Recology
Recology, formerly known as Norcal Waste Systems, is a waste management company headquartered in San Francisco, California. The company collects and processes municipal solid waste, reclaiming reusable materials. The company also operates transfer stations, materials recovery facilities (MRFs), a number of landfills, and continues to spearhead renewable energy projects. Recology is the largest organics compost facility operator by volume in the United States.
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Integrated Resource Recovery |
| Founded | 1920[1] |
| Headquarters | 50 California Street, 24th Floor San Francisco, CA San Francisco, California 94111 - 9796 |
Area served | United States |
| Revenue |  US$1 billion (2018) |
Number of employees | approx 3,200 people (2018) |
| Website | Official website |
Recology Inc. is the parent to approximately 40 operating companies, including Recology San Francisco, Recology CleanScapes (Seattle), and Recology Portland.
Description
Recology promotes recycling, composting, and other waste-reduction programs to minimize the amount of materials sent to landfills.[2]
Just south of San Francisco, Recology brings solid and residential waste from Recology San Mateo County to the Shoreway Environmental Center, a large, multi-purpose recycling center and Materials Recovery Facility that is operated by South Bay Recycling, a joint venture between Recology and Potential Industries.
In early 2009, after an investigation, the company obtained a court order against various organized illegal "poachers" who were raiding curbside recycling containers to sell the contents for scrap.[3]
As of 2015, the company employed approximately 3,000 employees, with revenues of approx $800 million. The company is 100% employee-owned through an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). Recology is the largest ESOP in the industry.
History
The company has a long history in the Bay Area, and holds a no-bid contract for garbage collection in San Francisco. In 1932, the city granted a permanent concession to the city's 97 independent garbage collectors; shortly thereafter those 97 independents banded together to form the company that would become Norcal Waste Systems.[4] Since that time, the company has held a permanent no-bid, no-franchise-fee contract to collect the city's garbage and recyclables. The company works closely with SF Environment to achieve the City's diversion and sustainability goals.
Artist-in-residence program
Recology, with the impetus of environmental artist Jo Hanson,[5] created an artist-in-residence program in 1990, allowing local artists to use materials found in its materials recovery and processing facilities to create art. It was the first, and for a long period, only such program in the United States. The residency has since become highly competitive, hosting artists from across the country.[6][7]
Among the program's alumni are Nathaniel Stookey, who composed Junkestra, a classical music composition for thirty instruments made out of the company's refuse,[8][9] Terry Berlier, who now sits on the board of the program,[10] muralist Sirron Norris, and filmmaker Nomi Talisman.[11] The PBS NewsHour highlighted the AIR Program in their Canvas series in 2019.[12]
Challenge of San Francisco franchise
In 2012, San Francisco voters considered Proposition A, a ballot measure that would have put the City's waste collection to five separate competitive-bid contracts. Residents Tony Kelly and retired Judge Quentin Kopp collected enough signatures to put Proposition A on the city's ballot. Prop A was overwhelmingly voted down, with 77% of the vote going for the continuation of Recology's services.[13]
References
- "Recology - History". Recology, Inc. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
- Adele Peters and Julia Levitt (2009-03-03). "Designing a Zero-Waste City: A Visit to the San Francisco Dump". World Changing. Archived from the original on 2009-03-10.
- Kelly Zito (2009-03-07). "Judge orders scavengers to stop raiding trash". San Francisco Chronicle.
- Elizabeth Lesley Stevens (2011-06-09). "Picking Up the City's Garbage Is a Sweet Deal, and a Monopoly". New York Times.
- Recology. "The Art of Recology". Recology. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
- Reyhan Harmanci (2006-04-20). "Is it garbage or is it art? Artists in residence: Norcal Waste allows artists to dig through the dump and create beauty". San Francisco Chronicle.
- Patricia Leigh Brown (2005-01-26). "A Makeover for Trash; Now, It's Art". New York Times.
- Tyche Hendricks (2007-10-21). "Junk orchestra will spotlight recycling". San Francisco Chronicle.
- Joshua Korman (2007-11-11). "Garbage in, music out". San Francisco Chronicle.
- Cerankowski, Karla; Wander, Robin (4 October 2012). "Stanford artist Terry Berlier makes art from trash, and from a twisted home". Stanford Report. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
- Petty, Matt (2006-01-23). "Art Openings: City Hall and The Dump". Culture Blog!. Retrieved 2020-03-01.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Wise, Kat. "This San Francisco art exhibit takes another look at trash". pbs.org. PBS. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
- Dan McMenamin (2012-06-05). "SF Voters Reject Garbage Measure, Approve Coit Tower Initiative". San Francisco Appeal.