Prepare To Be Educated

Mark Glazer

WASTE EXPO 2005 is rapidly approaching. As in years past, the education program will help waste management professionals prepare for future trends, learn from colleagues in a peer-to-peer format and, most importantly, improve their business operations and stay up to date on the latest technical and environmental issues. In today's ever-changing economic and regulatory environment, you need to keep up with the industry through education. The information in this year's sessions in Las Vegas will surely keep you ahead of the competition

This year's education program will have a different look and feel than in previous years. The education sessions will be broken into several tracks that will last the duration of the conference rather than switching each day. The tracks are: Business Operations, Technical Information, Workshop, Safety and — for this year only — the Waste Tech Landfill Technology sessions will be a dedicated track within the WasteExpo program. Additionally, there will be box lunch sessions that address topics that reach beyond the scope of these tracks.

Business Operations: Are you looking to gain an edge on your competitors? Wondering what new management techniques are being adopted by solid waste industry leaders? Looking for a way to improve your bottom line? The sessions grouped within this track will help answer these questions and others that you may have about running a more efficient and cost-effective operation. This track will tackle personnel issues relating to hiring, firing and working with unions. Other issues will include customer service, garbage contracts, working with the press, negotiating skills, computer systems and financing options. Two sessions to take note of are a session conducted by Robin Nagle, a NYU anthropology professor who spent several weeks collecting trash with the New York City Sanitation Department (see page 8 of this month's issue), and Hall of Famer Tom Fatjo's session discussing his career and what he sees for the industry's future.

Technical Issues: Are you seeking new and innovative ways to handle your increasing waste streams? Do you want to ensure you are complying with the rules and regulations governing our industry? The sessions tackle issues regarding all of the waste streams you manage, including food waste, e-waste and recovered paper. Additionally, sessions in this track will cover single-stream recycling, alternative fuels, automated collection, roadside inspections, odor control and waste-to-energy. Three sessions of special interest are a discussion on the massive cleanup Floridians faced after being hit by four hurricanes last year; a Recyclers Roundtable in which speakers will share stories from recycling's front line; and a session on Las Vegas's solid waste operations.

Workshops: Back once again are the popular Landfill Operations (Parts 1 and 2) and Coaching the Refuse Truck Driver workshops. These are half- to full-day sessions that go in-depth on those specific issues. In addition, a Residential Route Auditing workshop has been added.

Safety: This is an issue that the Environmental Industry Associations is proud to help the industry on, and these sessions are sure to help you run a safer operation. Topics include landfill safety — which will include the premiere of NSWMA's new landfill safety video — safety for operations managers, truck safety and a session to prepare you for OSHA inspections.

Landfills: Folded into the WasteExpo program is the landfill track, which will have the depth of content that you have grown accustomed to from the Waste Tech Landfill Technology program. These sessions will tackle issues that landfill owners and operators are facing, including landfill gas; final caps; safety; cost-saving landfill operations; closure; and landfill designs.

With all of this, how can you pass up the opportunities at the WasteExpo 2005 education program? Don't gamble with your professional development! Be sure to be a part of these thought-provoking, knowledge-rich sessions. WasteExpo will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center from May 2-5, 2005. For more information, visit www.wasteexpo.com or call (800) 559-0620.

Mark Glazer is the Environmental Industry Associations' education manager. E-mail: [email protected] or call (800) 424-2869.