SWANA Chapters Eligible to Join the Applied Research Foundation

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), Silver Spring, Md., has announces that SWANA chapters are now eligible to become subscribers of the SWANA Applied Research Foundation (ARF).

The North Carolina Chapter is the first Chapter to join the foundation. Applied Research Foundation Director, Jeremy O'Brien, P.E., says, “The North Carolina Chapter Board is to be commended for taking the initiative to become a Foundation subscriber and to pave the way for SWANA chapters to participate in and support the Foundation's research efforts."

The annual subscription fee of $10 per chapter member per year enables the chapter to join one of foundation's four research groups: Collection; Recycling; Waste-to-Energy; and Landfill Disposal. Membership offers free, unlimited access to all the research reports developed during each year that the chapter participates as a subscriber. In addition, chapter members are able to purchase any of the 35 reports from past years at a 50 percent discount rate.

Chapter subscribers join other subscriber organizations by being directly involved in the foundation's research through:

• Designating an ARF chapter delegate to represent the chapter in the foundation and communicate the foundation's activities with the chapter;
• Submitting and voting on research topics;
• Participating in project review meetings held in conjunction with related SWANA symposia;
• Networking with local government and private sector leaders on the research topic of interest; and
• Providing research data and reviewing interim results and final work products.

“NC-SWANA is proud to participate in SWANA’s Applied Research Foundation supporting meaningful research in the field of solid waste management. Our support will be put to direct use by the industry, addressing issues related to collection, disposal, recycling, waste-to-energy, etc.,” says Michael Etheridge, president of the North Carolina chapter of SWANA.

More information on joining the ARF is available by contacting O'Brien at jobrien@swana.org or by phone calling 704-906-7269.