NORMAL, Ill. — On a crisp October morning at the Marriott Hotel and Convention Center, the Illinois Counties Solid Waste Management Association’s 2024 conference began with a powerful statement about the future of waste management. Elisabeth Reed, an Illinois Recycling Foundation (IRF)board member, took the podium to deliver a keynote address that would set the tone for two days of intensive discussion about the state’s environmental future.

The conference with President Clair Ryan leading a strong organizational presence. Ryan contributed thoughtfully to participation in policy discussions, particularly during sessions on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation and organics recycling programs.

The strong IRF presence was further reinforced by Secretary Anthony Tindall and Illinois Recycling Association Secretary Marta Keane, both of whom  participated in sessions spanning electronics recycling, paint stewardship program.

s, and emerging battery collection initiatives. Their joint attendance highlighted the growing collaboration between IRF and IRA in advancing the state’s recycling objectives.

“Having both Anthony and Marta here underscores the importance of united leadership in our industry,” said Nathan Mihelich, who serves as Executive Director for both the IRF and IRA. “We’re seeing increase convergence of policy and practice that could transform Illinois’s approach to waste management.” Mihelich’s dual role epitomized the conference’s theme of breaking down silos between different sectors of the waste management industry.

The event drew many attendees from IRF’s membership, from academic institutions to major industry players. IRF member Midwest Fiber, a conference sponsor, demonstrated this range by hosting attendees at their nearby material recovery facility. The tour offered a ground-level view of modern recycling operations, complementing the policy discussions taking place in the conference rooms. Another tour offered a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how ISU’s Waterson Tower dining facilities use grey water recycling, batch preparation, data-driven purchasing and both front and back of house compost collection to reduce waste
while feeding thousands of students daily.

While Reed shared insights from implementing zero-waste initiatives at Illinois State University, including the award-winning Fix It Friday program, Tindall and Keane engaged with presenters on topics ranging from electronics recycling to battery collection programs.

The conference’s structure reflected the complexity of modern waste management. Elisa Seltzer presented Michigan’s NextCycle program as a model for circular economy initiatives, while simultaneously, industry veterans like Tom Hilbert detailed technical aspects of landfill operations.

Wednesday’s plenary session, “The Future of Waste,” brought together six industry leaders to address crucial developments in the field. Christina Seibert of SWANCC discussed the evolution of EPR laws, while Walter Willis from SWALCO presented on organics ban legislation – both topics central to IRA’s advocacy agenda.

The gathering wasn’t limited to conference rooms. Evening events, including dinner and music bingo at Fiala Brothers, provided opportunities for IRF leadership to strengthen relationships with county waste management officials and industry innovators. These informal discussions often proved as valuable as the scheduled sessions in advancing the organization’s objectives.

James Jennings, the former Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Section Manager for Materials Management and Compliance who was recently appointed Director Agency, provided a framework for the state’s 2025 environmental priorities, while specialists like Jason Linnell detailed developments in electronics recycling and Jacob Saffert updated attendees on PaintCare’s product stewardship programs.

Throughout the two-day event, Tindall and Keane joined President Ryan in strategic discussions with key stakeholders and industry leaders from across the waste management spectrum. Their presence during Christina Seibert’s EPR presentation and Walter Willis’s organics ban legislation discussion helped cement IRF and IRA’s roles in shaping future policy.

IRF’s strong showing at ILCSWMA 2024 demonstrated its crucial role in bridging the gap between environmental advocacy and operational excellence in Illinois’s waste management future.

As President Ryan noted during discussions, the collaboration between policy advocates, industry leaders, and public officials promises to accelerate the state’s progress toward a more sustainable future.