Recology releases 2019 Sustainability Report

San Francisco-based Recology announced the release of its 2019 Sustainability Report Dec. 11. The report details Recology’s efforts to improve material recovery and minimize operational impacts to the environment. The report also provides insight into initiatives that support more than 140 communities where Recology operates, the company says.

“We pride ourselves on a long history of partnering with communities to recover resources [and] reduce waste sent to landfill,” Mike Sangiacomo, president and CEO of Recology, says. “Recology strives to maximize environmental sustainability throughout our operations—investing in renewable fuels, innovative processing technologies and advanced water recycling and emission management systems.”

Recology provides recycling, compost and garbage collection and processing services on the West Coast. Despite some of the headwinds facing the recycling community, the company says it continues to champion a recovery-first business model, seeking to help communities move beyond waste.

“Recology stands at the forefront of the resource recovery industry, creating innovative programs and partnerships to address some of the greatest environmental challenges of our time,” Sangiacomo says. “Our efforts could not come at a more critical moment, as climate impacts and an alarming—and growing—concentration of plastic waste in our streams and oceans threatens the integrity of our ecosystems. Only together can we achieve a more sustainable future.”

In addition to reporting on environmental performance and initiatives, the Sustainability Report describes the company’s volunteer program that contributed more than 2,000 volunteer hours in 2018 to improve local schools, parks and community centers. It also provides insight into a culture of community engagement at Recology, showcasing the more than 60 employee-owners holding leadership positions on local chambers of commerce, school districts and economic development councils, and other community organizations.

Notable highlights from the report include:

• In 2018, Recology sorted and marketed more than 1.2 billion pounds of recyclables and processed more than 1.6 billion pounds of organic material (food scraps and yard trimmings) into compost and mulch products.
• Recology is committed to transitioning away from conventional fossil fuels. After estimates that 50 percent of the fleet was powered by renewable or alternative energy sources in 2018, Recology has committed to achieve 90 percent by 2022.
• The company debuted two 100 percent electric rear-load collection vehicles in Seattle. These electric trucks, which were the first of their kind deployed in the United States, add to a growing electric fleet that now includes fifteen collection and support vehicles.
• More than 41,000 megawatt-hours of renewable energy was generated at company facilities from both gas-to-energy engines and solar energy, including the largest privately held solar array in San Francisco.
• Sixty-seven percent of the company’s California-based electricity was provided through independent community choice energy partners that provide low-emission energy alternatives.

Visit sustainability.recology.com to learn more about Recology sustainability initiatives and to view the 2019 report.