ReNews Vol. 1 Issue 1
AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY NEWS
MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
“We’re shifting from a disposable, single-use society to adopt a reusable lifestyle that’s sustainable for the long-term.”
O
n March 2, the City Council unanimously approved the Single-Use Bag Ordinance, which will take effect in March 2013. Most of the plastic and paper bags available at retail checkouts now have a relatively low reuse life due to the material they are made from and their design or construction. These bags are often only used once or a few times before they are thrown away. We also cannot currently accept single-use or limited-use bags, dry cleaner bags or plastic newspaper sleeves in our Single Stream Recycling collection because these items get tangled on the sort line at the Materials Recovery Facility, creating maintenance issues and equipment downtime. Passage of the ordinance is a historic step toward Zero Waste. We’re shifting from a disposable, single-use society to adopt a reusable lifestyle that’s sustainable for the long-term. It’s important to note that there is still a choice at checkout. Austin is not banning all bags. Plastic bags and paper bags that meet a certain criteria are still allowed. Some bags are exempt, such as produce bags used to hold fruits and vegetables. We are simply regulating the type of bags that can be distributed within our city’s limits, which will give customers choices that help reduce litter in Austin.
In an effort to provide consumers with better, more durable options and help reduce litter, retailers may provide the following options to their customers at checkout: • Reusable bags that you bring from home • Plastic bag, 4 millimeters in thickness, with handles • Paper bag with handles • Another type of reusable bag purchased from the retailer The types of bags provided and price (if any) will be determined by the retailer. Austin Resource Recovery will provide education and outreach over the course of two years to retailers and consumers, including bag distribution, a media campaign, social media efforts, signage, speaking to neighborhood groups, etc. The goals are to educate customers about the choices that retailers will provide at checkout and to educate the retailers about their responsibilities. In the long run, we will reduce our costs and our waste by switching to reusable bags. Reducing dependence on single-use bags could be considered among the low hanging fruit to achieve our Zero Waste goals and helps keep our city clean and livable. Get the facts at www.austintexas.gov/bags.
Spring 2012 | ReNews 2
CONTENTS
14
5
20
On the Cover: Austin Resource Recovery staff and their families attend the SXSW premiere of Trash Dance.
Features
4
AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY OFFERS JUNK MAIL OPT OUT SERVICE
7
HOTSPOT CAMPAIGN
9
Strategic Initiatives and Quality Assurance staff create campaign to address proper set out issues identified by Operations.
6
EXPANDED DOWNTOWN AUSTIN RECYCLING SERVICES The City of Austin makes recycling easier and more convenient for downtown properties at no extra cost.
DOWNSIZE YOUR CART, SAVE MONEY ARR is now offering customers the option to downsize to a new 21gallon trash cart.
Opt out of unwanted mail and phone books through Catalog Choice.
5
13
13
HR CORNER
14
STAFF SHINES AT ANNUAL ROAD-E-O Event goers were met with great weather, fun, food, entertainment and activities for the whole family.
17 REVISED BRAKE PROCEDURES
Kudos, an update on new badges and the Employee Recognition Committee.
The Brake Test Procedure was revised following research about how to correctly adjust automatic slack adjustors.
FAST FOOD COMPOST PILOT A SUCCESS
20 TRASH DANCE PREMIERES AT SXSW
ARR completed a fast food waste audit to determine future recycling and composting opportunities.
The Trash Dance documentary premiered on March 10 at this year’s SXSW Festival.
Spring 2012 | ReNews 3
MARKETING UPDATE
AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY OFFERS JUNK MAIL OPT OUT SERVICE
M
ore than 100 billion pieces of unsolicited mail are received by Americans each year—and municipalities foot the bill for waste collection and disposal. On April 19, Austin Resource Recovery unveiled a Zero Waste service that will allow consumers to stop unwanted phone books, catalogs, coupons and credit card solicitations at the source. The free service, designed by Catalog Choice, will help the City of Austin shed millions of pounds of waste and thousands of dollars in costs, one mailbox at a time. “Austin Resource Recovery strives to be a national leader in achieving Zero Waste,” said Austin Resource Recovery Director, Bob Gedert. “By empowering Austin residents to opt out of unwanted mail and phone books, the City is not only saving costs, but also is making strides in diverting waste from the landfills.”
diversion and environmental benefits from Catalog Choice. Based on estimated participation rates for the first year alone, Catalog Choice anticipates savings of more than 6,511 trees, 2.7 million pounds of carbon dioxide, almost 6.6 million gallons of water and 973,000 pounds of solid waste for disposal. Austin is one of many cities partnering with Catalog Choice to reduce waste. Catalog Choice connects 1.5 million consumers nationwide with 4,200 direct mail companies to fine-tune mailing lists. Registering for Catalog Choice is free. Users need only provide an e-mail address and the address they would like to stop receiving unwanted mail from. Once registered, users have access to an alphabetized company directory that allows mail opt out. Sign up for the mail preference service at https://austin.catalogchoice.org.
The City of Austin will receive detailed reporting on local participation by zip code, solid waste
ARR Director Bob Gedert and Council member Chris Riley announced the Catalog Choice service at a news conference on April 19. Spring 2012 | ReNews 4
MARKETING UPDATE
HOTSPOT CAMPAIGN
A
s a Department, it is our goal to work as efficiently and effectively as possible, recognizing areas for improvement and working with staff from other divisions to keep things running smoothly. One way we do this is by conducting regular audits of our operations, including routes. Recently, staff from Strategic Initiatives and Quality Assurance met with employees from trash and recycling to get feedback about reoccurring issues with pick-up. Staff identified set-out issues, the overfilling of carts and contamination of carts to be prevalent problems in certain areas of the cities. These areas are called “hotspots.�
The point of identifying these areas is to create targeted marketing and communications in an effort to educate the affected community. The end goal is to change behaviors and create environments that help crews better, and more safely, serve city residents. The specific communications plans will include a variety of tactics and marketing strategies with hopes of reaching a wide and diverse audience. We are targeting approximately 6,300 households and hope to see improved set out in the field.
Jacob Cervantes picks up recycling on his route.
Spring 2012 | ReNews 5
SERVICE UPDATE
EXPANDED DOWNTOWN AUSTIN RECYCLING SERVICES: More Materials, More Convenient, Same Cost
B
usinesses and residents in downtown Austin will benefit from more convenient recycling services with no change in cost, City of Austin officials announced.
Zero Waste goals and is just one of many incremental steps the City is taking over the next several years to become one of the top cities in the country in this regard.”
Previously, the City collected glass separately from cardboard and mixed paper in the City’s Downtown Austin Recycling and Trash Service District, which includes 400 restaurants, bars, offices and multifamily properties. Now, properties can recycle a variety of materials and place them in any recycling Dumpster with no sorting required, similar to the City’s residential Single Stream Recycling program.
Accepted materials include:
“The benefits of this expanded recycling program will be realized immediately—as bars, restaurants, offices and businesses will now be able to put all of their recyclables into one receptacle,” said Mayor Lee Leffingwell. “Having a Single Stream program available to the Central Business District is a critical piece in achieving Austin’s progressive
Spring 2012 | ReNews 6
• • • • • •
Flattened cardboard and boxboard Glass containers Mixed paper, including mail Newspapers, magazines and phone books Aluminum, tin and steel cans Hard plastic containers Nos. 1–7
“Our goal is to make it easier for downtown businesses to recycle more materials with no change in cost,” said Bob Gedert, Director of Austin Resource Recovery (formerly Solid Waste Services). “We’re working with property and business owners to help them recycle properly, reducing the amount of trash sent to landfills and helping further our Zero Waste efforts.”
OPERATIONS SUPPORT
DOWNSIZE YOUR CART, SAVE MONEY
B
eginning in January 2012, Austin Resource Recovery offered its customers the option to downsize to a new 21-gallon cart. The purpose of offering this smaller alternative is to give ARR customers the opportunity to lower the trash portion of their utility bill while encouraging recycling. As of March 2012, there are approximately 552, 21-gallon trash containers in the field, and we expect that number to increase as time progresses. Currently, customers choose the following cart sizes:
Cart Size 21-gallon cart 32-gallon cart 64-gallon cart 96-gallon cart Total customers
Customers 552 38,272 112,240 32,936 184,000
If you are interested in downsizing your trash cart, you may do so at no charge at austinrecycles.com or by calling 974-9400. Additionally, residents may also add a second 96-gallon recycling cart free of charge.
ORGANICS COLLECTION PILOT
I
t is estimated that organics make up approximately 47 percent of the waste stream. Organics include items that will decompose, such as: yard trimmings, compostable foodsoiled paper and kitchen scraps. As Austin strives to achieve Zero Waste, curbside compost collection will play a key role. The Organics Collection Pilot is currently scheduled to begin January 2013. A crossdepartmental team meets monthly to research and plan for the Pilot Program which will test the curbside collection of organics from five selected areas in the City of Austin. These areas will receive a 96-gallon cart to collect organics and yard waste as well as a kitchen composting pail to make sorting their organics easier. A large part of this effort will include educating customers about how to separate organics from their recycling and trash, how to use their new
kitchen compost pails, and how to properly set out their three carts for efficient and safe collection. The Organics Collection Pilot team is researching best practices from a variety of cities that have implemented curbside organics collection and will utilize the practices that work best for Austin Resource Recovery.
Spring 2012 | ReNews 7
OPERATIONS SUPPORT
RON ROMERO ACCEPTS POSITION AS DIVISION MANAGER FOR COLLECTIONS
I
n Ron Romero’s 18 years with the City of Austin, he has worn many hats. Ron started with the City of Austin’s Environmental Conservation Services Department (ECSD) in 1994 as an Administrative Assistant. He was hired to help with the implementation of the Pay-As-You-Throw Program as the City was transitioning from manual trash collection to semi-automated collection. He was soon promoted to Route Analyst/ Planner in the Planning and Routing Section. He was responsible for planning, creating and modifying trash and recycling routes to be used by our drivers. In the mid to late 90s Ron was actively involved in an employee recognition program that was responsible for cultural event celebration, employee reward and recognition and department appreciation initiatives. Within a few years Ron was promoted to Solid Waste Services Superintendent for trash collection where he managed seven supervisors and worked directly under Division Manager Vidal Maldonado. Ron then transferred to the Finance Division where he was responsible for budget development and monitoring, contract management, and project coordination. He was also assigned to various special projects for former Director Willie Rhodes. Ron’s commitment and passion for the City of Austin’s vision and Austin Resource Recovery’s Zero Waste goals and program initiatives will continue in his new role as Division Manager for Collections. Throughout Ron’s tenure here with the City of Austin he has been involved with various organizations. He is a member of the Hispanic
Spring 2012 | ReNews 8
Chamber of Commerce, the City of Austin Hispanic Network, Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), various recycling Organizations, and mostly recently joined Leadership Austin. Ron continues to promote the City of Austin and Austin Resource Recovery at various meetings and conferences. Ron is attending Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas where he is studying business and economics and he is almost done with his degree. Ron has been married for 24 years to his wife, Kathy. They have two children: Geoffrey, 23 and Lindsey, 19. Ron’s interests include volunteering and serving at St. Ignatius Catholic Church. He enjoys playing basketball, traveling, volunteering and mentoring at AISD schools, and supporting his favorite football team, the Dallas Cowboys.
HR CORNER
KUDOS
C
ollections staffer Henry Bills found a wallet that contained credit cards, coins and licenses while out on a route. He turned in the wallet to Jesse Morales, and it was returned to its rightful owner. Kudos to the Routing staff for working on a short timeline to finish the data needed for a cost-of-service study. Thank you to Charley White for constructing an ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant ramp and porch for the office/break room at Hornsby Bend. On Jan. 20, Yard Trimmings staffers Benjamin Garza and Odilon Gomez were recognized by resident Tom Dowe for excellent customer service. Ben and Odilon assisted the resident with the recycling of his Christmas tree even though the deadline for setting out Christmas trees had passed. Thank you to ARR staff members who helped with the Fast Food Composition Study: Shaun Auckland, Richard Avila, Angela Begnaud, Bert Brown, Roy Cisneros, Andy Dawson, Jermain DeFreeze, Donald Hardee, Melisa Hatherly, Eric Harris, Scott Johnson, Larry Joiner, Richard McHale, Alfredo Ramirez, Darryl Roberts, Dawn Whipple. Kudos to Strategic Initiatives Planner Daniela Ochoa, who took the initiative to develop a relationship with Austin Public Library, resulting n a partnership for composting classes in all library branches. Shirley Gillespie, Waste Diversion Planner, was recognized for her efforts by Kane Carpenter at ABIA, thanking her for providing Zero Waste
training to ABIA’s janitorial staff as part of the city’s Office Stream Recycling program. She presented at three team meetings in the same day, the first starting at 6:30 a.m. and the last meeting ending after 11 p.m. Mr. Carpenter commented that, “The material that she presented was very beneficial and all groups really enjoyed learning more about the City’s Zero Waste goals.” Bill Garrett, Programmer Analyst, has improved the monthly report development for trash and recycling by reducing the number of manual processes used when preparing the report, as well as reducing the amount of time staff spends to complete the report. Job well done to Meagan Herndon from the employment section of Human Resources; she corrected I-9s for all Code Compliance Department employees and was the first in the City to complete the task and to do so at 100 percent. The initiative is now moving to ARR for completion. Department Executive Assistant Gretchen Kingham recently recognized her co-worker, Ourana Cacho, Administrative Specialist. Gretchen wrote, “I just wanted to let you know how much of an asset Ourana is to our organization. No matter what we ask her to do, she does it, and with a huge smile no less! She is so knowledgeable and helpful; I am grateful to work with her.” Luis Tejero and Mike Carnline stepped up and assisted with brake training when the safety group needed some extra help in observing employees. Luis and Mike have been motivated and determined to help teach all employees, not just their own crews, about the importance of checking your brakes.
Spring 2012 | ReNews 9
HR CORNER
Gary Litson was observed in the parking lot during the rain on Feb. 17, ensuring that his employees were performing the new air brake test procedures, along with their other pre-trip actions. He is showing the importance of brake checks and pre-trips even in rainy weather and is continuing to help his employees develop this important habit. Kudos from SWANA Jane Dalzell, Events Coordinator for the Solid Waste Association of North America, wrote in to thank Ron Romero for moderating the Road Trip: Zero Waste Infrastructure Case Studies session at SWANA’s Road to Zero Waste Conference. She wrote, “That session had our highest number of attendees and you did a fantastic job introducing our presenters and managing the time—I appreciate all of your hard work!” SXSW Accolades Litter Control, Clean Austin and volunteers from other Litter Abatement work groups did a great job during SXSW! All Litter Control personnel that worked in support of SXSW performed in an outstanding manner: Both supervisors and crew leaders were very impressive with the way they led the crews in cleaning the overwhelming volume of trash and litter. Great job to all of you! Ray Armstrong, Virginia Alexander, Greg Smith, Randy Knotts, Tom Coleman, Shanda Johnson, Tony Dudley, Julian Lopez, Bearin Spears, Jennifer Saucedo, Steve Davis, Greg Jones, Ricardo Guerrero, Jose Salas, John Davis, Caesar Jeffrey, Miguel Salinas, Aaron Jaramillo, Michael Womack, Herman Dietrich, Dwight Leonard, Steve Bryant, Jesus Granjeno, Karl Harrison, Augustin Martinez, SirDerrick Lott, Maria Guerrero, Bonifacio Sierra, Steve Campbell, Jerry Wright, Steve
Spring 2012 | ReNews 10
Closs, Chris Lopez, Terry Harmon, Terrance Carr, Leonard Richard, Richard Angelo, and Bobby Brown. Bill Brice, Security and Maintenance Program Director for the Downtown Austin Alliance had this to say: On behalf of the Downtown Austin Alliance, I wish to acknowledge the outstanding work and coordination between Austin Resource Recovery, Community Court and the DAA’s maintenance division to keep downtown Austin looking its best throughout the 2012 SXSW festival. Downtown refuse removal and litter control are monumental tasks during SXSW event weeks. While the volume of litter and trash that comes from having hundreds of thousands of visitors in town is overwhelming, the special initiatives and staffing plans your departments implemented worked better this year than ever before. We are very grateful for your leadership of the staffs that coordinated the effort and many others that worked the streets and alleys day and night to keep town in shape during the events and had downtown looking like SXSW never happened when downtown opened Monday morning. Please extend our gratitude to everyone that had a hand in making the maintenance upkeep a success. I can assure you that all the downtown businesses and property owners greatly appreciate it, as did those who came to Austin for this world-class event. Thanks even came in through social media channels for ARR crews during SXSW:
HR CORNER
• @austintexasgov thanks for having someone cleaning up the streets this AM. Made my workday a bit brighter! • Amazed how clean my corner of the world is after #SXSW - Great job to the crews w/ @austintexasgov - that was fast Monica Maxwell was instrumental in coordinating litter control with Dennis Roberts, Ray Armstrong and Claude Moore at SXSW. They worked closely with the PACE team, worked on the ground with Litter Abatement and coordinated communication between multiple groups. Monica recently got married and moved back to Dallas. We wish her well! Special thanks to several others who helped organize the Trash Dance movie premiere at SXSW. In a very short time frame, Hannah Hammack, Jennifer Herber, Gretchen Kingham and Sylba Loren contacted all employees, secured headcounts, picked up premiere tickets, delivered tickets to Council and CMO, and coordinated
NEW BADGES Human Resources has received a new employee ID badge machine. Images on the ARR new badges will be slightly different from the current ones. For instance, our new badges will have a green border and will reflect the recent name change. Once the badge machine is up and running, HR will schedule employees for new ID badges by work group.
with staff (and contracted bus drivers) to ensure that the premiere flowed nicely. Special kudos to Glenn O’Reilly and Jermaine Defreeze for helping with other SXSW coordination and for serving as drivers the day of the premiere. The event went off without a hitch, we got some great media attention and most importantly, the participating employees got to walk the red carpet and celebrate the film.
STAFF CHANGES New Hires Courtney Black - Public Information Specialist Kevin Bunton - Solid Waste Operator Vincent Cordova - Administrative Assistant Willard Crayton - Solid Waste Operator David Daily - Mail Services Clerk Senior Steven Davis - Solid Waste Operator Specialist James Dunn - Solid Waste Operator Bill Garrett - Programmer Analyst Senior Scott Johnson - Environmental Program Specialist
Promotions Mauricio Cruz - Solid Waste Operator Specialist Jessica Edwards - Financial Manager Winston Evans - Solid Waste Operator Specialist Anthony Jones - Solid Waste Operator Specialist Ron Romero - Division Manager, Operations Jennifer Saucedo - Solid Waste Crew Leader Retirees Florance Gonzalez - Solid Waste Operator Specialist Ivory Jackson - Mail Services Clerk Senior
Temp to Reg Curtis Allen - Solid Waste Operator Matthew Flores - Solid Waste Operator Don Jennings - Solid Waste Operator Justin Lewis - Solid Waste Operator
Spring 2012 | ReNews 11
HR CORNER
AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY’S EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION COMMITTEE
T
he Awards and Recognition Initiative was created by the City Manager based upon feedback from the “Listening to the Workforce” survey. The feedback indicated a need for the City to enhance its recognition efforts and to better “recognize exceptional employee effort in each department. The initiative should provide opportunities for everyone in the organization to demonstrate that the City has high performers.” This initiative called for City departments to design recognition activities and programs that would be customized to their employees needs and interests. The progress would be mapped in future “Listening to the Workforce” surveys.
be nominated each fiscal year by their committee peers and will serve a minimum of one term. Toward the end of each fiscal year, employees will be asked for input for the coming fiscal year program through a survey, although input can be submitted by employees to a committee member at any time. The program for 2011-2012 will include an ERC Breakfast, Division events and individual awards. The Employee Recognition Committee shall encourages ARR employees at all levels to nominate other employees who have performed above and beyond their duties. Employees may not nominate themselves or their group. Nomination forms can be accessed from any ARC member or Division Manager.
Austin Resource Recovery’s Awards and Recognition Program will be administered by the Austin Resource Recovery Employee Recognition Committee (ERC). The ERC, sponsored by Human Resources, consists of volunteers from each division, selected by the Division Manager, as well as a Director’s Office volunteer. Each committee member is slated to serve a two-year term with a minimum of three committee members rotated out each year. A Chair and Co-Chair will
Your 2011-2012 Employee Recognition Committee Members include: Mike Lewis, Chair Litter Abatement Dolores Moreno, Co-Chair Finance Steve Dixon Safety Juanita Fernandez Sylba Loren Richard Avila Glenn O’Reilly Michael Zavala Gretchen Kingham
Quality Assurance Strategic Initiatives Diversion Facilities Human Resources Operations Support Director’s Office
Pictured left to right: Mike Lewis, Dolores Moreno, Gretchen Kingham, Sharon Callis, Sylba Loren, Kayla Reed-Castro, Richard Avila, and Steve Dixon.
Spring 2012 | ReNews 12
FEATURE STORY
FAST FOOD WASTE AUDIT A SUCCESS
A
ustin Resource Recovery conducted a fast food waste composition study the week of March 26 through March 31 to determine the possibility of recycling and composting opportunities in the future. Three local fast food restaurants participated in the study. Dumpsters from each site were delivered to the old Materials Recovery Facility building to be sorted. Austin Resource Recovery employees, with the help of a University of Texas student volunteer participated in sorting, weighing and documenting the contents of the refuse. Staff spent hours picking through the refuse and separating recyclables and compostables from the trash. The various waste components were measured in both weight and volume to create a more complete picture of the waste categories.
In January 2013, several thousand households will take part in a residential composting pilot. Approximately 47 percent of residential trash is compostable. Removing these compostable materials is a great challenge in the Zero Waste Initiative. Many cities in the United States have already implemented a composting program, and this would greatly aid in achieving Austin’s Zero Waste goal (See Organics Pilot, page 7).
The waste was divided into 12 categories, including food scraps, food soiled paper, Styrofoam, plastic film and plastic containers, among others. More than 40 percent of the weight was food scraps or food soiled paper, which can be added to Staff spent hours sorting over 4,820 pounds of waste. existing City of Austin compost operations. This study, which included analysis of nine Dumpsters, totaled 4,820 pounds, more than a ton of which was food waste or food-soiled paper. The compostable waste was taken to the Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management plant to be added to Dillo DirtTM. Environmental Program Specialist Andy Dawson contributed to the effort noting that “the data collected during this study will be submitted to the individual restaurants and will be used to develop restaurant collection standards for amendments to the Universal Recycling Ordinance.”
Spring 2012 | ReNews 13
FEATURE STORY
STAFF SHINES AT THE ANNUAL ROAD-E-O
S
taff from Austin Resource Recovery enjoyed another fun-filled event coordinated by Steve Dixon and Debbie Kelton at this year’s Annual ROAD-E-O. On April 14, over 260 employees and family members were met with great weather, fun, food, entertainment and activities that the whole family could enjoy. Many ARR volunteers contributed to this successful event Held at the Kenneth Gardner Service Center, brush, bulky, litter control, trash, recycling and
pickup drivers, in addition to other staff from Austin Resource Recovery, competed to showcase their amazing skills on a driving course. It was a grueling competition that resulted in nine winners who will move on to compete for a spot at the state level. Congratulations to Aaron Green, Louis Rodriguez, Jesse Sanchez, Mike Carnline, Jacob Cervantes, Chris Guerrero, Gerald Watson, Chris Gonzalez and Bobby Brown. Best of luck at the Texas Solid Waste Association of North America ROAD-E-O on June 16 in Denton, TX! Children also took part in some friendly competition with the ROAD-E-O poster contest. Prompted to design a poster that reflects what the ROAD-E-O means to them, children created artwork. Aramis Hill’s design was selected as the winning entry and will become next year’s ROAD-E-O event poster. He is the son of Shiron Hill in litter control. Entries not selected are displayed on the walls inside the Kenneth Gardner Service Center auditorium.
Ismael Bryan Spring 2012 | ReNews 14
FEATURE STORY
Other festivities included, Sylba Loren’s phenomenal face painting and a captivating magic show performed by Steve Farmer, “The Blue Saint.” But the day wouldn’t have been complete without the rock climbing, bungee trampoline, moon bounce and live music courtesy of Herman Dietrich. ROAD-E-O is a tradition supported by the ARR executive team and planned by the Safety Team and Employee Safety Committee at Austin Resource Recovery. We look forward to next year’s event.
Greg Jones and John Davis pose at the event.
Spring 2012 | ReNews 15
SAFETY MATTERS
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM HEAT ILLNESS
W
hether you work in hot environments for long periods of time or take part in frequent summer recreation activities, heat protection is an important safety concern. The human body must be able to maintain a normal temperature to avoid heat-related illnesses. This can be difficult when the temperature and humidity are high and you are in the direct sunlight with limited air movement. It’s especially important for people on medications, the very young and people over 65 to take extra precautions in hot weather; however, all should follow the recommendations below for working or playing in the heat. Check OSHA, CDC, and NIOSH websites for further information. • Acclimate by exposing yourself to hot environments for progressively longer periods.
• Reduce the physical demands when possible and take frequent water and rest breaks in the shade or air conditioned areas when possible. • Remind the people you are with to drink water before becoming thirsty (1 cup every 15-20 minutes) and pace activities slower than normal. • Eat regular meals and snacks to replace electrolytes lost through sweating. • Ask for extra help with physically demanding tasks. • Listen to provided heat stress training and monitor yourself and coworkers for symptoms • Report symptoms immediately and get treatment if needed. Stay cool when it is hot by keeping hydrated. Then return home safely!
THE EMPLOYEE SAFETY COMMITTEE
T
he Employee Safety Committee has had a busy quarter. Since January, the committee has performed the following actions:
• Inspected the FM 812 landfill, carts and Rutherford Lane Campus to identify and correct hazards. • Reviewed issues identified at the Safety Retreat and discussed possible Safety Committee follow up actions. • Discussed opening Safety Committee meetings to allow employees to observe proceedings and to bring safety issues for discussion. • Announced safety banner slogan contest at ARR Education Fair. Winners will be placed on banners displayed at the exit gates. Spring 2012 | ReNews 16
• Planned logistics for ROAD-E-O to ensure a safe and fun day for ARR employees and their families for safe participation and viewing of the vehicle competition. • Received gate check training to enhance knowledge and confidence in gate check participation. • Provided input for edits on the field evaluation forms used for field inspections. • Revised the KGSC safety bulletin board with a new look to gain employee interest. • Checked operational drivers’ licenses at KGSC for expiration dates.
SAFETY MATTERS
REVISED BRAKE PROCEDURES
T
he ARR Safety team provided training on newly revised brake testing procedures for 262 operational supervisors and commercial drivers in January, February and March. This Brake Test Procedure was revised following research into how to correctly adjust automatic slack adjustors which have been required on commercial trucks since 1993. Collision investigations found employee complaints of brakes not working and brakes out of adjustment during Department of Transportation (DOT) inspections. Safety was determined to find out why this was happening. Safety trainer Jesse Munoz found that the latest version of the CDL manual states that automatic slack adjusters should not be manually adjusted. The National Transportation Safety Board posted the dangers of manually adjusting slack adjusters. He also discovered the Idealease Safety Bulletin, Aug. 15, 2008 (www.idealease.com) that explained why ARR automatic slack adjusters had not been self adjusting. Our professional drivers typically maintain a defensive space cushion between themselves and the vehicle in front of them and they only apply the brakes with 15-25 percent of air application. It takes a
brake application of greater than 60 percent of air application or a panic stop to adjust the brake. This would indicate that the drivers who provide more defensive space cushion have less opportunity for an automatic slack adjustment. Our drivers needed to adjust the brakes during their morning pre-trip. ARR Safety added adjustment procedures, which include 10 full brake applications during pre-trips, and trained operational supervisors and drivers on the new testing and adjusting procedures to assure drivers that their brakes will correctly function during the approximately 900 times they are used daily. Wheel chocks were purchased for all trucks so drivers can perform the automatic slack adjustment procedure and other brake test procedures safely. Drivers have developed the daily habit of brake tests and adjustment procedures. They already have noticed the difference in the operation of the brakes and understand the importance of the procedure for the safe operation of the truck and for the safety of the citizens of Austin.
Pictured: Jesse Munoz trains Demetris Houston on the new brake procedures. Spring 2012 | ReNews 17
FEATURE STORY
AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY WORKED AROUND THE CLOCK FOR SXSW
S
outh by Southwest (SXSW) is an Austin tradition that began in 1987 and has continued to grow in size every year. The festival takes place in the heart of downtown Austin every spring and consists of music, film and interactive. Thousands of artists and festival-goers flock from around the world to partake in the festivities, which means increased traffic in the downtown area and an increased demand for litter control, recycling and street sweeping services. During this time, Austin Resource Recovery kicks into high gear. This year, 53 staff members worked around the clock 23 hours a day for the duration of the festival. An additional 180 trash containers were installed, monitored and emptied, which resulted in a total of approximately 330 containers maintained.
To supply adequate staffing, employees were recruited from throughout the department to contribute to this monumental effort. Thanks to Yard Trimmings, Brush, Bulk, Litter Control, Carts and Special Events for making the SXSW clean-up a success. Austin Resource Recovery Supervisor Ray Armstrong captured the theme of camaraderie, asserting that “for an event to be successful, it takes a team effort. There’s nothing else like it in the world.” This year’s SXSW attendance was an estimated 30 percent larger than last year’s and included the expansion of services to the east side of IH-35. Staff did an excellent job at keeping up with the demand and received accolades from numerous media outlets and community groups throughout the city (see Kudos, page 10).
Rocio Herrera helps keep streets in downtown Austin clean during SXSW. Spring 2012 | ReNews 18
WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT PICNIC GOES ZERO WASTE
T
he City of Austin’s Watershed Protection Department employee picnic became a Zero Waste event this year, reducing more than 93 percent of trash through recycling, reuse and composting. The combined carbon savings from trash and transportation efforts was comparable to driving from Austin to Tallahassee, Fla. The March 29 event, attended by more than 200 WPD employees at Zilker Park, demonstrated how advanced planning and an interest in sustainability lend itself to preserving resources and promoting sustainability. At the picnic, all food and beverages were served up with plates, cups and eating utensils made out of compostable cornstarch. Along with food scraps, this biodegradable dishware was collected in special bags for high-temperature composting to break down the materials and kill any pathogens. About 96 pounds of picnic waste was diverted from landfills, and it is estimated that the picnic’s Zero Waste strategy cut greenhouse gas emissions by 120 pounds. The entire trash weight collected was just over seven pounds! Staff also made an effort to carpool, walk or use public transportation to the event, which offset another estimated 308 pounds of carbon. The compostables were turned over to Organics By Gosh, an Austin company that provides composting services. Organics By Gosh will grind and compost the waste into soil-amending material suitable for farms, municipal parks and even home gardens. Picnic recyclables such as aluminum cans and plastic bottles also were
collected with bins from Keep Austin Beautiful. Many employees brought their own water bottles, plates and utensils to the picnic, another “green” measure that helped cut the waste stream. Zero Waste has the capacity to divert landfillbound waste through a combination of better resource management and pollution prevention, industrial composting, recycling and reuse of some materials. Composting of organic materials is especially important as a climate-change strategy. In landfills, the breaking down of such materials produces methane, a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. It took a bit of extra planning up front, but collecting the materials was easy and it generated a lot of employee interest and awareness. It is important for the Watershed Protection Department to lead by example and promote sustainability.
Watershed Protection Department worked to reduce over 93 percent of the usual trash at the picnic through recycling, reuse and composting.
Spring 2012 | ReNews 19
FEATURE STORY
TRASH DANCE PREMIERE AT SXSW
Sam Anderson takes the stage with fellow crew members at the premiere of Trash Dance at SXSW. Pictured left to right: Gerald Watson, Shiron Hill, Allison Orr, Jennifer Saucedo, Shanda Johnson, Sam Anderson, Chris Guerrero, Jose Trejero and Don Anderson.
A
ndrew Garrison’s documentary Trash Dance premiered on March 10 at South by Southwest (SXSW). Trash Dance followed 24 staff members from Austin Resource Recovery as they trained to star in a choreographed dance featuring recycling trucks, street sweepers and trash carts. Allison Orr of Forklift Danceworks choreographed the performance after months of shadowing staff on their routes to listen, learn, and ultimately to try to convince them to participate. The objective of Trash Dance was to educate citizens about a job that many depend upon but Spring 2012 | ReNews 20
few know a lot about. Trash Dance accomplished that and also succeeded in transforming the image of sanitation workers, giving them a voice and showing that they do more than just pick up trash. Jennifer Saucedo (pictured above), who participated in both 2011 shows and drove a street sweeper, attended the premiere and was welcomed to crowds of people clapping and cheering. “I felt so appreciated and proud,” Jennifer said. “The event was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and not at all what I expected. My favorite part of the documentary were the individual interviews…they shared a part of people’s lives that the public rarely gets a chance to see.”
FEATURE STORY
Staff members walked the red carpet to the premiere. Pictured left to right: Sam Anderson, Anthony Phillips, Greg Karo, Patrick Clark, Shiron Hill, Don Anderson, Tommy Deedley, Andrew Garrison, Gerald Watson, Allison Orr, and Graham Reynolds.
The premiere was an undisputed success. Blackbook Magazine called Trash Dance “Unbelievable, incredibly beautiful and moving.” The Austin-American Statesman commented that “Garrison’s thoughtful, eloquent documentary illuminates the reality that all work matters and has dignity, no matter the invisibility of the labor.” In addition to accolades from the media, Trash Dance earned two standing ovations at the
premiere: first for director Andrew Garrison and choreographer Allison Orr, and then for participants in “The Trash Project.” Trash Dance also earned a Special Jury Recognition at SXSW. Congratulations to all involved!
Spring 2012 | ReNews 21
FEATURE STORY
Jose Tejero, Lee Houston, and Virginia Alexandar arrive at the red carpet premiere.
Pictured left to right: Jeff Garner, Jose Tejero, Adam Surita, Jennifer Saucedo, Virginia Alexander, Lee Houston, Orange Jefferson, and Tiffany Holland.
Spring 2012 | ReNews 22
ODDS AND ENDS UPCOMING EVENTS WIC Fruit and Vegetable Fairs:
Staff holds a booth at the City’s first Earth Day event.
• • • • • • •
May 1 May 2 May 21 May 22 May 24 June 4 June 19
Viva Streets: May 20 Juneteenth: June 19 Blues on the Green: • • • • • •
May 30 June 13 June 27 July 11 July 25 August 8
We are currently looking for volunteers to help at each Blues on the Green event. For more information or to volunteer, please contact Courtney Black at 9749086 or courtney.black@austintexas.gov.
Virginia Alexander carefully completes the driving course challenge at the ROAD-E-O.
Spring 2012 | ReNews 23
CURRENT ADS
Thirsty lawn? DOWNTOWN RECYCLING JUST GOT EASIER
Now recycling is more convenient for downtown Austin businesses*
Composting is an easy, cost-effective way to return nutrients to your rain-deprived lawn. Register for a FREE composting class hosted by the City of Austin at your neighborhood library or farmers’ market!
• Recycle more materials • No sorting required • No additional cost
*Downtown Recycling and Trash Service District E. 11th St.
E. 4th St.
I-35 Service Rd.
Trinity St.
Brazos St.
Congress Ave.
Colorado St.
Guadalupe St.
E. 8th St.
Sign up at austinrecycles.com
E. Cesar Chavez St.
REMEMBER...
SET YOUR CARTS FIVE FEET APART
Questions? Visit
austintexas.gov/downtownrecycling
5 FEET
austinrecycles.com