New York’s environmental ambitions have long been stated in policy documents and press releases, but the gap between aspiration and execution remains the industry’s most persistent problem. A new conference aims to close that gap by forcing the people who write the rules to sit at the same table as the people who build the infrastructure.
Oct. 30 event at Cornell Tech features NYC Sanitation Commissioner Gregory Anderson and Closed Loop Partners’ Ron Gonen
The New York State Association of Conservation Commissions (NYSACC), in partnership with the Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board (MSWAB), is organizing a two-day 2026 NYSACC Conference on the Environment that will examine how conservation objectives and zero-waste targets intersect. The main panel sessions are scheduled for Friday, October 30, at Cornell Tech on Roosevelt Island, while Thursday, Oct. 29 offers participants a series of optional field trips to notable conservation and sustainability projects across the city.
Under the theme “Conservation through Zero Waste in NYC + NYS: Leveraging AI, Technology and Infrastructure to Make Zero Waste Possible,” the gathering will assemble municipal leaders, public agencies, environmental professionals, researchers, technology firms, operators, academics, investors and nonprofit organizations around a single pressing question: How do we translate zero-waste targets into tangible conservation results through real infrastructure, technology and execution?
The program will tackle municipal recycling infrastructure, AI and robotics applications, materials management, organics and composting, textile recycling, environmental monitoring, circular-economy innovations, and the financing structures and partnerships required to scale these solutions beyond pilot projects.
Confirmed speakers and participants include:
- Gregory Anderson, Commissioner, New York City Department of Sanitation
- Ron Gonen, Founder & CEO, Closed Loop Partners
- Tom Outerbridge, President, East MRF Operations, Circular Services
- Kathryn Walker, Executive Director, Center for Sustainable Materials Management at SUNY ESF
- Leaders and experts from NYS DEC
- Stony Brook University
- AMP
- WeRadiate
- RecycleGO
- Helpsy
- Additional public-sector, industry and technology leaders to be announced
Simon Skolnik, Chair of the New York Association of Conservation Commissions, noted the significance of the location and format. “This is the first time we have had this conference in New York City, and this is a very exciting moment for our organization.”
“New York City and New York State have established ambitious environmental goals, but the real challenge is turning those goals into measurable results,” said Matthew Civello, Chair of the Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board. “That requires more than policy commitments. It requires the infrastructure, technology, investment, and expertise to make those commitments a reality.”
“We want to bring together the people making policy with those operating infrastructure, developing technology, financing solutions, and putting programs into practice,” added Stan Chen, Co-Secretary of the Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board. “The value of this conference is creating opportunities for those groups to collaborate and move practical solutions forward.”
Session topics span AI-enabled sorting and robotics, municipal recycling infrastructure and emerging technologies, materials management and conservation, textile-to-textile recycling, organics and composting systems, environmental monitoring and data, waste auditing and resource recovery. An Innovation Pavilion will feature hands-on technology demonstrations and showcases.
About NYSACC
The New York State Association of Conservation Commissions supports local conservation commissions, conservation advisory councils, environmental management councils and other organizations working on environmental issues throughout New York State.
About the Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board
The Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board (MSWAB) is a volunteer advisory organization focused on waste reduction, recycling, materials management and practical approaches to advancing New York City’s environmental goals.
Media Contact
Conference inquiries
conference@nysacc.org
Stan Chen
Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board
manhattanswab1@gmail.com
+1 914-306-0394
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Why it matters: This conference represents a shift from symbolic environmental pledges to operational problem-solving, bringing together the policymakers, technologists and financiers who will determine whether New York’s zero-waste goals become reality or remain rhetoric. The emphasis on AI, robotics and infrastructure signals that the next phase of environmental progress will be measured in tons diverted and systems deployed, not in resolutions passed.
