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WORC March 2022 Newsletter |
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WORC 2022 Webinar Series
Register Now for our upcoming webinar series!
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WORC is pleased to present a substantive line-up of speakers and presentations for our 2022 Webinar series. We will offer 6 lunch hour webinars between April and August, each touching on a topic of interest to stakeholders in the organic recycling world.
Pricing remains unchanged from 2021 and attendees can register for individual sessions or the entire series at a discount. Individual Webinars are $15 each (WORC members) and $35 each (non-members), or register for all six for $60 (members), $160 (non-members). When purchasing as a bundle, it includes registration for up to 3 staff.
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Become a Sponsor!
If your organization is interested in sponsoring this series, we offer 3 sponsorship levels:
- $200 Curing
- $500 Mesophilic
- $1,000 Thermophilic level.
Sponsors will be acknowledged in each webinar and on all promotional materials. Additionally, sponsorship includes registration for sponsor organization staff: Curing - up to 10 staff, Mesophilic - up to 25 staff, or Thermophilic – unlimited.
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Webinar Schedule
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April 6, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: Heather Trim of Zero Waste Washington will provide a legislative session recap, including the recently passed HB 1799
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May 19, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: Sally Brow of University of Washington will discuss what you need to know about soil carbon and organics
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May 26, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: Deirdre Griffin LaHue of Washington State University will discuss organics and soil health, including updates from the long-term biosolids study in Douglas, and the newly established soil health study in La Conner.
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June 16, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: We will host 2 virtual facility tours. A1 Organics, a compost facility in Colorado, and Kompogas SLO, a high solids AD facility in California.
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July 14, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: Alison Halpern of WA State Conservation Commission will discuss Organics and climate-smart opportunities through the Sustainable Farms and Fields grant program
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August (date TBD): We will hear about PFAS and organics.
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The 2022 WA state legislative session has been busy for organics. There were two bills this year in which WORC was active with advocacy work, HB 1799 Concerning organics material management, and HB 1686 Labeling of biodegradable products.
HB 1799 – Concerning organic materials management – At its core, this bill aims to get organics out of the landfill. The bill language includes changes, updates, and new requirements for many areas of organics management. If it is signed into law, local governments will see changes to organics management planning requirements, including mandatory increased collection of organics from residents and businesses, and identifying acceptable locations for organics management facilities. The bill also supports the establishment of the Washington Center for Sustainable Food Management to provide oversight for food waste prevention efforts, additional requirements for local governments to purchase, use, and track usage of compost in municipal projects, improved labeling of compostable serviceware. WORC testified in support of this bill in both the House and the Senate, and several WORC board members participated in a stakeholder group that provided input and guidance to the primary bill sponsors, representative Fitzgibbon and senator Das.
HB 1686 – labeling of biodegradable products – seeks to repeal the prohibition on the use of the term “biodegradable” on identified plastic products.
Washington currently has a prohibition against the use of the term “biodegradable” on plastic products, as this term is often confused with “compostable.” This bill sought to overturn that prohibition, asking that the term be allowed on plastic products that have been treated with a proprietary chemical that purports to speed the decomposition of plastics in a landfill setting. WORC testified in opposition to this bill, expressing concerns for public confusion and the potential for increased contamination by non-compostable plastics in composting operations. The bill did not pass.
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Compost Facility Operator Training |
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WORC is thrilled to announce that this year’s Compost Facility Operator Training (CFOT) will be taking place in-person again. From October 17th-21st, students, speakers, and instructors will connect at WSU’s Puyallup campus for 5 days of in-depth training about composting the Pacific Northwest. In addition to learning about the basics of compost manufacturing, trainees will hear from experts in the field on topics ranging from soil biology to state regulations. They will also participate in hands-on activities, build their own experimental compost piles, and tour multiple facilities in the region.
Whether trainees are looking to get involved with compost professionally, expand their knowledge of the compost industry, or become a certified facility operator to meet your site’s regulatory requirements, CFOT is the course for them. Details and registration will be available on the WORC website in May.
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International Compost Awareness Week 2022, May 1-7, 2022
International Compost Awareness Week is the largest and most comprehensive education initiative of the compost industry. It is celebrated nationwide and in other countries each year during the first full week of May.
To learn more about how you can get involved with International Compost Awareness Week, plan an event in your community, or check out the event page for more event ideas here
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WSRA’s 42nd Annual Conference and Trade Show May 15-18, 2022
Semiahmoo Resort, Blain, WA
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WEF Biosolids and Residuals 2022: May 24-May 27, 2022
Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, Ohio
Save the Date for Residuals and Biosolids 2022!
The 2022 WEF Residuals and Biosolids conference will share new technologies, successful innovations, and current best practices to allow industry professionals to achieve long-term success designing and managing biosolids programs.
The conference will include oral presentations, interactive discussions, posters, pre-conference workshops, exhibits, mobile sessions, opportunities for networking in dynamic settings, as well as virtual components.
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Reminder: 2022 membership dues are due by March 31st. Being a WORC member comes with a lot of benefits, including member pricing for events and webinars. For questions about WORC membership, contact worc@aminc.org or complete the membership link below.
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Announcing NextCycle Washington |
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Launching in the coming months, NextCycle Washington is an accelerator program and networking platform for organizations and businesses diverting materials and using recycled materials in manufacturing. Eligible projects include those addressing the organic material stream, such as composting efforts. NextCycle Washington is an initiative of King County, Washington State Department of Ecology, Washington Department of Commerce, and Seattle Public Utilities. Sign up for updates on the program. |
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Nominate your organization for a member spotlight!
Every newsletter, WORC features one of our member organizations, and yours could be in the ‘spotlight’ next!
Not everyone may know about what you do, so let us know and we can feature you. If you’ve been featured in the past, you can be featured again!
Let us know if you have a cool new project or awesome staff you want to highlight.
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If you are interested in becoming more involved with WORC this year, consider submitting a spotlight or even joining a committee. |
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Check out the latest news, view past newsletters, and see legislative updates on the WORC website
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