SWANA honours innovation across waste and resource recovery with 2026 awards
Awardees will be recognized for their achievements at the annual RCon event in St. Louis
The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) has announced the recipients of the 2026 SWANA Awards in the categories of: Professional Achievement; Young Professionals; Collection & Transfer; Communication, Education & Marketing; Landfill Gas & Biogas; Landfill Management; Safety; Sustainable Materials Management; and Waste Conversion & Energy Recovery.
SWANA's awards honour innovation, dedication, and leadership across the waste and resource management industry.
The awardees will be recognized during SWANA's annual event, RCon 2026, taking place September 29 to October 2 in St. Louis, Missouri. SWANA's Award Ceremony, sponsored by New Way, Raftelis, and Redtail Renewables, will be held at the historic 18Rails to celebrate the recipients for fostering solutions to propel their work and their communities forward.
The 2026 SWANA Award Recipients:
Professional Achievement Awards
SWANA recognizes individuals for going above and beyond in serving the waste and resource management industry, along with their outstanding contributions to SWANA.
The Robert L. Lawrence Distinguished Service Award is the highest accolade from SWANA, recognizing service to the industry, employers, and the general public.
- Robert L. Lawrence Distinguished Service Award: Michelle Leonard, senior vice president, SCS Engineers
- Professional Achievement Award for a Public Sector Member: Tracey Thurman, director, City of Nashville Solid Waste Department
Young Professional of the Year Awards
This award is presented to exemplary Young Professional members annually for their excellent performance and dedication to the industry.
- Young Professional of the Year: Dr. Ashpreet Kaur, environmental consultant, ICUC Consultants
- Young Professional of the Year: Ashley Ramsey, senior geologist, Geosyntec Consultants
- Young Professional of the Year: Samarjeet Kadam, CEC Inc.
Collection & Transfer Technical Division Awards
- Distinguished Individual Achievement Award: Tyler Bandemer, Solid Waste Management superintendent, City of Loveland
Communication, Education & Marketing Technical Division Awards
- Game Changing Tools: Delaware Solid Waste Authority
- Outstanding Awareness Campaign: Greater Lebanon Refuse Authority, Lebanon, Pennsylvania
- Outstanding Social Media Campaign: Wasatch Integrated Waste Management District, Utah
- Community Engagement Campaign: OC Waste & Recycling, County of Orange, California
Landfill Management Technical Division Awards
- Distinguished Individual Achievement Award: Steve Lippy, retired from Baltimore County DPW, Bureau of Solid Waste Management
Landfill Gas & Biogas Technical Division Awards
- Distinguished Individual Achievement: Eric Peterson, vice president, SCS Engineers
- Hall of Flame Award: Pete Carrico, senior vice president, SCS Engineers
Waste Conversion & Energy Recovery Technical Division Awards
- Facility Excellence Award: ecomaine
Sustainable Materials Management Technical Division Awards
- Organizational Award: Seminole County Government, Seminole County, Florida
- Young Professional Impact: Adeemir Dacenay, recycle program coordinator, Seminole County Solid Waste Division
Safety Awards
The SWANA Safety Awards recognize safety excellence and are sponsored by Paradigm Software.
- Individual Safety Award: Luke Proctor, driver safety trainer, Miller Waste Systems
- Best Safety Training Program: OC Waste & Recycling, County of Orange, California
- Biggest Safety Improvement: City of San Diego Environmental Services Department, California
- Workplace Wellness: City of Greenville, South Carolina
"Congratulations to all the award recipients," said Lynsey Baer, President of SWANA. "The accomplishments of these individuals and organizations are admirable, and I hope they serve as an inspiration for others. We look forward to celebrating all the award recipients during a special awards ceremony at RCon in St. Louis."
