Trash Trip

Last week, I attended www.wastecon.com in Long Beach, CA. For those who have been to one or two conventions, they all share one similar trait: snacks!! This one was no exception. . . not by a long shot. From ice cream bars and sandwiches, to donuts and cookies, it was there; hard candies, hah! Just walk on by 😉 If you’re a serious booth, you have the number one yum: chocolate.

On that note, however, I found myself perplexed and struggling at one point – when I walked by the booth for “Odor Control.” They had miniature chocolate chunks, enclosed in a custom wrapper labeled with “Odor Control” and “Odor Neutralizers” prominently displayed – among other things. But, nature persisted and the chocolate tasted no different than one lovingly wrapped in words like “Sweetness” and “Chocolate Conquers all Fears.”

At the convention, I gave a one hour presentation on my travels to date: from Alaska to California. It was an informal affair; I stood at one of the corner “booths” in the central “Break Zone” (where people went to sit, relax, and take a break – sounds appropriate) and gave my one hour tour of the west coast. About ten people joined me, in my fireside storytelling setting (minus the fireside).

The night and morning before, I spent hours gathering, sizing, and saving a collection of 900+ images to scroll through behind me, while I chatted. That morning, all was working well and I began sharing my story with the handful of people who made their way there to listen. Additional passers-by joined the group and I gladly continued. Meanwhile, my slideshow decided to discontinue its show behind me – as the computer went into screensaver mode. . . with an administrator/password lock-out.

Yup, you are correct, there were no pictures after that! Oh well. All is well that ends well – because the images were actually a distraction. With the slideshow over, people paid more attention to my words, than my pictures, after that.

My time slot marked the middle of the convention, with technical sessions and information sessions a plenty, all the while. I went to as many sessions as I could, to gain insight into topics such as: “Extended Producer Responsibility” and “Waste to Energy” (the latter was the hot topic du jour, no pun intended.)

In closing, I want to thank those who made this happen, for me that is: Lisa Wood and Meri Beth Wojtaszek, among others – thank you! I made several new contacts during the convention, which will continue to “pave the way” as I travel and explore waste.

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