Honored with Impact Awards this year were Steve Fishman and Summit Transfer. Fishman, a retired EPA employee who has spent many years on the district's grant review committee, helped formalize e-waste recycling standards in the Kansas City region, including the environmental, worker safety and public health practices that make recycling e-waste safe and sustainable. Summit Transfer, led by Rody Taylor, developed a construction and demolition (C&D) recycling facility, the first of its kind in Missouri, at the Lee's Summit Resource Recovery Park. Materials diverted as a result of this significant investment include concrete, metals, cardboard and wood. Other materials on the horizon include drywall. Additionally, Summit Transfer manages the Lee's Summit household hazardous waste facility, community drop-off recycling center, and public disposal area where the public can recycle metal, tires and appliances, and donate reusable goods to Habitat ReStore and Flourish Furniture Bank.
District Executive Board Chair Doug Wylie oversaw elections for four new board members, Trent Salsbury, from the City of Raymore, and Mike Mallon, from the City of Blue Springs, representing cities over 10,000 population; and Chris Frank, from City of Oak Grove, and Lauren Kurtz, from City of Lake Lotawana, representing cities under 10,000 population.
The luncheon's keynote speakers were Logan Heley and Damon Lee Patterson from Heartland Conservation Alliance, who discussed their ongoing efforts to restore the riparian forest along the Blue River, which cuts through the heart of Kansas City, Missouri, and touches several MARC municipalities on both sides of the state line. The work is being done through a partnership with MARC, Bridging The Gap, Deep Roots and the City of Kansas City, Missouri, and funded through a $5 million federal ARPA grant. The luncheon's theme was "A River Runs Through It," and the speakers tied in the importance of proper solid waste management, including the many gaps that still need to be addressed in illegal dumping, that will help in the Blue River's restoration efforts. Local upcycler and found-object artists Magpie Collective provided the table centerpieces, making riparian forest dioramas from scrap fabrics and assorted plastic pieces.
The Solid Waste Management District will enter 2026 on the verge of releasing their comprehensive set of strategies for regional material recovery, a culmination of in-depth stakeholder discussions held throughout this year.
