November 2020 is a busy month for organics recycling conferences, and in 2020, all will be virtual. Here’s a roundup, starting with the earliest of the 3 events:
- 15th Annual California Bioresources Alliance Symposium, Nov. 12-13: This annual conference focuses on bioresource issues in California, and covers the full spectrum of organic wastes including biosolids, food waste, yard trimmings, agricultural residuals, and woody waste. The University of California Davis is supporting use of a Zoom platform with capacity of 500+ participants. Registration is free. Sessions on Day One include the circular bioeconomy, market ready solutions, product quality with a focus on contaminant removal, emerging constituents of concern, and agricultural residue management and healthy soil. Day Two kicks off with a session on SB 1383 implementation that includes California State Senator Ben Allen, a coauthor of the groundbreaking legislation. Other sessions cover emerging bioresource solutions and barriers and reclamation of fire-damaged lands.
- NJ Composting Council Organic Waste Summit 2.0, Nov. 19: The NJ Composting Council’s Organic Waste Management Summit is split into two sessions and a keynote in the morning, and then 2 concurrent workshops in the afternoon, starting at 2:30 pm. The first panel in the morning, at 8:35 am, is on municipal composting in New Jersey and includes presentations from the city of Jersey City and the Atlantic City Utility Authority. The second panel provides updates on the “State of Organics In New Jersey.” The Summit Keynote is Charles Eisenstein, author of Climate: A New Story, a new look at planetary ecological health. The last morning panel is on The Future/Innovation of Organics Recycling. In the afternoon, the first workshop focuses on Municipal Compost programs and how you can start them; the second covers the Foundations of Compost. Registration prices vary. The Summit 2.0 is sponsored by Engineered Composting Systems.
- 25th European Biosolids & Bioresources Virtual Conference, Nov. 24-25: The 2020 event brings together bioresource and biowaste professionals from across the globe to provide an essential annual update on the latest innovations, best practice, cutting-edge technology and research in the wastewater and resource management industries. In the United Kingdom, the water industry is just at the beginning of its 5-year “Asset Management Period” where major water companies establish business plans to meet tighter environmental constraints. In addition, the UK Environment Agency is taking a close look at regulation of both treatment and land application of biosolids. Another overarching reality is a slew of new initiatives prompted by COVID-19, with an increase in remote operability and future pandemic early warning systems through strategic sludge testing. Sessions covering these topics and more include: Advances in anaerobic digestion (AD) — process optimization and integration; Sludge thickening and dewatering; AD liquors/ammonia removal; Bioresource supply chain and value optimization; Biosolids to land: benefits and alternatives; Process modeling, monitoring and software developments; and a panel discussion on COVID monitoring in sewage sludge. The 25th Annual Conference is free to British water utilities. The fee for others is £150 (about $200).
