31st Annual RU: Call for Speakers! Apply Today!

Call for Speakers: 2027 Northern California Recycling Update

The Northern California Recycling Association (NCRA) is seeking dynamic speakers for its annual Recycling Update (RU), our fast-paced, high-energy event that showcases what’s new and innovative in the world of waste reduction and Zero Waste. We welcome proposals from those who haven’t yet presented at RU, as well as from experienced speakers eager to share their cutting-edge ideas and insights.

With over 500 attendees, including local government recycling staff, policy makers, consultants, haulers, and processors from across Northern California, RU is an ideal platform to showcase your work in front of a highly engaged audience. This is your chance to highlight the latest programs, policies, and projects shaping the future of our industry.

Presentation Format:

  • Each speaker is allotted 10 minutes for their presentation, followed by a 2-minute Q&A session.
  • The event features a single-track format, ensuring that all attendees hear your presentation—no breakouts, no missed opportunities.
  • Timeliness is crucial. Speakers must be well-prepared and adhere to their time limits.

Key Focus Areas: We encourage proposals that reflect NCRA’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), incorporating these values in both the content and design of presentations. Additionally, the selection committee is especially interested in presentations that explore reusables and refillables, extended producer responsibility,  public outreach and marketing strategies, recycling technologies and markets, hazardous waste, organics recycling and compost procurement, plastics reduction policies, repair, , mixed waste and trash processing, DEI, and edible food recovery. 

How to Apply: Submit your proposal by COBD – Thursday, November 5, 2026.

Event Details:

The 31st Annual Recycling Update will take place on Tuesday, March 23, 2027 at San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA

We are excited about an in-person event and are optimistic that we can accomplish this safely while sharing your important work with a wider audience. Although there is an option for attendees to attend virtually, speakers will be required to attend in person.

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Keeping It Cool: Best Practices for Developing Community Fridges, 10/26

RSVP

Featuring:
-Robin Martin, with Joint Venture Silicon Valley, will describe their Environmental Health-approved community fridge program developed and operating in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.

-Monica Ravizza with Extra Food, a Food Recovery Service, will talk about their program and how it interacts with community fridges.

-Ernst Bertone Oehninger with Freedge, an organization that began in Davis, will share their resources on how to start and maintain community fridges.

Sponsored by
NCRA Zero Food Waste Committee Solid Waste Association of North America Gold Rush Chapter
California Resource Recovery Association Edible Food Recovery Technical Council
Zero Waste USA

2026 Board of Directors Election – Candidate Statements

Five NCRA members have been nominated to serve on the 2027 – 2028 Board of Directors. There are five two-year positions open. Two are new; three are incumbents.

The Meet the Candidates Night will be held October 15 at 5:30pm. All members welcome. Contact the office to reserve your spot.

Voting opens Monday, November 16 and ends Monday, December 6 at 11:59pm. Early on November 16, custom voting links will be emailed to all current members. If you do not receive a SimplyVoting email that day, please confirm your membership is up-to-date using this simple 4-step system. If there is an issue, please contact the office.

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

NCRA BOARD OF DIRECTOR CANDIDATES, 2026

Click each picture to access the associated candidate statement. Many include a LinkedIn link at the bottom of the page.

Eli Forrester

Hi! I’m Eli Forrester, and I’ve spent more than a decade keeping products and materials at their highest and best use. I’m from San Francisco and work as the Sustainability…

Reka Abraham

If we’ve not yet had the pleasure of meeting, hello, my name is Reka (pronounced “Ray-kah) Abraham. I am currently on the NCRA Board. During my first term, I served…

Miami-Dade County’s New Zero Waste Master Plan, 8/26

Recording

Hot off the press!

NCRA is chatting with Nick Ciancio, project lead for the new Miami-Dade County Zero Waste Master Plan. Nick is currently the Resilience Division Director for the Miami-Dade County Department of Solid Waste Management. The Zero Waste Master Plan aims to divert 90% of waste from landfills through expanded recycling, organic composting, and biochar pilot programs.