New Session formats for CRRA 2026
‘WORLD CAFE’ SESSION
World Café is a conversation format where an over-arching topic is addressed at smaller, dedicated “topic tables”. Attendees will need to pre-register for these optional World Café Sessions. By design, the number of attendees needs to be limited to ensure all can actively participate. Registrants may be solicited for light, pre-event work related to discussion items as the event draws closer.
PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED FOR WORLD CAFE SESSION: See Below…
How it works: registrants sit in small groups (8-12 max) at “topic tables” for a timed discussion round (typically 20-30 minutes). One person stays as the "table host" while others rotate to new tables. The host briefly shares key insights from the previous conversation with the new arrivals. This process repeats for 2-3 rounds, each exploring the same or related questions. Ideas cross-pollinate as people carry insights between tables. At the end, the whole group comes together to share discoveries and patterns. For more information about World Cafe click here.
World Café Session #1: Zero Waste Infrastructure Design - Resource Recovery Parks
Date/Time: Monday, Aug. 31st • 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM
Location: Coral 5
In 2001, the California Integrated Waste Management Board funded a case commissioned a model study on this topic: “Resource Recovery Parks: A Model for Local Government Recycling and Waste Reduction.” Resource recovery parks address that portion of materials that are largely unaddressed by state and local policy — commercial self-haul and drop box materials. These unregulated material streams are a significant and growing portion of what is landfilled and incinerated in California. For example, only 62 percent of material landfilled from Oakland and only 68 percent of material landfilled from San Francisco in 2022, came from their exclusive collection service providers. California is home to a number of resource recovery parks including those at the Cold Canyon Landfill in San Luis Obispo, ReGen Monterey in Marina, and the "serial" resource recovery park in Berkeley that includes Urban Ore.
This World Café will strive to identify the barriers and opportunities for establishing resource recovery parks and transfer stations and landfills throughout California. The Global Recycling Council of CRRA is proud to host this World Café.
A pre-event survey will be sent to registrants to complete approximately 3 weeks prior to the World Café.
*Must be registered for CRRA 2026 prior to World Cafe registration
World Café Session #2: Public Engagement Strategies to Drive Change in Waste Behaviors
Date/Time: Tuesday, Sept. 1st • 8:30 AM - 9:45 AM
Location: Coral 5
Behavioral science studies have proven that providing information alone is not enough to drive behavior change; we must find ways to connect and engage with the public in a meaningful way to drive improvements in waste reduction and recycling behavior. Especially with all that is going on in the world - waste may not be at the top of people’s minds, but still very important as it touches all our lives and communities!
This World Café-style session aims to open a discussion into the important role that engaging the public plays in achieving ambitious targets for waste reduction. Our moderators will share their experience and expertise with successful strategies for improving public engagement in the following focus areas. CRRA’s Behavior Based Strategies Council (BBSC) is proud to host this World Café.
Topic moderators will guide their group through various strategies, inviting attendees to share their insights and experience, and offering suggestions for tangible actions that attendees can implement.
The session will wrap with each topic moderator providing a summary of key insights and actionable takeaways from their groups’ discussion.
A pre-event survey will be sent to registrants to complete approximately 3 weeks prior to the World Café.
*Must be registered for CRRA 2026 prior to World Cafe registration
FACILITATED ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
This format is intended to take a current industry challenge and work with those in the room to explore solutions in a more casual setting than the World Café, but still with the outcome intended to be action items that will help move the needle forward toward positive change/movement. Attendees do not need to pre-register for these roundtables but are encouraged to arrive early to the room to ensure a “seat at the table”. Attendees may be solicited for their own recommendations for discussion points related to the topic as the event draws closer. Topics will vary, but all are relevant and timely for our audience; and each will address challenges within the industry at the time of the conference.
How it works: participants will sit either “at the table” in a conference-table style set up or in room perimeter seating. Facilitators will open with queries or pre-submitted discussion prompts to start the conversation. Open discussion will continue for the identified roundtable topic; all attendees should participate to ensure varied voices on the topic. The last 5-10 minutes will be dedicated to listing key takeaways, next action(s), etc.
