It was all happening at the Birmingham Hilton last week for the annual LARAC UK Conference on 9th and 10th October. The conference has continued to gain traction and popularity year on year and this year was no exception.
A huge amount of hard work and resources goes into the planning and organising of the conference months in advance, and I would like to send out a big THANK YOU to all of those involved.
I have already received a lot of response from attendees, presenters and sponsors on how informative and valuable they find the conference, gaining contacts, information and ideas for future work, meaning the conference is not just a two day opportunity, but continues to support long after the final stands have been dismantled.
As always, there was an interesting and diverse range of presentations and workshops, and we always attempt to ensure that we cover as many topics across the board so there is something for everyone. Information is also available after the conference, so that if there is anything in particular that piqued your interest, you can follow up with presenters and speakers afterwards.
Attendees were provided with presentations from Margaret Bates from DEFRA on the latest updates on EPR, and from Andy Rees from the Welsh Government on how things are operating in Wales.
We also had sessions on non statutory guidance, procurement, WEEE and textiles, and the first day ended with a fantastic interactive behaviour change session delivered by Sustainable Sidekicks and Hubbub.
Alongside this, we also had an interesting array of workshops and in addition, for the first time this year, a site visit to Sherbourne Recycling Facility, who are using a new state of the art AI Technology system at their MRF.
And conference season continues for me, as I am at the Recycling Expo in London’s Excel Centre this week and next week I am heading to beautiful Harrogate for the LGA Conference.
Although tiring, when attending and chairing conferences, I never fail to meet lots of interesting contacts and gather up a wealth of information on what’s going on around the country. I hope I don’t have to wait until I retire to finally get some R&R!
And speaking of retirement….I cant complete my blog without recognition of a key member of the LARAC Team, who has dedicated 22 years to the organisation and whose hard work and determination has made a huge contribution to LARAC over the years.
Carole Taylor will be leaving at the end of October to enjoy a well deserved retirement, and myself and everyone at LARAC wishes her the very best for the future.
