Recology

File:Recology Lodal Garbage Truck 14425 in San Francisco.jpg

Recology promotes recycling, composting, and other waste-reduction programs to minimize the amount of materials sent to landfills.{{cite news|url=http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/009511.html|publisher=World Changing|author=Adele Peters and Julia Levitt|title=Designing a Zero-Waste City: A Visit to the San Francisco Dump|date=2009-03-03|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090310002827/http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/009511.html|archivedate=2009-03-10}}

Just south of San Francisco, Recology brings solid and residential waste from Recology San Mateo County to the [https://rethinkwaste.org/shoreway-environmental-center/about/ Shoreway Environmental Center], a large, multi-purpose recycling center and Materials Recovery Facility that is operated by South Bayside Industries (a division of Alameda County Industries), 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.{{cite news|publisher=San Francisco Chronicle|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/06/BAHJ16ANPU.DTL|date=2009-03-07|title=Judge orders scavengers to stop raiding trash|author=Kelly Zito}}

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).

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.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/10/us/10bcstevens.html?_r=0|work=New York Times|author=Elizabeth Lesley Stevens|title=Picking Up the City's Garbage Is a Sweet Deal, and a Monopoly|date=2011-06-09}} 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 [http://www.sfenvironment.org SF Environment] to achieve the city's diversion and sustainability goals.

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.{{cite news|publisher=San Francisco Appeal|url=http://sfappeal.com/news/2012/06/sf-voters-reject-garbage-measure-approve-coit-tower-initiative.php|title=SF Voters Reject Garbage Measure, Approve Coit Tower Initiative|author=Dan McMenamin|date=2012-06-05}}

In 2021, subsidiaries of Recology operating in San Francisco were assessed $36 million in criminal penalties following a corruption scandal involving bribery and fraud.{{cite news |title=Three San Francisco Garbage Companies Admit Bribery And Pay $36 Million To Resolve Federal Investigation |url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/three-san-francisco-garbage-companies-admit-bribery-and-pay-36-million-resolve-federal |access-date=18 June 2022 |publisher=U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern District of California |date=9 September 2021}}

Founded in 1990 by Recology and environmental artist Jo Hanson,{{Cite web|last=Recology|title=The Art of Recology|url=https://www.recology.com/recology-san-francisco/artist-in-residence-program/|access-date=2021-05-27|website=Recology|language=en-US}} the [https://www.recology.com/recology-san-francisco/artist-in-residence-program/ Recology San Francisco Artist in Residence Program] allows local artists, chosen by an advisory board made of arts professional, 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 the Bay Area.{{cite news|publisher=San Francisco Chronicle|title=Is it garbage or is it art? Artists in residence: Norcal Waste allows artists to dig through the dump and create beauty|author=Reyhan Harmanci|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/04/20/NSGBCI9C331.DTL&type=art|date=2006-04-20}}{{cite news|work=New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/26/national/26dump.html|title=A Makeover for Trash; Now, It's Art|author=Patricia Leigh Brown|date=2005-01-26}}

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,{{cite news|publisher=San Francisco Chronicle|title=Junk orchestra will spotlight recycling|author=Tyche Hendricks|date=2007-10-21|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/20/BAVISTJTG.DTL&tsp=1}}{{cite news|publisher=San Francisco Chronicle|title=Garbage in, music out|author=Joshua Korman|date=2007-11-11|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/11/PKL9T5T7O.DTL&hw=CONCRETE+FORM&sn=086&sc=211}} Terry Berlier, who now sits on the board of the program,{{cite news|last1=Cerankowski|first1=Karla|last2=Wander|first2=Robin|title=Stanford artist Terry Berlier makes art from trash, and from a twisted home|url=https://news.stanford.edu/news/2012/october/art-from-trash-100412.html|accessdate=6 March 2016|work=Stanford Report|date=4 October 2012}} muralist Sirron Norris, and filmmaker Nomi Talisman.{{Cite web|url=https://blog.sfgate.com/culture/2006/01/23/art-openings-city-hall-and-the-dump/|title=Art Openings: City Hall and The Dump|last=Petty|first=Matt|date=2006-01-23|website=Culture Blog!|language=en-US|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-03-01}} The PBS NewsHour highlighted the AIR Program in their [https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts Canvas series] in 2019.{{cite web |last1=Wise |first1=Kat |title=This San Francisco art exhibit takes another look at trash |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/this-san-francisco-art-exhibit-takes-another-look-at-trash |website=pbs.org |publisher=PBS |access-date=20 May 2019}}

• Recycling in the United States
• Resource recovery

• [http://www.recology.com Official website]
• [https://www.recology.com/recology-san-francisco/artist-in-residence-program/ Artist-in-Residence Program]

Category:Companies based in San Francisco

Category:Recycling in the United States

Category:Employee-owned companies of the United States

Category:Waste management in the United States

Category:Waste management companies of the United States