Rooted in Gratitude

That’s a wrap on CRRA 2026 in San Diego. Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth, solved a puzzle, grabbed a sticker, or just stopped to talk trash with us (the good kind)!

This year’s theme, Rooted in California Values, felt especially fitting for the work we do. Solid waste isn’t always glamorous, but it’s foundational; it is an essential service that keeps communities healthy and functioning. In California, we take that essential service and drive sustainability, resilience and impact into as much of the work we can. Every conversation we had this week, whether at our booth, in a session, or over a drink, echoed this commitment, and that’s a community worth being rooted in.

Thanks also to everyone who joined us at the Trashy Sing Along, the Mentorship Circle Networking Event, and the LATC & FRB Green Scene Social. We even kept the fun going at the after-party with the NCRA players: 🎶 “Reduce, reuse, recycle, rot, Innovation won’t stop, SB 54, Yes to 54!” 🎶

Events like these are where the real relationship-building happens; the kind that makes the challenging technical, relational and political work throughout the year a little easier, because you’ve built trust and understanding with colleagues throughout the state.

And thank you to everyone who came out for our sessions throughout the week: Garth’s two sessions on resource recovery parks and rate setting, Sarah’s roundtable on C&D facility certifications, and Alex’s panel on Clean Fleets regulations. These conversations are exactly why we show up to conferences like this.

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Please let us know if there was anything you heard in one of the sessions that you’d like to discuss further. And if you have any garbage that needs ungarbling, you know where to find us!

P.S. Didn’t finish Wednesday’s puzzles? Here are the answer keys to both & thank you to everyone for joining in on all the fun!

P.P.S. Couldn’t make NCRA Players Show?? Here’s a link to the recording!