2010 is the start of a new decade for all and a new job for this Jane. Friday was my first day with Advanced Disposal, a Jacksonville-based waste and recycling company. I accepted a marketing coordinator position for many reasons and am beyond excited for the challenges ahead. 

Before I could step into my new office…yes…office, I had to meet at the “yard” on Friday at 6 a.m. for a truck ride along.  Advanced Disposal makes all new employees jump right in…well I should say jump right up…into the passenger seat of a garbage truck! I think it’s a great way to get employees familiar with the business and industry.  After all, how am I going to come up with smart marketing solutions without knowing what the men and women who are the face of Advanced Disposal do every day?

The first part of my morning was spent with David, the driver of a front loader, on his route through Downtown.  David kept me laughing all morning and graciously answered all of my questions by starting off, “Now that’s another great question, Miss Katrine.”  People truly have no idea what people in this position do for a living until sitting next to them, and I have so much more respect and appreciation for what they do to keep our communities clean.

After our truck was loaded to the brim we traveled to the landfill to drop it off.  I was excited to learn that we actually got to drive to the top of the landfill to drop off the garbage.  It was very well organized, and there’s an entire system in place that I found fascinating.  He then showed me the part of the landfill where they process the methane from the landfill to convert it to energy and put it back on the grid, ultimately helping us reduce our dependence on foreign oil! I was really excited about this, and my public relations mind was just bubbling over with ideas.  

After I said goodbye to David, I met up with Joey who was well into his route on his roll off truck.  I learned how he takes one large, filled container to the recycling facility, dumps it out and then takes the empty container back to its spot.

At our house we always try to have more in our recycling bin than in the garbage can, but I always wondered how they separate all the different materials to be recycled. Joey showed me the conveyor belt and large piles of the different materials that are separated out by the workers.  You can see the cardboard pile in the photo.  He explained to me what can and cannot be recycled and that many homes put garbage than cannot be recycled into the bins which contributes to the overall expense of recycling.  This made me think of what an awareness campaign could do to make recycling more efficient.  Another challenge to tackle when I get in the office!

At one stop Joey let me push the controls to lower and raise the boom and the cables.  I could feel the power of the truck and force required to lift the container.  I also learned just how important safety is to the waste industry. Both David and Joey pointed out specific safety precautions they take with every turn. 

The truck ride along was both extremely informative and an energizer for me to get in and get to making an impact. Stay tuned to the Career Shifting blog at Jane Nation and see how I take to my new post as a garbage lady!