Who We Are
Working together to advance environmentally and economically sound solid waste policy throughout California.
In a Nutshell
For over 50 years, the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) has been a leading professional association in the solid waste field. The association serves over 10,000 members throughout North America and over 1,000 members in California. SWANA's mission is to educate, innovate and communicate. Contact us if you have any questions. Information on the national organization and its chapters is available at SWANA.org .
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.
Legislative advocacy services for the California Chapters Legislative Task Force (LTF) are provided by Dylan Hoffman of Shaw Yoder Antwih Schmelzer & Lange. The LTF is an IRS 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization.
History of SWANA
From a small group of local government solid waste professionals to a leading association across North America, SWANA's history reflects the growth and evolution of the solid waste profession.
In December of 1961 a small group of local government solid waste program supervisors in the Los Angeles basin led by Mr. Grant H. Flint, General Superintendent of Refuse Collection and Disposal for the City of Los Angeles, formed the Governmental Refuse Collection and Disposal Association (GRCDA) to provide a means for solid waste professionals to share information and promote training.
That group became the Founding Chapter of GRCDA in April 1962 and is today known as the SWANA Southern California Founding Chapter.
By 1978 GRCDA had grown to about 900 members in 10 chapters in various western states and parts of Canada and hired its first Executive Director, Lanny Hickman.
July 1st of that year, GRCDA established its first permanent office at 16th & K Street NW, Washington, D.C.
In the summer of 1981, GRCDA moved their offices to Silver Spring, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C.
In 1992 GRCDA changed its name to the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) to reflect how the field had broadened from refuse collection and disposal to all aspects of municipal solid waste management.
In 2020 SWANA unveiled its new branding, including an updated set of logos that correlate to the resources SWANA provides its membership.
Learn More About the LTF
See how the California Chapters Legislative Task Force represents California's solid waste community.