About

VIP Fighting CA’s Last MSW Incinerator, 10/8

 

Watch the recording here.

Get ready for an exciting conversation tonight at 5:30 PM via Zoom, the ZWAC Show will host a special interview with Bianca Lopez, Co-founder and Project Director of Valley Improvement Projects (VIP).⁠

Breaking news today that Reworld is set to close California’s last MSW incinerator! Bianca has been working tirelessly in Stanislaus County to educate the public and advocate for the facility’s shutdown. You may recognize Bianca from her feature in the Story of Stuff Project’s powerful mini-documentary “Burning Injustice,” which highlights the fight against one of California’s last trash incinerators, the Covanta Stanislaus facility.⁠

VIP is a standout Social & Environmental Justice nonprofit based in Modesto, advocating to improve the lives of underrepresented and marginalized communities in the Central Valley. Residents of this region face the daily harms of industrial agriculture, trash incineration, and ongoing threats of landfill expansions and oil drilling—all of which pose serious health risks and pollution to air and water.⁠ VIP is driving change through bold partnerships and grassroots advocacy. A major victory to add is CA’s last MSW Incinerator to close on December 2, 2024. Coupled with the recent passage of AB 1864, which enforces stricter pesticide regulations near schools, thanks to local watchdog efforts.⁠

Don’t miss this chance to hear from Bianca about these important wins and the inspiring fight for social and environmental justice in the Central Valley.

RU 2025 Call for Presentations, Speakers and Topic Nominations

Application form extended to November 22, 2024. See form below.

NCRA is seeking speakers for the 2025 Recycling Update (RU) to share what is new and different in all aspects of waste reduction and Zero Waste. We especially invite speakers who have not yet presented at this dynamic, fast paced event.

Join over 500 attendees – in-person and on-line, from local government recycling staff, policy makers, consultants, haulers and processors from across Northern California.
 
All speakers have ***10 minutes*** for their presentation plus 2 minutes for questions.  One advantage is that everyone in attendance will hear your ideas – no breakouts or tracks.

We run a pretty tight ship, so it’s important that each speaker be well prepared, and stay within their allotted time.

All presentations must reflect NCRA’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Please make a conscious effort to address these issues as you prepare your submissions, both in textual and graphic elements. In addition, the selection committee encourages proposals focused on SB 1383 implementation and Reuse & Repair.

Speakers receive free registration as well as an optional one year of membership.  For additional information, please use the form to ask questions.

2024 Board of Directors Elections – Candidate Statements

Nine NCRA members – including 2 incumbents, have been nominated to serve on the 2024-2025 Board of Directors. There are five two-year positions to fill.

Voting opens Wednesday, November 15 and ended Thursday, November 30 at midnight. Due to the holiday the balloting has been extended to December 6 at 11:59pm.

Results will be presented to the board for ratification, then to the candidates via email and later to the membership via the December newsletter.

Early November 15, custom voting links will be emailed to current members. If you do not receive our SimplyVoting email that day, but believe you should –  your membership is current as of November 15, 2024, please contact the office.

NCRA BOARD OF DIRECTOR CANDIDATES, 2024

Click each picture for the candidate statement.

Christopher Slafter

Member since 2016

My name is Christopher Slafter and I am nominating myself as a candidate for Board membership because I want to give back to the organization of my peers that has generously supported me throughout my career. I have been a NCRA member for eight years, I have attended several Recycling Updates, presented at the 2024 Recycling Update and recently joined the Zero Waste Action Committee.

Professionally, I serve as a Senior Sustainability Specialist for the San Mateo County Sustainability Department where I organize and facilitate a Regional Foodware Ordinance Working Group, manage programs that support the County’s Disposable Foodware Ordinance, and am a member of our Equity Team.

Prior to my current position, I worked for Clean Water Action’s ReThink Disposable program, where I successfully transitioned numerous businesses from single-use disposable foodware to reusable alternatives.

I got into this work because, while surfing, I was disgusted by the plastic pollution I saw on our beaches. The San Francisco Bay Area is my home where I am currently raising a family in Oakland, NCRA is my professional home, and I want to take care of where I live. As a Board member, I will bring my experience creating coalitions and working with diverse stakeholders to help NCRA achieve our waste reduction and resource and energy conservation goals.

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Sarah R Koplowicz

Member since 2022

Hello fellow NCRA members! I started my journey working in trash in 2007, when I worked as Zero Waste Coordinator at the UC Davis R4 Recycling Program. As a lifelong environmentalist, that experience galvanized my interest and led me to work in Zero Waste event management for more than a decade, managing crews for events with up to two million attendees. Along the way I spent two years at the SF Green Business Program, obtained an M.S. in Environmental Management, and now work as a Senior Consultant at R3 Consulting Group, where I assist public agencies in all aspects of solid waste programs.

In addition, I serve as a board member for the nonprofit Race to Zero Waste and have been on the Zero Waste Youth USA planning committee for 7+ years starting in 2014. I started volunteering at the NCRA Recycling Update in 2015 and have attended almost every year since. I’m also an active member of CRRA, including moderating a panel at the 2023 CRRA conference.

If elected to the NCRA Board, I would be pleased to contribute my extensive experience and knowledge of the industry and my passion for Zero Waste. It would be my honor and great pleasure to work more closely with NCRA to provide the best possible programs at the Recycling Update and throughout the year.

LinkedIn