Opening Reception

Hello fellow trash lovers! First, I would love to say that I had a wonderful time at the Opening Reception of SWANA's WASTECON 2007 tonight. I feel such synergy when talking to others about waste reduction, recycling and sustainability! Not only did I chat with folks from the United States, I spoke with attendees and trainers from Canada and Central America. It truly makes me believe that we are all in this together. The highlight of the evening was talking with four gentlemen from Central America. They're interested in learning how North America manages their trash and recycling. Costa Rica and Honduras are both very ecologically conscious countries, their big challenge is to find efficient ways to manage garbage and recycling. Milton Fonseca with Waste Placement Professionals wants to improve waste treatment and recycling, become a part of the carbon trade and help make his country more sustainable. Costa Rica wants to become one of the first carbon nuetral countries. And, as you all know, carbon dioxide is a very hot topic - for everyone. Randall Cerdas Corella, also of Costa Rica is training while at WASTCON to ensure that his country is at the forefront of proper trash management. During a landfill tour Monday, he learned that his landfill is much different than other landfills in Nevada. His country receives more than 200 inches of rain, while Nevada receives less than 5 inches. That is an amazing difference! Corella explained that his landfill required a leachate collection system because of the high amount of rain. Another difference is the lining system. His landfill in San Pedro requires a liner. Another attendee, David McCary of SanAntonio, Texas also discussed some really interesting issues facing his area. McCary started in the solid waste business 30 years ago as a trash collector. Today, he is the director of the solid waste management department. His division is looking at more than just taking trash off the street, they're also looking at renewable energy. His city is rolling out 15 trucks with alternative fuel. The alternative fuel is compressed natural gas. According to McCary, it runs 90 percent cleaner. He added that he wanted to start using the technology before it was mandated in 2010. I hope you enjoyed hearing from a few of the conference attendees. I hope you enjoy the conference and please come back to read more of our conference coverage!