Recology ’ s Roots

Recology South Valley traces its roots back to the 1950s when John Luchetti and Randy Acker bought Gilroy Garbage , which provided hauling services for local area farms and ranches . In the 1960s they brought John ’ s son Dick and another partner into the business and changed the name to South Valley Disposal .

Two decades of growth and mergers and acquisitions followed . In 1985 , company owners considered either selling the company , conducting a management buyout , or establishing an Employee Stock Ownership Plan ( ESOP ). The later option was chosen in 1986 . The concept of employees owning shares of their companies dates back to the pre- Social Security era of the 1800s when many people aging out of the workforce faced life without a source of income . Company owners decided to set aside stock for their employees as an incentive to work hard and dedicate themselves to their jobs over the long term . That turned out to be a smart move .

In 2009 , the company was renamed Recology South Valley . The founder ’ s two grandsons work for the company today and a significant number of employees have been with the company for decades .

The Quest for Zero Waste

What defines Recology today ? WASTE ZERO . But what does that mean ?

According to Recology General Manager Phil Couchee , “ It ’ s our rallying cry . It means we ’ re making the best and highest use of all resources manufactured , consumed , recovered and remanufactured .”

“ Our goal is to help the community use resources wisely while reducing waste , recycling all that it can , and finding ways to use waste products in ways that benefit the environment ,” Couchee said . He joined Recology in 2004 with a track record of 14 years in the business .

Recology South Valley serves Morgan Hill , San Martin , Gilroy , Hollister , San Juan Bautista , and San Benito County . Its parent company comprises 45 operating companies serving more than 733,000 residential and 109,000 commercial customers in California , Oregon , and Washington .

A Well-Run Operation

Unless you ’ ve lived through a garbage strike , it ’ s easy to take Recology ’ s services for granted . Their drivers pursue daily routes like clockwork , no doubt with an eye out for jaywalkers , dogs off leash , and people texting while driving . They take our yard waste , Christmas trees , food waste , recyclables , batteries , obsolete computers , leftover paint , burned-out lightbulbs , and used motor oil . You name it , Recology takes it off our hands .

They also invest a fair amount of time , energy and money educating us about not wasting things in the first place , which , after all , is cheaper than recycling .

Julie Alter and others on the “ Waste Zero ” team focus their efforts on helping businesses increase recycling and diversion practices while decreasing material going to landfill .

“ Whether I educate customers about recycling , composting or how not to create waste in the first place , I am dedicated to Recologizing our communities ,” Alter said .

The Waste Zero team offers onsite visits to assess clients ’ sustainability goals and constraints , conduct waste stream audits , and customize service options and equipment to client needs .

According to Couchee , the company has to maintain its facilities , processes , and trucks in compliance with ever-evolving local and state regulatory requirements .

How the Numbers Stack Up

“ On average , Morgan Hill and Gilroy residents recycle 58 percent of the waste stream ,” he added . “ Now we ’ re looking at improving things on the commercial side .”

Recology ’ s collection rates are calculated based on a consumer price index ( CPI ) published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the Bay Area . These rates are adjusted annually based on 70 percent of the published CPI .

“ Each truck is a $ 370,000 investment with about a 10-year lifespan ,” Couchee explained . Recology South Valley has a hangar-sized maintenance shop with specially-trained mechanics who can deal with truck hydraulics and other issues to keep the fleet running smoothly and safely . Older trucks are being replaced with new ones powered by compressed natural gas .

Drivers earn special licenses after learning to drive in what is normally the passenger side of a vehicle and to operate the giant arm to pick up garbage and recycling containers and unload their contents into the truck where it ’ s compacted . They ’ re a disciplined bunch . The radio dispatcher arrives at 4:00 am to check on traffic and road conditions and then field customer service requests throughout the day . The first shift of drivers depart at 5:00 am , staying focused on their routes , listening for updates from the dispatcher , and driving safely through busy streets .

Disposal and collection has evolved too . Gone are the days of separate bins for paper , plastic / cans , and glass .

“ Back in 2008 , the industry moved to ‘ single stream ’ recycling because the sorting capabilities of material recovery facilities ( MRFs ) had evolved ,” Couchee said . “ Materials that are clean enough to be remanufactured are separated from

GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN APRIL / MAY 2018 gmhtoday . com

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