Field Trips
Field trips and site visits highlighting local conservation and sustainability projects.
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Field trips are included as part of conference registration. Participants are responsible for providing their own transportation to and from the field trip site.
Space is limited, so advance registration will be required. Sign-up information and additional details will be shared soon.
Sunset Park Materials Recovery Facility (MFR)
Sunset Park Materials Recovery Facility (MFR)
Location: 472 2nd Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11232 (Sunset Park)
Transportation: A, D, N, R, 1
Tour guide: Kara Napolitano
Duration: 2:00-3:30pm
Notes: Please BYO water and snacks
The Brooklyn Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) is the largest and most sophisticated recycling plant in North America.
The Sunset Park Material Recovery Facility (MRF) is the largest and most sophisticated plant for commingled residential recyclables in North America. Originally built and operated by SMR, the recycling facility opened in December 2013 and processes most of New York City’s curbside material. Situated on an 11-acre pier to provide waterfront access, materials from Queens and the Bronx arrive via barge, significantly reducing truck traffic. Brooklyn is home to the Recycling Education Center (REC), an interactive recycling space where visitors learn how the recycling process works and can view our operations from observation platforms.
The site is host to sustainability features including the city’s first commercial-scale wind turbine, a large solar array, native plantings and marine habitats. Designed by Selldorf Architects, the facility won the 2010 Award for Excellence in Design from the Public Design Commission.
Roosevelt Island Automated Vacuum Collection (AVAC) Facility
Roosevelt Island Automated Vacuum Collection (AVAC) Facility
Location: Meet at the Tram Plaza , Roosevelt Island
Transportation: TBA
Tour guide: Frank Farace, MSWAB Member
Duration: 2 hours
Notes: Please BYO water and snacks
Operating since 1975, the Roosevelt Island AVAC waste management system provides
a centralized and innovative approach to waste collection. During the tour, the Red Bus will travel through residential corridors and stop at a location where participants can see how the system interconnects with a building's trash collection system, including multi-stream sorting options.
The AVAC Building serves as the central operations facility, where waste is containerized in roll-off containers and other waste is sorted. Key advantages of the system include a completely sealed collection process, no traditional garbage trucks, and can use a "district heating" micro-utility model for regulation, ideal for small communities and some/all high-rise buildings.
Fresh Kills - The Largest Landfill-to-Park Project in the World
Fresh Kills - The Largest Landfill-to-Park Project in the World
Location: TBA
Transportation: TBA
Tour guide: TBA
Duration: 10:00-11:30pm
Notes: Please BYO water and snacks
Freshkills Park is the largest landfill-to-park project in the world. What was once a place defined by garbage is now being reshaped into the largest park project in NYC in 100 years — a testament of renewal, restoration, and possibility.
Today, Freshkills Park stands as one of the most ambitious land reclamation projects in the world. Spanning 2,200 acres, it represents a bold vision for environmental stewardship, climate resilience, and public open space — a living testament to New York’s capacity to reinvent itself.
Sure We Can - Recycling Center, Community Space and Sustainability Hub
Sure We Can - Recycling Center, Community Space and Sustainability Hub
Location: 219 McKibbin Street Brooklyn, NY 11206
Transportation: TBA
Tour guide: TBA
Duration: 9:00am-11:00am
Notes: Please BYO water and snacks
Sure We Can (SWC) is a non-profit recycling center, community space and sustainability hub in Brooklyn where canners–our neighbors who collect cans and bottles from the streets to make a living–come together with the broader community through recycling, composting, gardening and the arts.
SWC started as a redemption center working to foster social inclusion of canners. Our goals include creating an atmosphere of trust, respect and participation in the community; recycling valuable materials while educating about the importance of recycling; and dignifying the work while creating opportunities for those in the community. At SWC, people from all walks of life are welcome under the principle that everyone has something valuable to contribute.
Delegates will be given a tour of the facility and will learn about the day-to-day work of bottle and can collecting and sorting and will participate in sorting materials that will then be recycled!
Big Reuse Central Park
Big Reuse Central Park
Location: Central Park
Transportation: TBA
Tour guide: TBA
Duration: 10:00am-11:30am
Notes: Please BYO water and snacks
Central Park Conservancy and Big Reuse launched an on-site composting initiative in April 2026 that will convert horticultural waste generated in Central Park into compost used to care for the Park’s landscapes,
The composting site will process thousands of pounds of leaves, weeds, and other organic material generated through the Park’s daily care. The resulting compost will be reused throughout Central Park to support soil health, gardens, and landscapes while reducing waste sent off-site.
The initiative is part of the Conservancy’s broader effort to maximize sustainability in its management of Central Park’s 843 acres, reducing waste and supporting the long-term health of the Park all at once, Funded through New York City Council’s FFY26 Community Composting Program, the initiative demonstrates how public investment can support practical, sustainable infrastructure in City parks, The project also aligns with pending City Council legislation calling for development of composting facilities across New York City parks.
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