Local Officials & Solid Waste Experts to address the environmental and economic challenges & their current impact on Long Island

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine, Stony Brook University’s Waste Reduction and Management Institute and the Evan R. Liblit Scholarship Fund have announced the 2025 Larry Swanson Long Island Environmental Symposium will be held on Wednesday, June 25 at Suffolk County Community College’s Brentwood Campus  from 8 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

County Executive Romaine will be joined by local and solid waste experts and service providers to discuss the various challenges the industry is currently facing, including the need for a regional solid waste management plan.

“There are many obstacles related to solid waste on Long Island that impact our regional economy and environment,” said Romaine. “We must continue to discuss the challenges that are in front of us and lay ahead to preserve our future while ensuring we take a coordinated approach to dispose solid waste and recycle glass and ash responsibly.”

Topics to be addressed at the third annual event include regional solid waste management planning, the critical role of waste to energy facilities in managing solid waste, development of a glass recycling master plan and regional glass recycling and removing food from the waste stream.

Long Island elected officials and solid waste experts will gather to address the future of how Long Island will manage its ever-increasing waste including:

• Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine speaking regarding Suffolk County’s efforts to facilitate environmentally sound and cost-effective waste management;
• The work of the WRMI in developing a regional solid waste management plan;
• The critical role of waste to energy facilities in managing Long Island solid waste and waste to energy ash processing and recycling;
• Separation of recyclables from mixed solid waste and construction and demolition debris;
• Regional glass recycling;
• Removing organics/food scraps from the waste stream

The WRMI was created by the New York State Legislature to confront the increasingly complex waste issues arising on Long Island, where per capita waste generation exceeds that in the rest of the U.S. Long Island is also a place where future landfills have been prohibited to protect the Island’s drinking water, which is solely derived from an underground aquifer. Michael E. White serves as the WRMI’s Interim Director at Stony Brook University.

“This year’s Larry Swanson Environmental Symposium comes at a critical time for determining the future of solid waste management on Long Island,” said Interim Director of the WRMI Michael E. White. “WRMI is proud to be a partner in bringing forth the Symposium and to have the opportunity to present the need for regional solid waste planning on Long Island along with the work of WRMI to develop such a plan connecting with local government, the solid waste industry and stakeholders.”

The Evan R. Liblit Memorial Scholarship Committee provides scholarships at Stony Brook and hosts events and webinars aimed at improving recycling and solid waste management.

The event will take place at the Suffolk Federal Credit Union Arena (Lecture Hall D105) at Suffolk Community College’s Grant Campus, 1001 Crooked Hill Road in Brentwood.

Attendance is free, however guests must register by clicking here or by contacting [email protected].