Tour the Dump with RTSF!

As many of our Captains know, our local trash company (which, by the way, is 100% employee owned) Recology is a HUGE supporter of our Rebuilding Day work. And we love them for that – every April, they donate dumpsters to our projects and also pick up ALL the trash (that our volunteers seperate into piles) the Monday following Rebuilding Day. That’s huge folks – easily a donation worth $15-20,ooo and it is no exaggeration to say that we could not do the great work we do without them. *round of applause*

So on that note – we thought it would be fun to schedule a Tour of the Dump! Getting a tip that they offer these, our awesome AmeriCorps member Chelsea has lined it up for us on July 12th at 9:30am and it’s open to 30 of our current or past volunteers…(incentive to volunteer with us? perhaps…) If you would like to participate, please RSVP with us by Thursday, July 7th.

But wait, you say – why the heck would I want to tour the dump? I would much prefer to just drag out the cans once a week and forget it about until the next trash day. But there is so much more to Recology! 

• In 2007, they switched all of their trucks (372) to run on alternative fuel, a blend that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5,400 tons (here)

 

• Recology has composted an estimated 907,000 tons of food scaps and plants since it started in 1996, which is roughly the equal to offsetting emissions from all vehicles that cross the Bay Bridge for more than 2 years. (here)

 

• Now in their 20th year with their Artist in Residency program, it’s an awesome combination of reuse & repurposing as well as educational for the 5,000+ residents who visit and attend tours each year. Plus, I love seeing the hillside covered in bizarre sculptures, hunks of metal & trash-turned-treasure surprises poking out of random corners.

 

• But my favorite fact? Oh, how about that San Francisco has the highest diversion rate in the nation at a whopping 77%. Oh yeah, we ARE the country’s recycling leader. Woot Woot!!

Now, if you can’t make this tour, don’t worry – Recology schedules them on a regular basis, so contact them for more information.

And, if you read this and are as pumped as I am about waste diversion, then please come help us! Each year, we have 20-100 volunteers clearing out homes, nonprofits, community centers and schools and we are always in need of volunteers that can help us divert even more! Come join our rebuilding efforts as a volunteer Garbage Czar (does the fancy title help? We hope so…), it really is one of the most important volunteer roles and we struggle to find enough volunteers who care about it as much as we do. If you want more information about volunteering, please start here.

2 comments on “Tour the Dump with RTSF!”

1. Mark Elliott on July 7, 2011 at 6:18 pm said:

   Val,
   what time does it start and finish? I would like to attend.
   Mark

   Reply ↓
   • Karen on July 8, 2011 at 10:12 pm said:

     9:15 – 12:00.

     Reply ↓