International solid waste expert to visit and present in Guam

The Guam Environmental Protection Agency today announced international solid waste expert Eric Lombardi will be a keynote speaker at the Zero Waste Pacific conference in May.

“Eric Lombardi is a leader in recycling systems and public-private development. Guam EPA encourages anyone working in the field of solid waste to attend the conference to learn about how to design facilities, market hard-to-recycle materials and new technology,” said Guam EPA Administrator Eric M. Palacios. “We are honored to bring Mr. Lombardi to Guam and I am extremely interested in learning more about bringing society, technology and business together to benefit the entire island.”

Lombardi will be a keynote speaker at the Zero Waste Pacific Conference on May 8 and May 9, 2014.

He the Executive Director of Eco-Cycle International. Lombardi specializes in community recycling systems, social enterprise and public-private project development. In his 24 years of managing Eco-Cycle, he built it into the largest Zero Waste service organization in the U.S. mainland. This included working with a staff of 70 people to process more than 50,000 tons of diverse recycled material per year.

In 1995, he co-founded the U.S. National Nonprofit Recyclers Council. Three years later, Lombardi was invited to the White House as one of the Top 100 USA Recyclers. He also co-founded and served as the Board President of the national GrassRoots Recycling Network. Lombardi is also a co-founder of the global Zero Waste International Alliance based in Wales.

The span of his work covers the the design of recycling facilities, the benefits of a social enterprise approach, the politics of growing community recycling programs and strategies for long-term recycling business survival. For more information about Eco-cycle visit www.Ecocycleinternational.org.

Registration for the training and conference can be found at https://www.regonline.com/2014ZeroWastePacific. Following the SWANA training and certification test, there will be a two-day workshop focusing on sustainable materials management in the Pacific. The conference will include presentations focusing on zero waste, capacity building and community-based environmental protection.

Preregistration for the certification trainings is $525.00 per participant until Wednesday, April 9. After that day, the cost is $655.00 per participant.

For more information about SWANA certification or the training component of the event, contact Guam EPA’s Solid Waste Management Program at 300-4751 or email Laura.Kanai@epa.guam.gov.

For more information about the conference or to arrange an interview contact TammyJoAnderson.Taft@epa.guam.gov or call 300-4751/52/53/61.