designing and managing products and processes to systematically avoid and eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources, and not burn or bury them. From theory to practice, these three experts offer three distinct perspectives on zero waste and what it can look like to see zero waste in action.

Speakers
David Allaway, Oregon DEQ
Brenda J. Demaree, Purdy Corporation

Moderator
Tim Henkle, Environmental Consulting Services

3. Alternative Fuels and CNG Conversion — Necanicum Room

This session will focus on DEQ's vision and requirements for fuel consumption in Oregon, including an exploration of how companies will meet those requirements. Panelists will offer analyses of the different alternative fuels available to them as well as the process of converting a fleet over to CNG.

Speakers
Kevin Downing, Oregon DEQ
Matt Tracy, Metro
Rick Wallace, Oregon Department of Energy
Garry Penning, Rogue Disposal

Moderator
Chris Carey, Oregon Paper Fiber (Waste Connections)

6:00pm–7:00pm Cocktail Hour — Lobby (Silent Auction Winners Posted)
Sponsored by: Resource Recycling

7:30pm–10:00pm Dinner Banquet, Election Results, Awards, and Entertainment — Pacific Hall
Sponsored by: Waste Connections

7:00am Registration Opens and Coffee Service — Lobby

8:00am–9:00am Pancake Breakfast — Pacific Hall

9:00am–10:30am Concurrent Sessions

1. Markets Panel — Necanicum Room

Get the latest updates in market dynamics and the chance to pose your questions to a respected panel of experts.

Speakers
John Lucini, SP Fiber Technologies
Dan Vermeer, eCullet
Bruce Sone, ORPET
Keith Ristau, Far West Fibers
Patty Moore, Moore Recycling Associates

Moderator
Chris Thomas, Waste Connections

2. Down and Dirty with Commercial Organics — Riverview Room

This session will cover highly relevant issues surrounding the establishment, implementation, and management of a commercial composting program at a local level. Practical topics such as marketing and recruitment strategies, trainings and follow-ups, and challenges and opportunities will all be addressed in this session important for anyone looking to establish a commercial organics program in their community.

Speaker
Shannon Martin, Clackamas County
Stephanie Scafa, City of Eugene
Art Kuenzi, Suburban Garbage
Tyler Miller, Dirthugger

Moderator
Rachel Zarfas, City of Beaverton

3. Lost at Sea: Exploring Ocean Plastics —Departs from Lobby

Speaker
Marc Ward, Seaside Resident Activist
Michael Narea, Northwestern University
Rachel Scholes, Northwestern University

Moderator
TBD

Our speakers will be presenting on the dynamics of micro plastics density on our beaches here in Oregon and beyond and their solution: electro static filter screens. This fascinating presentation will start out in the convention hall and weather permitting will head out to the beach for a hands-on demonstration of the electro static filter screen process. Included will be a discussion about the plastics embedded in the beach as well as solid state sheer pulverization recycling.

10:30am–11:00am Break — Lobby

11:00am–12:30pm Concurrent Sessions

1. Procurement Issues and Opportunities for Compostable Products — Riverview Room

This roundtable discussion examines the sometimes confusing realm of compostable products from a procurement lens. Specifically, this session will address the sustainability of foodservice products and how best to educate businesses on procuring the best "sustainable" product(s) for their business. This is a highly interactive session where audience members will be drawn in throughout the whole 90 minutes, so come prepared to join the conversation and get the answers you've been seeking.

Speakers
David Allaway, Oregon DEQ
Buzz Chandler, Asean Corporation
Stacey Foreman, City of Portland
Patty Moore, Moore Recycling Associates

Moderator
Justin Gast, Washington County

2. Curbing Bad Behavior: Creative Tactics for Quality Control — Necanicum Room

City Garbage Service, Waste Management, and Pride Disposal all have innovative approaches to educating their customers about proper recycling behavior, ranging from creative enforcement actions to incentive programs. Whether they take the carrot or the stick approach, all three offer a fresh perspective on customer engagement. Learn all about their strategies in this session, including successes, struggles, and reflections on working with local jurisdictions.

Speakers
Darin Larvik, City Garbage Service
Michelle Metzler, Waste Management
Kristin Leichner, Pride Disposal

Moderator
Dave White, ORRA

3. Legislative Trends and Issues — Seaside Room

AOR’s Legislative Chair will look back as he provides an overview of the 2013 Oregon legislative session. He will then look forward to 2014, discussing what issues are likely to arise and how AOR members can engage on those issues.

Speakers
Rick Winterhalter, AOR Chair
Kristen Leonard, AOR Lobbyist

Moderator
Scott Klag, AOR Legislative Chair

12:30pm–1:15pm Lunch/Closing Plenary: Moving Forward Together: Redefining the Industry So None Are Left Behind — Pacific Hall (Winner of Exhibitor Passport Announced)

The Samoan Circle is back! This popular and engaging presentation style features a diversity of experts from across the state reflecting on key topics raised throughout the conference in a roundtable format. Where are we going and how can we get there together? You can ponder these meta questions over dessert in this short session that wraps up the 2013 conference.

Speakers
Laura Leebrick, ORRA
Vinod Singh, Far West Fibers
Jerry Powell, Resource Recycling
Julie Daniel, BRING Recycling
Dan Blue, City of Gresham

Moderator
Andy Sloop, Metro

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