The Missouri Waste Control Coalition is a statewide organization that has 
been active since 1982. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All 
points of view regarding waste management are invited and discussed within the Coalition. The structure of the Board encourages the presentation of diverse opinions and perspectives to increase knowledge and understanding. Officers and directors include representatives from business and industry, government agencies, and citizens groups.

Each year in the summer the Coalition sponsors the Missouri Waste Management Conference. It also develops policy recommendations, cosponsors local conferences, offers educational scholarships and teacher minigrants, presents awards for outstanding achievement in waste management, and publishes a newsletter for Coalition members.

From 1972-1981, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources sponsored an annual "Missouri Solid Waste Conference" in Jefferson City. The purpose of the conference was to bring together citizens, government, business and industry to discuss the rapidly changing field of waste management. From these early conferences grew the Missouri Waste Control Coalition, formed in 1981 through the efforts of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the University of Missouri-Columbia, and the Associated Industries of Missouri. 

The MWCC became the coordinating body for the annual conference. It also sponsored regional seminars and began publishing a quarterly newsletter. In 1989 the MWCC added a teacher mini-grant program to recognize the importance of education and to increase student interest in environmental issues. Over the years, the coalition has also provided scholarships to college students, and has sponsored an annual environmental greeting card competition in partnership with Hallmark Cards, Inc. 

Purposes of the Coalition:

To promote safe, effective, and economically sound waste management practices in the State of Missouri.

To offer all organizations and individuals interested in waste management an opportunity to communicate with each other in a constructive atmosphere.

To supply balanced information to the membership and general public on waste management issues.

To provide technical and nontechnical forums for the discussion of waste 
reduction, treatment, reclamation, and disposal practices.

To sponsor an annual conference and other forums needed to accomplish these objectives.

To encourage education in the waste control field through scholarships, 
grants, seminars, and other activities.

The Coalition is still growing and in recent years has begun to showcase 
regional waste management efforts in order to share information with 
surrounding states. Through the hard work of its members and the leadership provided by its board, the MWCC has broadened its scope from a small gathering of individuals into an established and effective organization.