News Releases

NEW YORK, March 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Penton's WasteExpo, North America's largest solid waste, recycling and organics industry event, today officially announced it will host the Food Recovery Forum, a special two-day event centered on this booming industry. The conference program was developed in collaboration with Dr. Stuart Buckner, former Executive Director of the U.S. Composting Council. WasteExpo is scheduled to take place June 6-9, 2016 in Las Vegas.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160302/339607LOGO

"We specifically created this two-day Forum to assist the growing number of organizations that are looking to reduce food waste. From recovering edible food to feed hungry people to composting and anaerobic digestion of food scraps, there are many options available," said Mark Hickey, Vice President, Waste360. "Dr. Buckner is an expert in composting and organics recycling and has gathered the leading minds in the industry to share their ideas with Food Recovery Forum attendees.  We look forward to their insights."

"Food waste is a significant issue around the world. In fact, research shows that globally we throw away almost one-third of the food produced for human consumption," Dr. Buckner added. "This education program will fulfill our audience's need to learn how to end food waste and also provide them with ideas on how to transform waste into a resource." 

This year, WasteExpo has expanded to include the Food Recovery Forum. Attendees will learn about current and significant efforts to reduce food waste as well as increase food recovery and reuse, via donations of edible food to feed hungry people, and composting, and anaerobic digestion of food scraps to produce renewable energy and compost for healthy soils. 

If you're a generator of food waste (from industries including hospitality, manufacturing, grocery, healthcare, restaurants, or any other institution that generates food waste), you'll discover a wide array of recovery solutions that benefit both the environment and your bottom line. Or, as an organics recycling professional, you'll learn best practices from peers and meet customers who seek your services.  

This first-time event will show how to practice sustainable materials management and how to use and recycle wasted food in the most productive and sustainable way. It's a must for anyone in the solid waste, organics, and recycling industry.

The Food Recovery Forum will showcase leaders of public, charitable, academic and private organizations who are at the forefront of the sector, including:

• "America's First National Goal to Reduce Wasted Food: A Call to Action" by Mathy Stanislaus, US EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Solid Waste.  
• "The Food Waste Reduction Alliance (FWRA): How industry is working to reduce & divert food waste across the supply chain" will offer presentations from Meghan Stanz, Grocery Manufacturers Association; Michael Desso, Director, Safety, Health & Environment, Nestle USA; Brian Higgins, Sustainability Manager, Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy; and Jason Wadsworth, Sustainability Manager, Wegmans Food Markets.
• "Racing to End Food Waste at Big Venues" by Jeremy Kranowitz, Executive Director of Sustainable America.
• "Feeding America: Case studies and best practices for recovering edible food from the waste stream across all sectors of the food industry for financial, environmental and social impact" by Karen Hanner, Feeding America.  
• Practical presentations on: "The Nuts and Bolts of Organics Recovery," "Zero Food Waste," "On-Site Food Waste Recycling Technologies," and "The Role of Compostable Products for Collecting Food Residuals."
• Representatives from San Francisco and Massachusetts will discuss food waste diversion policies and legislation.

WasteExpo is partnering with Penton's Supermarket News and Nation's Restaurant News to co-market, deliver new content and expand the event's reach to a wider audience.

For more information and to register to attend WasteExpo, please visit WasteExpo.com.

Media interested in obtaining media credentials to attend WasteExpo, contact Meredith Fortunato, Meredith.fortunato@penton.com

About Penton's Waste360 Group
Penton's Waste360 Group harnesses the power of its many properties to serve the solid waste and recycling industry. The industry widely consumes this content in the form of websites, live events, online learning and digital opportunities and more and includes: Waste360.com, WasteExpo, The Global Waste Management Symposium, The Healthcare Waste Conference, the Waste360 Recycling Summit, and topical and timely e-newsletters. For more information, visit www.waste360.com. 

About Penton
Penton is an innovative information services company that empowers nearly 20 million business decision makers in markets that drive more than 12 trillion dollars in purchases each year. Our products inform with rich industry insights and workflow tools; engage through dynamic events, education and networking; and advance business with powerful marketing services programs. Penton is the way smart businesses buy, sell and grow.

Headquartered in New York, Penton is privately owned by MidOcean Partners and Wasserstein & Co., LP. For more information, visit http://www.penton.com or follow us on Twitter @PentonNow.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Meredith Fortunato
Marketing Director
Penton's WasteExpo
E:  Meredith.Fortunato@penton.com

SOURCE Penton