Boom! That was the sound heard over Lake George from the fireworks signaling the kickoff of the annual Federation of New York Conference & Trade Show in May. As the only gathering that starts with a bang, the New York region鈥檚 popular event buzzed with activity and drew professionals from across all over New York state plus the surrounding states of Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Virginia, Maryland, and others at the Sagamore Resort in Bolton Landing, NY from May 18 鈥� 21.
Organized by Conference Chair, Russell Rutkowski, the Federation of New York Conference & Trade Show hosted nearly聽600 attendees and 80+ exhibitors, held engaging activities, and had a robust lineup of educational sessions鈥攊ncluding a great keynote from聽Michael Hoffman, CEO of NWRA. This year鈥檚 event connected industry leaders, and was packed with energy, innovation, and invaluable networking鈥攁ll with sharing insights on shaping the future of waste management.
A Warm Welcome: Sunday BBQ with Exhibitors & Fireworks Over Lake George
The event kicked off in spectacular fashion on聽Sunday evening聽with a聽BBQ dinner alongside exhibitors, bringing together attendees in a casual, friendly atmosphere. Over plates of delicious food and lively conversation, new connections were made and old ones rekindled as the industry community gathered with anticipation for the days ahead. The real showstopper came at nightfall, when attendees gathered by the water for the annual,聽spectacular fireworks display over Lake George. A perfect start to a memorable week.
A Dynamic Exhibitor Hall
One of the highlights was the聽exhibitor hall, where a diverse set of companies showcased a wide range of equipment, software solutions, and services. Attendees were invited to start the day with breakfast served in the hall in order to enjoy some food while discussing their industry needs and possible solutions to challenges that they see day to day. From fleet management tools to recycling innovations, the floor was alive with live demos, interactive booths, and passionate discussions. It was the perfect place to:
- Discover the latest technologies聽in waste handling and recycling
- Meet service providers and manufacturers聽face-to-face
- Build relationships with both new and familiar industry players
Michael Hoffman Provides Insights on Industry
The educational program began on聽Monday聽with a thoughtful keynote by Michael Hoffman, NWRA鈥檚 CEO . He gave a state of the industry on where some of the policy initiatives are and oversights about the challenges of the current economy. He went over current disposal numbers in the U.S. marketplace, and more specifically in the New York market. While landfills still dominate as the end solution for waste, there is a good percentage that is recycled, followed by waste to energy and composting. He discussed safety concerns, especially in response to the Bureau of Labor Statistics鈥� recent data, as well as the status of supply chains. He expressed the industry led the way in alternative fuels before it was a topic of conversation. He believes in the future, the industry鈥檚 trucks will consist of one-third diesel, one-third CNG, and one-third electric powertrains with the debate still out about what will fuel it. It all comes down to infrastructure and how you will be able to refuel. Hoffman said while landfills continue to be a hot button issue, they are really engineering marvels. Landfills and civil engineering are even being taught in many universities because everything you touch as a civil engineer is at a聽RCRA subtitle D landfill. The most recent data showed about 1,550 landfills in the country, with about 700 controlled by 20 companies in the private sector that handle about 75 percent of the volume, while a small handful are owned by private companies and the rest owned by municipalities. Most of the municipal landfills will close over the next 25 years, and one-third will close over the next 10 years due to a conscious decision to not expand or because it has run out of airspace. Almost all of that volume will end up in private sector landfills unless we do something about the waste.
With regards to labor, he emphasized the majority of CDL license holders are over 50 years old. We are entering into a long-term phase of retirements and not seeing a lot of the younger generation stepping up. He stressed that if you have 50 trucks or more and are not doing some sort of in-house training, then you are at a competitive disadvantage. The hardest job to fill is the technician because they work odd hours. Hoffman explained NWRA has partnered with the National Propane Gas Association who has a driver training program. For an affordable amount (must be an NWRA member for access), you can get through what you need to execute the driving test for a CDL license. He said while the current generation is moving towards vocational, there is not enough of them to fill the void of people that are retiring. Industry and the private sector will need to emphasize vocational training as an option for after high school. He also stressed more than 60 percent of the population do not think that what they put in the bin is recyclable. The industry has invested billions to modernize recycling facilities in the past few years and the quality of the new separation technology is fantastic. However, the industry needs to be more visible about telling the story, specifically to have consumers understand that recycling is real.
Finally, he touched on the ongoing concern of how tariffs are going to affect the industry. He explained under the current executive order, it makes a specific reference to the U.S. Mexico-Canada Agreement and under that trade agreement, the industry is exempt. NWRA also has two letters in front of Congress and DHS, relative to the vendor side with regards to vehicles. He stressed components are the issue, rather than the metals. While most metals are made in the U.S., components are imported from various countries. NWRA is seeking exemptions for these as well since this industry is an essential service. NWRA and SWANA also have a Memorandum of Understanding between two groups focusing on key policy initiatives. NWRA鈥檚 first and foremost rule is to focus on advocacy and education, federal level issues, NSPS, PFAS regulations, and others. NWRA has recently partnered with the U.S. Forest Service to be their spokesperson going forward to talk about batteries, how recycling is real, and telling the industry鈥檚 story in order to change the messaging around issues and get consumers to pay attention. His insights framed a conference focused on聽leadership, resilience, and forward thinking. He pointed out that at the end of the day, the industry is a complex, logistics issue and we all have a really cool story to tell.
Educational Sessions Deliver
On Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, the Federation of New York鈥檚 conference program, put together by the Federation鈥檚 Technical Program Coordinator, Amy Davies, delivered聽real-world takeaways聽for professionals at all levels which included 19 continuing education credits. Attendees participated in 25 targeted sessions covering topics given by 83experts in the field. Panel discussions included recycling, reuse, and sustainable market strategies; advancing plastics recycling and waste solutions for New York state; navigating GHG, PFAS, and landfill air challenges; maximizing the potential of closed landfills, which included methane destruction and solar energy development; composting and smarter waste processing; textile circularity; engineering ethics; packaging and EPR assessment; building a comprehensive reuse economy and other valuable sessions all giving takeaways to discuss and consider in challenges that are faced every day.
On Tuesday, ReMA offered a half-day training course in Hazard Recognition: Fire Safety and Prevention in Recycling. The comprehensive four-hour course moderated by Joanne Gemenden of the New Jersey Clean Communities Council, featured Jerry Sjogran from ReMA and Tony Smith from North American Safety Group, and was developed to help recyclers better understand emergency action procedures, fire extinguisher use, ignition and fuel sources, relationship building with local fire departments, and more.
As the industry continues to evolve with advances in smart technologies and equipment used in collections, MRFs, landfills, and even waste conversion, these timely topics were essential to understanding how to create solutions to ongoing challenges.
It鈥檚 Your thing, Do What You Want to Do: Networking Opportunities Abound
At the close of Monday night, attendees gathered to enjoy several fun interactive events designed to get the blood flowing and keep up the energy from the day鈥檚 sessions and activities. With karaoke and dancing plus a hilarious photo booth where costumes were encouraged, a campfire pit under the stars to warm the bones complete with s鈥檓ores fixings, and an area for those who just wanted to relax and enjoy a nice cigar after the first full day, the networking opportunities were all rich in conversation, where people made new connections and re-connected with old friends.
Tuesday afternoon was all about outdoor adventure, offering attendees a refreshing mix of recreation and networking. After a morning of educational sessions, attendees had a choice to relax or choose from a variety of bonding opportunities, including a boat tour on Lake George, kayaking, pickleball, golf, , tennis, fishing, hiking and yoga. There even was a special session with an executive chef at the Sagamore demonstrating how the food was prepared and a new activity this year called rail biking, which is a group biking experience over railroad tracks exploring nature, crossing bridges, and connecting with new friends. Whether relaxing or exploring, these activities offered the perfect balance of fun and professional connection.
After an evening reception, the popular Casino Night activity took place where guests聽 tested their luck at the tables and enjoyed an atmosphere of high stakes and high style. The roulette wheels were the centerpiece of excitement, drawing curious newcomers and seasoned players alike. While the blackjack tables were packed all night with energetic rounds, lively conversation, and cheers as players edged closer to 21, and the craps tables were electric with players shouting encouragement and rolling dice with hot streaks, wild rolls, and contagious energy. Whether attendees were high rollers or just playing for laughs, Casino Night was a great time for all.
The late-night ice cream bar was a deliciously fun way to wrap up the night and bring everyone together. Not only was the event a refreshing break filled with sweet treats, laughter, and great company, but the best karaoke and photo contest were handed out and the casino night prizes were awarded. It was a great way to end the full day of activities and get ready for the final day of the conference.
David Biderman, Biderman Consulting, LLC who spoke twice at the Federation鈥檚 conference, commented: 鈥淭his is the best state-level solid waste conference in the country. I was flattered to speak at the conference, and both renewed old friendships and made new industry contacts.鈥�
Final Thoughts
Throughout every keynote, session, and casual moment, the message was clear: innovation聽is driving transformation, education is essential, and collaboration聽is the key to lasting progress. From the聽Sunday night fireworks over Lake George聽to聽Michael Hoffman’s keynote聽and every karaoke mic, demo floor, and paddle in between, the event delivered a great reminder of what makes this industry exceptional:聽its people, its purpose, and its passion. Bruce Howie, P.E. HDR Senior VP and Chair of the NY Federation summed it up, 鈥淥ur planning committee works tirelessly and it is a testimony to them with our increased attendance, creativity and expanded technical program.聽 The #1 Reason to Attend the 2025 NY Federation Conference was Networking, and attendees confirmed that we met our goal!鈥� The聽Federation of New York Conference & Trade Show聽once again proved why it鈥檚 one of the premier gatherings in the solid waste and recycling industry. It will be back at the Sagamore from May 17 鈥� 20, 2026. We are looking forward to what next year has in store!
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THANK YOU TO THE EVENT SPONSORS!
