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Click here for a copy of "Pushing the Envelope on Waste Reduction and Recovery."
National Advocacy
The goal of SWANA's advocacy program is to represent the interests of the solid waste profession by being a proactive advocate of environmentally and economically sound solid waste legislation and regulations. The Association's advocacy efforts are focused on
three main fronts:
E-Advocacy
SWANA's E-Advocacy program delivers a powerful combination of strategy, issue advocacy, and technology to empower, educate, and mobilize its members to achieve legislative and regulatory success. This program offers an online suite of tools to increase grassroots participation by connecting members to policymakers. It empowers members to effect change through organized, targeted, Web-based grassroots efforts.
The E-Advocacy program is showcased in SWANA's legislative Action Center. It is quickly becoming the cornerstone of our advocacy program. SWANA's growing ability to leverage the Internet is being used to focus positive attention on MSW issues, nd mobilizing grassroots campaigns before Congress. The volunteerism and commitment of SWANA members are the primary reasons for SWANA's rise as the premier advocacy association for solid waste professionals in both the public and private sectors.
Legislative Lookout
Educate, Innovate,and Communicate are the tools used to effectively advocate MSW policy within SWANA. The Advocacy Department produces quarterly reports to keep SWANA members updated on current legislation in Congress. These reports are available to "Members Only" in the "Members Only" section of this website.
Regular vs. Special Advocacy:
Regular advocacy, which is carried out within the established SWANA advocacy budget, involves the more routine response to actions or proposals from the EPA, Environment Canada, and other federal agencies. Special advocacy, which generally requires a specific allocation of resources or targeted fund raising, involves more resource intensive efforts over a longer term. Examples of special advocacy include work on Landfill Gas Tax Credits and Bioreactor Landfills.
Federal, State and Provincial Issues:
SWANA Staff is responsible for advocacy on the federal level and the SWANA chapters are responsible for advocacy on the state and provincial level. Chapter involvement in federal advocacy through input on priorities and providing data and information is increasing. The International Office is proactive in offering assistance to SWANA chapters in tracking activities at the state and provincial level and the sharing of information across chapters on state and provincial legislative and regulatory activities.
Canadian Issues:
In addition to its aggressive efforts within the U.S., the SWANA advocacy program's focus has been expanded to respond to the Canadian chapters' strong desire for assistance from the International Office in tracking and dealing with issues at the Canadian federal and provincial levels.
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