The Sonoma County Zero Waste Symposium is organized to draw awareness to regional zero waste opportunities.
Keynote Speaker – Captain Charles Moore
The event will bring government, institutions, businesses, and the community together to discuss zero waste best practices, policies and programs. In addition, the audience will understand how zero waste principles support climate initiatives and the circular economy. Content ranges from government action, to programs for organics and food recovery management, to businesses leading the way to zero waste. Network with community leaders, and meet local vendors exhibiting their services and products that support zero waste during the event and at the closing reception.
Sonoma County Zero Waste Symposium Program
Thursday, May 10th, 8 am – 5 pm
SOMO Village Event Center
1100 Valley House Dr., Rohnert Park, CA 94928
7:30 am – Registration and Tabling opens
8:00 am – Welcome
- Council member Deborah Fudge – Welcome & Opening
- Leslie Lukacs – Director of Zero Waste, SCS Engineers: State of Zero Waste in Sonoma County and Beyond
8:20 am – Keynote: Sea of Plastic
Captain Charlie Moore Oceanographer, Algalita Foundation and Author of Plastic: How a Sea Captain’s Chance Discovery Launched a Determined Quest to Save the Oceans
9:00 am – Managing Resources After the Fires
- Paul Lowenthal – Debris Task Force Leader, City of Santa Rosa Fire Recovery Operations, Assistant Fire Marshal: How Debris Was Managed After the Fires
- Chris Grabill – Conservation Action and Board of Public Utilities: The Missing Links: Holistic Community Response and Preparedness
- Will Bakx – President, Sonoma Compost: Soil Health and BioRemedation of Fire Affected Land
- Chris Brokate – Clean River Alliance, Protecting Sonoma County’s Watershed
10:15 am – BREAK
10:30 am – Sonoma County Materials Management
- Joey Hejnowicz – Administrative Analyst, City of Santa Rosa: City of Santa Rosa Zero Waste Plan: Quantifiable, Reasonable, and Impactful Locally
- Celia Furber – Zero Waste Manager, Recology: Bringing Recology’s Waste Zero Philosophy to Sonoma & Marin Counties
- Justin Wilcock – Manager, Sonoma County Resource Recovery: Keeping the Town Green, a Discussion on Dual Stream Recycling
11:05 am – State of Recycling Local and International
- Sara Bixby – Deputy Executive Director, Solid Waste Association of North America: China’s National Sword and How it Affects You
- Susan Collins – President, Container Recycling Institute Solutions to the Current Recycling Crisis: Cleaning Up our Act
11:50 pm – LUNCH
1:00 pm – Sustaining Communities through Food Recovery
- Felicia Smith – Waste Management Specialist, Sonoma County Waste Management Agency: Food Waste: Problem and Solution
- Suzi Grady – Program Director, Petaluma Bounty: Gleaning and Community Resiliency Through Food
1:30 pm – Schools and Youth Setting the Pace
- Guy Tillotson – Waste Diversion Technician, Santa Rosa Junior College: Engaging Students and Leading the Way Towards a Zero Waste Campus
- Sunny Galbraith – Teacher, Orchard View School and 350 Sonoma Board Member: Analy High School Food Waste Composting
- Rihanna Frank – Program Coordinator, Santa Rosa Water: Engaging the Community for Santa Rosa Zero Waste Earth Day 2018
2:20 pm – BREAK
2:35 pm – Cutting Edge Business Initiatives
- Aaron Schreiber-Stainthorp – Sustainability Specialist, Jackson Family Wines: Zero Waste Wineries, Good to the Last Drop
- Joseph Button – Sustainability Director, Strauss Family Creamery: Exploring the Circular Material Economy and Striving for Zero Waste
- Nicole Tai – President, Greenlynx: Value in Deconstructing
3:25 pm – Extended Producer Responsibility
- Jordan Wells – Project Manager, California Product Stewardship Council: Extended Producer Responsibility Locally and Nationally
- Courtney Scott – Waste Management Specialist, Sonoma County Waste Management Agency, Refuel Your Fun
3:50 pm – Good Jobs in Zero Waste
- Marty Bennet – Co-Chair North Bay Jobs: Good Jobs and Zero Waste
4:05 pm – Closing Keynote
Jared Blumenfeld: Principal, Advising Impact, Former Regional Administrator of US EPA Pacific Southwest