Category: Newsletter

June 7, 2026 NCRA Summer Family Hiking Adventure: Waste Less, Wander More!

Join the Northern CA Recycling Association’s (NCRA) Membership Engagement and Activities Committee (MEAC) for a day of fresh air, scenic views, and community connection. We’re heading to the beautiful Berkeley Hills for a kid-friendly, stroller-accessible trek that’s perfect for recyclers and Zero Wasters of all ages! 

Ready to temporarily swap the blue bin for the green hills of Tilden Regional Park? We can’t wait to see you there!

Learn more and RSVP here.

️ ️Event Details

  • Sunday, June 7, 2026
  • Start Time: 10:00 AM. We’re kicking off at 10:00 AM to beat the summer heat and secure parking before the crowds arrive! 
  • Total Duration: Approximately 3–4 hours (includes a leisurely lunch at Wildcat Peak, a.k.a. the stone circle). 
  • The Hike: Nimitz Way Trail—a wide, paved, and stroller-friendly trail offering 360-degree views of the San Francisco Bay Area, Berkeley Hills, Oakland Hills, Tilden Regional Park, San Pablo Reservoir, and Briones Regional Park Hills. 

Location & Parking

The Game Plan

We will hike roughly 1.5 hours out to a scenic overlook (Wildcat Peak, a.k.a. Stone Circle), enjoy a zero-waste picnic lunch, and then head 1.5 hours back. The hike is about 4-5 miles round trip. 

Join us at the Capitol for NCRA’s Advocacy Day 2026

You are invited to join us on June 17 for our 3rd annual Advocacy Day in over a decade!

Free for members, $70 for non-members, which includes a one-year membership, and $25 for students/teachers/low-income non-members (which includes a 6-month membership).

⚠️ATTN Members: Please contact the office for the registration code.⚠️

RSVP Here.

This interactive event runs from 9am – 4:30pm, including lunch and a light breakfast. Optional no-host happy hour following our legislative visits.

The 2026 program includes presentations from Joanne Brasch, Director of Advocacy and Outreach, California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC) and Krystal Raynes, Policy Associate, Californians Against Waste (CAW), and more.

Topics include legislation basics, EPR and how to lobby effectively. We’ll also go over NCRA’s priority bills for the day and “role play” practice meetings with legislators and their staff. After lunch we’ll have meetings with legislative staff members or perhaps legislators!

Visit our Legislative Tracker for a brief overview of what’s on our radar.

Let us know who your legislators are. You can look up yours here.

Please also join us for CalRecycle Day if you are able! We’ll be attending (and speaking at, if comfortable!) a CalRecycle meeting on Tuesday, June 16th, 10-11:30am. Other opportunities for the day may include no-host group lunch and dinner/happy hour, legislative visits for experienced advocates, remote work time, CalRecycle rulemaking workshop for AB 2440, and more.

If you are interested in helping with the planning, contact Bailey Hall and Gwynn Mackellen via the website contact page.

During registration, please confirm: -Acceptance of membership options -City of residence (to make sure we’ve asked your representatives for meetings!) -Interest in attending pre-event CalRecycle meeting with other NCRA Members the day before – Tuesday, June 16th. -Any dietary restrictions (Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free, Allergies, etc.) -Carpooling plans

Carpooling encouraged! Consider taking the Amtrak or other transit options.

Carpooling may be available. Need a carpool or able to provide a ride? Sign up here.

⚠️Cancellation allowed no less than 24 hours before the start of the event.

Announcing Recycling Update 2026 (Media Release)

Northern California Recycling Association to host 30th Annual Recycling Update at San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA – February 2026 – The Northern California Recycling Association (NCRA) is proud to host the 30th Annual Recycling Update (RU), the premier event for resource recovery professionals in Northern California. This year’s milestone conference will take place on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at San Francisco State University’s McKenna Theatre, in San Francisco, CA. In person registration includes catered lunch at the Cesar Chavez Student Center and entrance to the highly popular networking event, Green Drinks. 

About RU

Recycling Update is widely recognized as the leading one day Zero Waste conference in Northern California. Known for its fast-paced, speed-dating presentation format, featuring 20 speakers from across California and the West Coast each presenting for 10 minutes on the latest innovations, programs, policies on more than just recycling; topics will cover reuse, repair, composting, outreach, extended producer responsibility (EPR), and edible food recovery. 

Since 2023, over 500 register to attend RU each year, attendees include municipal employees, refuse service providers, local and state policy makers, business leaders, university professors and facility staff, students, plastic-free and anti-incineration advocates, consultants, among many other sustainability professionals. 

Event Details

  • March 25, 2026
  • San Francisco State University – San Francisco, CA
  • Presentations: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM at McKenna Theatre
  • Lunch at Cesar Chavez Student Center
  • After-hours Green Drinks Reception at Seven Hills Conference Center

About San Francisco State

San Francisco State University has a long-standing tradition of student-led activism and leadership in sustainability. From the historic 1968 student strike that created the nation’s first College of Ethnic Studies, to becoming the first public university to divest from fossil fuels in 2013, and most recently committing to divest from arms dealers in 2025, SF State continues to champion racial and environmental justice.

Most notably the campus is committed to Zero Waste, achieving 72% landfill diversion in 2023 through adoption of recycling and composting across the campus, an edible food recovery program, student-led clothing swaps, and Sustainable Move Out programs. 

Registration

Discounts for students, educators, and advocates start at $125. Scholarship opportunities available. Registration includes a 6 or 12-month NCRA membership. Register here.

Quote from NCRA Leadership

“For 30 years, Recycling Update has been the hub for innovation and collaboration in resource recovery in Northern California,” said Freddy Coronado, NCRA President “This milestone event is more than just recycling, it’s a celebration and sharing of proven and implemented Zero Waste solutions in California and beyond that have and continue to prevent landfilling, incineration, and the exploitation of Earth’s natural resources.”

Program Highlights?

RU delivers actionable insights and networking opportunities for advancing Zero Waste goals.

To learn more and register, visit our event website. 

Media Contact: Freddy Coronado via the NCRA Office.

NCRA Media Release, 2026 02 26 (pdf)