ISWA World Congress 2026

International conference for waste management professionals, focusing on sustainable waste management practices and circular economy solutions.

ISWA World Congress 2026

The ISWA World Congress 2026 runs November 9–11, 2026 at the QEII Centre in Westminster, central London. The organizers say it is the first time in 30 years that the congress has come to the UK.

What it is

The World Congress is the International Solid Waste Association's global conference on resource and waste management, the circular economy and sustainability. The 2026 congress is hosted by CIWM, the UK's National Member of ISWA and one of its founding members, in partnership with ISWA. It is open to anyone working in or interested in the field, including people from the public and private sectors, researchers, consultants, local authorities and NGOs.

The theme is "2 Billion Tonnes Every Year and Rising – Waste or Resources?", organized around five areas: human rights, political commitment, waste planning, the economics of waste and resource management, and the circular economy. The program includes plenary, curated and technical sessions, keynotes, panels and workshops. The organizers say it was shaped by volunteer reviewers who read more than 400 abstract submissions.

What a ticket covers

A congress ticket covers all plenary and breakout sessions, refreshments and lunches on all three days, the welcome drinks reception, the closing ceremony and the exhibition area. The Gala Dinner and the technical site visits are booked separately.

Tickets bought in advance cost less than those bought at the door, and there are reduced rates for CIWM and ISWA members, students and delegates from developing nations. You can register on the day if places remain.

Site visits

There are five add-on site visits for congress delegates, allocated first come, first served:

• Biffa's Edmonton Materials Recovery Facility and the Edmonton EcoPark in North London
• A guided "Waste Walk" through Westminster and the City of London, ending with lunch at the Guildhall
• Western Riverside Waste Authority's river-based operation at Smugglers Way
• Riverside Resource Recovery's energy-from-waste plant at Belvedere
• A day in Cambridge at the 1894 Refuse Destructor at the Cambridge Museum of Technology

Several of the visits are not suitable for people with a pacemaker or mobility issues, so check each one's access notes before booking. All bookings are final. The organizers do not provide transport between hotels and the QEII Centre, and delegates arrange their own UK visas.