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2025 National Recycling Congress

Program and Schedule

Day 1 | Wednesday, October 1 


3:00 pm | Congress opens

  • Registration 
  • Exhibit Hall + Networking

4:00 pm | Concurrent Activities

  • WSU Sustainability Tour
  • Grant Funding Workshop

5:30 pm | Networking Reception


 


Day 2 | Thursday, October 2

8:00 am | Exhibit Hall + Networking

9:00 am | Opening Plenary 

  • Welcoming Remarks: Teresa Bradley, National Recycling Coalition (NRC) President; Charles Kamenides, NRC Executive Director
  • Keynote Address: Jackie Nunez, The Last Plastic Straw, “Speaking Truth to Plastic—from Awareness to Action”

10:00 am | Exhibit Hall + Networking

10:30 am | Concurrent Sessions 

  • Plastics: “Problematic Plastics and a Shift to Reuse: U.S. Plastics Pact in Focus”
  • Circularity: Driving Circular Progress through 3R Program Certification“
  • NRC Campus Council:  “Building Tomorrow’s Circular Leaders Today”

11:45 am | Plenary + Lunch

  • Welcome to WSU: Richard Muma, Ph.D, MPH, Wichita State University President
  • Keynote Address: Bryan Staley, Environmental Research and Education Foundation President, “Strategic Priorities in Advancing Materials Circularity" 

1:15 pm | Concurrent Sessions 

  • Plastics: “Co-Creating a Plastics Policy for NRC”
  • Circularity Workshop: “Redesigning Waste Systems to Measure, Improve and Recognize Circular Performance”

2:50 pm | Concurrent Sessions 

  • Producer Responsibility: “Critical Policy Trends in EPR and the Reuse of Durable Medical Equipment”
  • NRC Campus Council: “Strategic Planning for 2026”

4:15 pm | Concurrent Activities

  • Exhibit Hall + Networking
  • NRC Members Meeting 
  • WSU Sustainability Tour 

6:00 pm | NRC Awards + Reception


 


Day 3 | Friday, October 3 

8:00 am | Exhibit Hall + Networking

9:00 am | Plenary

  • Welcoming Remarks: Teresa Bradley, National Recycling Coalition (NRC) President; Charles Kamenides, NRC Executive Director
  • Panel Discussion: MaryEllen Etienne, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), “Women in Circularity: Strengthening the Circular Economy”

10:15 am | Exhibit Hall + Networking

10:45 am | Concurrent Sessions 

  • Reuse: “Building Collaborative Reuse and Textile Programs to Advance Circularity”
  • Outreach and Education: “Getting It Right with Social Media, Ambassadors and Other Tools”

12:00 pm | Plenary + Lunch 

  • Plenary Address: Bob Gedert, Xavier University, “Untangling Plastics: The Missing Link in Mitigating Climate Change,” [Book signing in the Exhibit Hall]

1:00 pm | Concurrent Sessions

  • Organics: “Navigating Challenges of Siting and Permitting” 
  • E-waste: “Closing the Loop From Disposal to Circular Design” 
  • Textiles: “Driving Change in Fashion, Redesigning Textiles and Reshaping Consumer Habits“ 

2:00 pm | Exhibit Hall closes 

2:25 pm | Concurrent Sessions 

  • Organics: “Community-Driven Composting and Food Rescue to Fight Hunger and Methane Emissions”
  • Data: “Data, Measurement and Gamified Tools”
  • Planning and Compliance: “Circularity State and Local Plans and Compliance”

3:45 pm | Concurrent Sessions 

  • Reuse: “Building Scalable Solutions for Textile Recovery and Reuse”
  • Mattress Recycling: “Advancing Mattress Recycling Through State and Local Initiatives” 
  • Tire Recycling: “Toward Zero Waste: Strategies for the Tire Industry” 

5:00 pm | Closing Plenary 

  • Plenary Address: Emily Sanchez, Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) Chief Economist “Market Update - Key Trends and Future Outlook”
  • Closing Remarks: Teresa Bradley, NRC President; Charles Kamenides, NRC Executive Director

5:45 pm | Congress ends

*speakers and session programs subject to change. 

*This page will be  and will be updated as all speakers are confirmed.
 


NOTES:

  • Event is Hybrid (in-person and virtual) but all speakers will be in-person
  • All times are local to Wichita, KS (CDT)
  • For each of the Concurrent sessions, summarize topics that individual speakers will address before publishing this Schedule
  • By attending this event you understand that NRC cannot prevent you from becoming exposed to, contracting, or spreading COVID-19 while attending this conference. You understand that by choosing to attend this conference, you may be exposing yourself to and/or increasing your risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19. Some participants who have certain health risks or who live with people at risk may have to, or choose to, wear masks; NRC asks that you respect their choice and right to wear a mask in order to protect themselves, their families and their communities. For those who are experiencing cold symptoms prior to the event, please consider COVID-19 testing prior to attending. Anyone who must cancel their in-person plans will be automatically provided virtual conference access.

 



 

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