Demolition meets recycling: What ReMA 2025 has to offer
22 April 2025
With the ReMA 2025 Convention & Exposition taking place in San Diego from 12 to 15 May, this year’s event goes beyond metals markets to explore topics that impact demolition and C&D waste businesses directly. Here’s what attendees can expect from the programme.
The Recycled Materials Association (ReMA, formerly known as ISRI) will hold its flagship annual convention and exposition in San Diego, California, from 12 to 15 May 2025. Hosted at the San Diego Convention Center, the event is set to welcome thousands of professionals from across the recycling, metals, and materials recovery sectors.
While the convention is traditionally associated with scrap and commodity markets, this year’s programme places notable emphasis on issues with growing relevance to demolition professionals and C&D (construction and demolition) waste.
An expanded view of value recovery
Industry professionals attending ReMA 2025 can expect a broadened scope that moves beyond traditional scrap handling.
A series of spotlight sessions will examine specific materials such as ferrous metals, copper, aluminium, plastics, electronics, rubber and paper, providing insights into demand trends, trading conditions, and downstream uses.
For demolition firms tasked with recovering and processing these materials, the sessions offer valuable intelligence on maximising recovery value and responding to market fluctuations.
“Construction and demolition recyclers are important suppliers of metals, plastics, cardboard and other high-quality, renewable resources for manufacturers,” said Robin Wiener, ReMA President. “Using recycled materials in construction greatly reduces carbon emissions and keeps end-of-life material out of landfills and back into new constructions.”
ReMA’s focus on the entire recycled materials chain aligns with the demolition sector’s increasing shift toward circularity, reuse, and environmental performance. Whether it’s understanding what international buyers are looking for in recovered copper wiring or how plastics recycling is changing due to regulatory pressures, demolition and C&D waste companies involved in material segregation and resale will find strategic takeaways throughout the event.
Insights from the exhibit hall
The ReMA 2025 Exhibit Hall will be open from 13 to 15 May and is expected to host more than 325 exhibiting companies. Equipment suppliers, service providers, and materials processors will be on hand to demonstrate the latest technologies in separation, logistics, compliance, and processing.
Live demonstrations will take place across the floor, including podcast recordings and educational features. Of particular note is the Safety-First Plaza, which will include 15 to 20 booths focused on best practices for workplace safety, highway operations, and equipment handling. For demolition professionals dealing with high-risk environments and regulatory oversight, this area provides a focused look at new safety tools and real-world applications.
Live safety demonstrations
One of the new features at ReMA 2025 is a series of live safety demonstrations hosted in partnership with the San Diego Fire Department. These will include hazmat scenarios and battery fire response exercises—scenarios increasingly relevant to demolition contractors encountering lithium-ion batteries or hazardous substances on job sites. These demonstrations will not only offer practical insights but will also highlight emerging liabilities and standards contractors need to be aware of.
Technical and business education
For many attendees, the educational programme is the most valuable part of the ReMA Convention. With dozens of sessions across three days, it provides direct access to expert speakers, industry analysts, and specialists in policy, processing, and material recovery. From battery hazards to AI-powered recycling systems, the content reflects the broad range of challenges and opportunities facing the sector.
ReMA’s educational sessions run from 13 to 15 May and span a wide range of categories: economy, manufacturing, best practices, workforce, business planning, advocacy, and materials spotlights.
The economy track includes global and regional market outlooks, with sessions focused on China and India’s roles in material demand—two markets that often shape pricing and volume expectations for demolition waste streams.
Trade policy, inflation, and infrastructure investment trends will also be discussed. “One of the biggest challenges facing recyclers – regardless of the commodity sector – are the current series of tariffs being imposed,” said Robin.
“We are very concerned about the impact tariffs will have on disrupting both manufacturing and recycling, especially as retaliatory measures are imposed.”
In the manufacturing and best practices sessions, attendees can expect discussions on supply chain resilience, electrification, infrastructure shifts and investments, operational safety, and ESG strategies. For those navigating client requirements and internal risk management, these sessions will provide critical context on where the industry is headed and how to adapt.
The business planning track, which covers areas such as CRM systems, KPIs, and succession planning—tools that can help businesses professionalise and prepare for long-term growth, key sessions include Innovation 2.0: Implementing Next-Gen Technologies in Recycling, Freight & Material Theft: Mitigating the Risk, and Best Practices: Material Receiving & Grading.
See our Education Session Highlights table at the bottom of this article for our pick of the most interesting and useful presentations that will be delivered at this year’s ReMA event.
Workforce and advocacy focus
Workforce development is another key theme at ReMA 2025. The education session on building a sustainable workforce will explore talent sourcing, retention, and upskilling—challenges familiar to demolition contractors operating in a tight labour market. By learning from examples in the recycling and materials recovery sectors, attendees will find transferrable strategies that apply directly to site labour and project management.
Meanwhile, the advocacy track will provide updates on critical minerals, recycling legislation, and other local, state, and federal policies that could influence company practices, permitting, and reporting.
As Robin explained, “The health and success of the US recycled materials industry is dependent upon access to the global markets,” with ReMA’s highest priority being “ensuring continued market access globally for recycled materials.”
Networking and industry connections
Beyond the sessions and exhibits, ReMA 2025 includes a full schedule of networking events. These include receptions hosted by the Young Executives Council, and the Women in Recycling Council, as well as other gatherings such as the Grand Opening & Reception on Monday, May 12, the ReMA After Hours NOVA San Diego event on Tuesday, May 13, and the Closing Evening Celebration at the Rady Shell on the final evening.
For demolition businesses looking to form partnerships with processors, materials buyers, or regulatory experts, these forums offer informal but targeted opportunities to build relationships.
“ReMA2025 provides the full gamut of resources for recyclers,” Robin added, “including educational sessions on topics vital to recyclers, networking events, an exhibit hall featuring more than 300 exhibits, and a true celebration of the recycled materials industry.”
Keynote from the Savannah Bananas founder
ReMA 2025’s keynote speaker will be Jesse Cole, founder of the Savannah Bananas. Known for his unorthodox approach to business, fan engagement, and team culture, Jesse’s presentation is expected to offer insights on innovation and leadership. While not specific to demolition or recycling, the talk aims to inspire attendees to rethink how they engage clients, teams, and markets.
A strategic opportunity for demolition professionals
For demolition professionals, ReMA 2025 offers a chance to see the bigger picture: how the materials they recover are traded, processed, and valued—and what that means for their business models.
It also presents an opportunity to explore emerging regulations, safety solutions, and workforce strategies in an environment that brings together stakeholders from every part of the recycled materials chain.
As C&D waste specialists and demolition contractors face increased pressure to optimise recovery, improve safety, and respond to sustainability demands, events like ReMA provide a broader industry lens.
Whether you’re managing job site compliance, looking for new revenue streams, or adjusting your business strategy, the convention offers information and connections that will, no doubt, make it worth the trip.
Education Session Highlights
The schedule below highlights sessions most relevant to demolition and C&D waste professionals—covering regulatory changes, safety culture, materials handling best practice, and emerging trends in global trade.
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