Uplifting Experience 

By Lynn Merrill

It was 1973. Environmental issues were beginning to take center stage, Nixon was in the White House, and the reality-based television program of choice...

Weathering the Storm 

By Kim A. O'Connell

As 2002 gave way to 2003, prospects for a quick reversal in the ailing economy seemed dismal. Unemployment was at 6 percent, and retailers and factories...

COLLECTION: Mapping a Plan 

Marc J. Rogoff and James Thomson

While preventing illegal dumping may seem like a never-ending battle, Charlotte County, Fla., has implemented mandatory solid waste collection and disposal...

TRANSFER: Transfer Station Design Tips 

Stefan Bukojemsky

With the varying size and requirements from one transfer station to the next, determining the appropriate facility design is sometimes like piecing together...

TRUCKS: Trash Taxi Rolls On 

Carol Badaracco Padgett

Along with Coca-Cola, Home Depot and Wal-Mart, Americans soon might have another name to add to their list of familiar brands: Trash Taxi. After winning...

COLLECTION: Cleaner L.A. Trucks 

Kim A. O'Connell

Although commercial vehicles such as transit buses, postal trucks and taxicabs increasingly are using natural gas, refuse collection fleets have been...

Getting a Grip 

Kim A. O'Connell

For an industry as rock solid as waste management, it takes monumental events and seismic shifts to create dramatic changes. Year in, year out, trash...

Run Silent, Run Deep 

Michael Fickes

Although it is the second-largest company in the waste industry, Allied Waste Industries, Scottsdale, Ariz., typically remains fairly tight-lipped about...

Dynamic Duo 

Danielle Jackson

When St. Lucie County, Fla., recognized it was facing the all-too-familiar problem of dwindling landfill space, it sought a solution in short order. The...

COLLECTION: PAYT Pays Off 

Carol Badaracco Padgett

As Americans continue to flirt with ways to reduce waste while managing disposal capacity, recent reports note that the nation's overall recovery rate...

Collecting Experience 

Lynn Merrill

The challenges facing today's collection managers are drastically different than a year ago. Concerns about the economy, homeland security and just getting...

There's No Place Like Home 

Michael Fickes

LONG BEACH, CALIF., home to 440,000 people and this year's Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) annual WASTECON trade show, operates like...

Covering Your Bases 

Lynn Merrill

There's no need to risk life and limb when tarping loads. Today's systems reduce the time and hindrance of climbing on top of trucks to cover loads. Typically,...

Place To Be, The 

Michael Fickes

In spring 2002, Michael Cordesman, chief operating officer with Republic Services Inc., Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., ran a recruiting ad to fill several openings...

Woman's Touch, The 

Kim A. O'Connell

Whenever Karen Gutzmer and her former husband went shopping, they always drove behind the plaza before they parked to go in. After all, they worked together...

Cheaper Trick 

Johnny Campos

There are benefits to operating transfer stations in a large state like Texas where haulers are forced to consolidate their waste to avoid costly, long-distance...

COLLECTION: Fueling a City's Needs 

Danielle Jackson

California's Chula Vista residents are adding another health craze to their list using a blend of biodiesel and ester to reduce fuel emissions from garbage...

Remarkable Collection, A 

Danielle Jackson

Ameri-Kart Ameri-Kart, Goddard, Kan., has introduced 1.5-yard and 2-yard Material Handling Karts. Available in four models, the Karts can move up to 2,000...

COLLECTION: Tracking Your Trucks 

Lynn Merrill

Haulers that want to ensure their operations are lean and mean should consider integrating global positioning, computer-assisted routing and performance...

Red, White & You, Part II: The West 

Kim A. O'Connell

In the West, with its vast expanses of plains, mountains and deserts, there are many places to dump old tires. Illegal dumping is still a major problem,...

Designed with Growth in Mind 

Richard J. Henry, Richard T. Sprague and Dwayne T. Muff

The South Utah Valley Solid Waste District (SUVSWD) did the best it could when it planned its transfer station in 1988, but it wasn't prepared for its...

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT: Fast-Track Consolidation 

Scott Keeter

When negotiating a major contract with a customer, planning and logistical skills are as important as negotiating acumen. Recently, Charlotte, N.C.-based...

In and Out 

Kim A. O'Connell

If one thing truly unites these United States, it is trash. Every day, waste moves back and forth across state lines, weaving a complex tapestry of interactions...

Adventures in Automation 

Nikki Swartz

Automation could be the best thing for your collection operation but you must overcome the potential pitfalls. Phasing in new equipment and training drivers...

Red, White & You - Part I 

Kim A. O'Connell

How your state handles solid waste and recycling. In the 21st century, curbside recycling is no longer enough. According to a survey of all 50 states'...