SWANA Partners with the US Plastics Pact

The US Plastics Pact will host an in-person event for its activators in November, co-located with the brand-new SWANA conference, RCon™. 

“I couldn’t be more excited about bringing together these two events,” stated SWANA CEO Amy Lestition Burke, MA, FASAE, CAE. “RCon is a new experience and we welcome the US Plastics Pact to join us for it. Co-locating these events will give our members the opportunity to connect directly with brands and vice-versa.” 

“Solving the challenges around plastic packaging demands connection and collaboration at every stage of the system,” said Jonathan Quinn, CEO of the US Plastics Pact. “By co-locating with SWANA, we’re bringing together the recycling, resource management, and packaging communities in a way that hasn’t been done before. I couldn’t be more excited for attendees to connect strategies, spark new ideas, and accelerate the progress we all want to see.” 

RCon takes place in Columbus, Ohio, November 12-15, 2025, and the US Plastics Pact event will occur November 11-12. 

Participants will have the opportunity to register for either event or both events. The Plastics Pact event will include breakout sessions of its committees, meetings to discuss its roadmap, and tours of local manufacturing and recycling facilities. RCon will include technical sessions, keynote presentations, peer learning, experiential learning, courses, and more. Registration for RCon will open on May 20, and the call for proposals is currently open. 

“Bringing our US Plastics Pact Activators together in person was a top priority for 2025,” said Quinn. “When we saw what SWANA was building with RCon and everything Columbus has to offer as a leader in sustainability and innovation, it was clear this was the right place, and the right moment, to come together.” 

“This partnership gives action to the concept of full systems thinking,” Lestition Burke shared. “We need to make connections in order to bridge the gap between designing for recycling, recycling, and connecting supply and demand of products. SWANA members are managing municipal waste and recycling programs, running collections, and operating compost facilities and MRFs, while the US Plastics Pact activators are striving to make their products and packaging recyclable, compostable and reusable. Co-locating our events will provide the opportunity to connect these important pieces of the value chain.” 

Both organizations are excited about the opportunity to bring together brands and waste and resource management professionals to look at the full life cycle of products.