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HERE IN HOUSTON, SOLID WASTE WITH A NEW SHOW, A NEW HOST, AND A NEW DIRECTOR.WELCOME TO LET'S TALK TRASH ON HTV.
IT IS A NEW SEASON HERE IN THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT WITH MANY POSITIVE CHANGES.
TODAY I AM PLEASED TO WELCOME NOT ONLY TO THE SHOW, BUT TO HOUSTON, UH, MY DIRECTOR OF THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR MARK WOOLFOLK, WHO IS HERE TO TALK TO US ABOUT THE VISION OF THE DEPARTMENT AND THE CHA THE CHALLENGES THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS.
DIRECTOR WOOLFOLK, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, LET ME WELCOME YOU AND YOUR FAMILY TO HOUSTON.
IT'S BEEN A, IT IS BEEN A, IT'S BEEN A REWARDING EXPERIENCE THUS FAR.
HOW DO YOU LIKE HOUSTON? LOVING IT.
YOU KNOW, UH, THERE ARE A LOT OF SIMILARITIES BETWEEN HOUSTON AND FLORIDA, SO WE BOTH SHARE HEAT.
WE BOTH HAVE HUMIDITY, YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK THE HOUSTON HEAT MAY HAVE THE FLORIDA HEAT.
YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE WE HAVE IS WE HAVE THESE THUNDERSTORMS THAT, THAT DEVASTATE OUR CITIES.
SO YOU'RE NO STRANGER TO DEVASTATIONS? YEP.
UH UH, NO STRANGER TO NATURAL DISASTERS, THE FLOODING AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
ALTHOUGH HOUSTON'S GOT US ON THE FLOODING, BUT, UH, STILL, YES, YES, WE DO, BUT STILL, WE GOT THE RIGHT TEAM IN PLACE TO HANDLE IT, AND WE, IT SEEMS LIKE WE GOT THE RIGHT CANDIDATE FOR THE JOB BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, DEVASTATIONS, YOU KNOW, THE FLOODING, YOU KNOW THESE THINGS, AND SO YOU, YOU COME VERY WELL PREPARED.
YOU KNOW, TIME WILL TELL THE STORY, AND I'M SURE OVER TIME IT'LL TELL A GOOD STORY.
BUT YES, WE SHARE SOME OF THE NATURAL DISASTERS IN COMMON.
WELL, DIRECTOR, YOU HAVE NEARLY THREE DECADES OF EXPERIENCE IN SOLID WASTE RESOURCE.
NOW, TELL US, WHAT IS THE LONG RANGE PLANNING GOALS TO IMPROVE SOLID WASTE HERE IN HOUSTON? WELL, WE, FIRST OF ALL, WE WANT TO BECOME A, A DEPARTMENT THAT PEOPLE CAN DEPEND ON, RIGHT? WE NOT ONLY TALK TRASH, BUT WE TAKE IT.
THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO BE KNOWN FOR.
WE WANT TO BE KNOWN FOR THAT DEPARTMENT THAT PROVIDES TIMELY SERVICE.
AND, UH, WE'VE GOT SOME REBUILDING TO DO.
AND, UH, BUT I THINK WE'RE GONNA GET THERE BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE CURRENTLY PUTTING THE TEAM MEMBERS IN PLACE AND WE GOT THE RIGHT FOLKS IN PLACE.
AND, UH, I THINK OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS WILL SEE, UH, A VAST, UH, IMPROVEMENT IN THE SERVICES THAT THEY'VE BEEN SEEKING.
AND I BELIEVE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT CAME HEAD ON WAS THE ISSUE WITH KEEPING TRUCK DRIVERS.
UH, WHEN I ARRIVED, I WAS IN THE MIDST OF A DRIVER SHORTAGE.
AND, AND WE STILL HAVE OUR CHALLENGES AS WE, AS WE SPEAK, UH, BUT NONETHELESS, THE, THE TEAM, THE CORE MEMBERS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE HAVE BEEN DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB KEEPING THINGS TOGETHER AND, AND TRYING THEIR BEST TO DELIVER THE SERVICES TO THE RESIDENTS WITHIN THE CITY.
WHAT CAN HOUSTONIANS DO TO HELP THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENTS? WE, WE ARE, IT'S A PARTNERSHIP, RIGHT? IT'S US HELPING THEM, THEM HELPING US.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO BETTER THE TRASH SITUATION, THE, THE, THE CURRENT TIMES TO PICK UP, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
WHAT, WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HAVE OUT THERE FOR THE CITIZENS? ABSOLUTELY.
WELL, THERE, THERE'S SEVERAL THINGS THAT THEY CAN DO FROM A TO Z, RIGHT? UH, THE RESIDENTS CAN HELP US RECRUIT DRIVERS.
UH, THE, THE, WE, I ALWAYS LIKE TO SAY IN A DEPARTMENT LIKE THIS, THE TWO GREATEST ASSETS ARE EMPLOYEES AND EQUIPMENT.
WITHOUT EITHER ONE OF THOSE, WE CAN'T DO WHAT WE'RE GOOD AT DOING.
IF YOU KNOW OF ANYBODY WHO'S SEEKING EMPLOYMENT AND THEY'RE INTERESTED IN, IN A REWARDING CAREER, TELL 'EM TO LOOK US UP AT THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT, PROMISE YOU WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING THEY MIGHT ENJOY.
AND I MEAN, WE HAVE ONE OF OUR NEW APPS HERE, THE, THE HOUSTON HTX COLLECTS.
AND IT'S A GREAT RESOURCE FOR YOUR SCHEDULING, FOR YOUR CALENDAR DATE.
EARLY PLACEMENT SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE HERE IN HOUSTON WHERE FOLKS ARE PUTTING THEIR TRASH WAY EARLIER THAN THEY SHOULD, RIGHT? CORRECT.
AND THE HTX APP, AS YOU MENTIONED, IS A GREAT RESOURCE TO FIND OUT WHEN YOUR TRASH COLLECTION DAY IS, WHATEVER LINE OF BUSINESS IT IS, WHETHER IT'S RECYCLING, GARBAGE, HEAVY TRASH, HEAVY TREE WASTE, OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, THAT HTX APPS CAN TELL YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OUR DEPARTMENT AND OUR SERVICES.
DIRECTOR, YOU WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COLLECTION OF APPROXIMATELY 80,000 RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS IN FLORIDA.
VERSUS THE NUMBERS IN COMPARISON HERE, 390,000 RESIDENTS.
HOW DO THOSE NUMBERS COMPARE AND WHAT, WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU SEE WITH THAT? OH, MAN.
SO THE, THE NUMBERS ARE, IT'S, IT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE.
THE 80,000 VERSUS THE, THE 300,000 THAT WE HAVE HERE.
HOWEVER, WHAT WHAT MAKES IT, UH, UH, PALATABLE FOR ME IS THAT THE PRINCIPLES ARE THE SAME.
RIGHT? SO WHETHER WE'RE DEALING WITH 80,000 OR WHETHER WE'RE DEALING WITH 80 MILLION, WE STILL NEED THE TWO GREATEST ASSETS, EMPLOYEES, AND EQUIPMENT TO DELIVER THAT TIMELY SERVICE.
SO, UM, THE NUMBERS ARE BIGGER, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PEOPLE ARE MORE, WHICH IS A JOY TO WORK WITH OR
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A JOY TO WORK WITH.BUT THE PRINCIPLES ARE THE SAME.
WELL, I THINK WE RAN OUT OF TIME AND I WANNA THANK DIRECTOR MARK WILFORD FOR BEING HERE.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO COMING BACK AND, AND DOING SOME MORE SHOWS WITH YOU.
WE WILL, WE WILL HAVE MORE OF THESE SHOWS AND, UH, WE WILL BE BROADCASTING MORE OF THE, UH, OPPORTUNITIES AND ALSO THE PROGRAMS, THE FACILITIES THAT WE HAVE.
A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T KNOW, UH, MANY OF THE FACILITIES THAT WE HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD DEPOSIT DEPOSITORIES.
A BIG HIT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, AS A MATTER OF FACT.
UH, PART OF OUR LONG RANGE PLANS, UH, ADDRESSES EXPANDING THE USE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD DEPOSIT DEPOSITORIES.
SO WE'RE CURRENTLY EVALUATING WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED TO ADD MORE DEPOSIT DEPOSITORIES OR EXPAND THE SIZE OF THEM SO WE CAN GET THOSE CUSTOMERS IN AND OUT AND THEY CAN GET BACK TO DOING WHATEVER THEY HAVE TO DO.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, DIRECTOR FOR BEING HERE.
DID YOU KNOW THAT HOUSTONIANS CAN RECYCLE THEIR BATTERIES, OIL PAINT, AND ANTIFREEZE, AND EVEN GASOLINE HERE AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICE CENTER TO SOPHIA AND GABRIELLE, MS. FLORES, MY LITTLE FLOWERS, EVEN THOUGH THESE OLD KNEES CAN'T FOLLOW ON YOUR ADVENTURE TO THE FOREST TODAY, THESE FLOWERS REPRESENT MY LOVE.
SO YOU CAN TAKE ME WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO, NEAR OR FAR, THESE DITCHES AND THREADS, JOIN US TOGETHER, ME, YOUR MOTHER, AND BOTH OF YOU.
AND WHEREVER YOU SEE A FLOWER, A BIRD, A BEAUTIFUL TREE, KNOW THAT MY LOVE IS WITH YOU AS YOU BRING OUR COLORFUL STORIES TO THE WORLD.
MAKE THE FOREST PART OF YOUR STORY AT A PARK NEAR YOU.
THE URBAN FABRIC OF HOUSTON IS WOVEN FROM THE AMBITIONS AND TRADITIONS OF PEOPLE AND IDEAS.
WE ARE A CITY OF COLLABORATORS WHO BUILD ON ONE ANOTHER'S INSPIRATION, STRENGTHS, AND CULTURES TO SHAPE A FUTURE WE ALL CAN SHARE.
WE ARE MORE THAN 7 MILLION INGREDIENTS THAT MAKE SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE DISCOVERED, TASTED, OR INVENTED ANYWHERE ELSE.
COME ON, A MOVEMENT, A MOMENT, A FUTURE.
WE ARE RESHAPING THE CULINARY LANDSCAPE.
CULTURES COMBINE TO CREATE A POWERFUL, FLAVORFUL TASTE OF THINGS TO COME.
CRAWFISH AND NOODLES, ASIAN FLAVORS IN THE TEXAS STYLE BARBECUE, JAPANESE TAPAS, KOREA MIX, AND NIGERIAN JAMBALAYA SET THE TABLE FOR A CREATIVE, INVENTIVE, COOPERATIVE SEED.
THE POWER OF TOGETHER IS CREATING PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS THAT ARE SHAPING AN ECOSYSTEM OF BUSINESSES IN ORBIT AROUND THE EARTH, TAKING US TO THE MOON AND BEYOND.
COME ON, OUR TOGETHER IS ROCKET FUEL.
THE POWER OF TOGETHER IS THE POWER TO HEAL.
WE ARE DEVELOPING THE WORLD'S MOST ADVANCED RESEARCH CAMPUS AT THE WORLD'S LARGEST MEDICAL CITY.
THE GREATEST MINDS IN MEDICINE, SCIENCE, ACADEMIA, AND COMMERCE COLLIDE HERE.
RESEARCH AND BREAKTHROUGHS COME ON.
TOGETHER, WE ARE POWERING THE FUTURE, EVOLVING THE ENERGY, SUPPLY AND SCIENCE, LEADING THE GLOBAL TRANSITION TO A MORE EFFICIENT, SUSTAINABLE, LOW CARBON FUTURE.
HOUSTON WELCOMES YOU TO SAY HELLO TO THE INCREDIBLE POWER AND INFINITE POSSIBILITY OF TOGETHER.
WE CANNOT WAIT TO MAKE TOMORROW TOGETHER.
WHAT DO AN AEROSPACE ENGINEER, CANCER IMMUNOLOGIST AND BAT SCIENTISTS ALL HAVE IN COMMON? WE ALL HAVE COOL JOBS IN STEM FIELDS, WHETHER IT'S BUILDING ROBOTS OR LEARNING TO CODE.
GIRLS EVERYWHERE ARE FINDING THEIR PASSION FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH THROUGH POSITIVE ROLE MODELS AND MENTORS.
SO DARE TO DIVE IN, GET CONNECTED AND EXPLORE.
YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOUR FUTURE MAY HOLD.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE AND EVEN MORE COOL JOBS@SHECANSTEM.COM.
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TODAY WE ARE HERE AT THE SOUTHWEST ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICE CENTER.AND LET ME TELL YOU, THIS PLACE IS A JAM FOR ALL ENVIRONMENTALISTS.
THIS IS A DRIVE-THROUGH FACILITY WHERE YOU JUST SIMPLY PUCK THE TRUNK OPEN AND RECYCLE YOUR ITEMS SUCH AS OIL, PAINT, ANTIFREEZE, AND ALL THOSE GREAT ITEMS. HERE TO TELL US MORE IS DEANDRE HUDDLESON, WHO IS AN HHW TECHNICIAN AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICE CENTER.
PLEASE HELP ME WELCOME DEANDRE.
HEY, HOW'S IT GOING, JAVI? WELL DEEP.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
D TELL US ABOUT THIS WONDERFUL FACILITY.
WELL, HERE AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICE CENTER, WE STRIVE TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR WATERWAYS AND LANDFILL STAY CLEAN UP ANY TYPE OF HAZARDOUS WASTE THAT WE CAN.
RIGHT? WELL, SUCH AS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE THE CLEANING SUPPLIES, MOTOR OIL, ANTIFREEZE BATTERIES, ANY TYPE OF HAZARDOUS WASTE THAT YOU WOULD NORMALLY HAVE AT HOME.
WE TRY TO TAKE IT IN HERE SO THAT WE DON'T PUT IT INTO OUR DRINKING WATER.
WHAT ABOUT COOKING, OIL COOKING ALL YES.
YOU DON'T WANT TO TAKE COOKING ALL THE POUR DOWN YOUR DRAIN.
IT WILL CLOG UP YOUR PLUMBING AND MAKE A BIG PLUMBING BILL.
ALSO, YOU DON'T WANNA MESS UP YOUR LANDFILLS AND THE WATERWAYS, AS I SAID BEFORE, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
NOW I UNDERSTAND YOU CAN BRING THOSE ITEMS HERE, BUT HOW MUCH OF THOSE ITEMS CAN WE BRING? YEAH, SO WE DO HAVE QUANTITIES.
ALL IS 15 QUARTS PER HOUSEHOLD.
YOU CAN BRING 15 QUARTS OF ANTIFREEZE, 25 GALLONS OF PAINT, AND ALSO, UH, 100 POUNDS OF CHEMICALS.
SO WHAT TYPE OF PAINT DO YOU DO TAKE HERE? WE WANNA TAKE YOUR PAINT THAT IS STILL WET AND USABLE AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO DISPOSE OF IT PROPERLY.
WELL, THAT'S VERY GOOD INFORMATION.
THE WHAT I HEAR YOU GUYS HAVE A REUSE STORE.
WHAT IS THAT? YEAH, SO THE REUSE STORE IS A WAY THAT WE GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
ANY COLLECTIONS THAT WE TAKE IN THAT IS STILL USABLE, WE'LL GIVE IT OUT TO THE PUBLIC FOR FREE.
NOW, CAN ANYONE COME IN A PICKUP TRUCK WITH A TRAILER LOAD WITH A MATERIAL, THEN JUST BRING 'EM HERE? OR, OR IS THERE CERTAIN QUANTITIES THAT YES, YOU HAVE LIMIT TO? WE DO HAVE LIMITS, UNFORTUNATELY, ON THE REUSE, YOU ONLY CAN HAVE FIVE GALLONS OF PAINT AND FIVE CHEMICAL ITEMS. ON THE COLLECTION SIDE, YOU ONLY CAN BRING 25 GALLONS OF PAINT AND 100 POUNDS OF CHEMICALS.
THE REUSE STORE, TELL US ABOUT THAT.
WHAT ARE THE, THE TIMES AND DATES THAT NONPROFITS CAN COME AND THAT INDIVIDUALS CAN COME AND PICK UP ITEMS AT THE REUSE STORE? OKAY, SO NONPROFITS CAN COME MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.
NONPROFITS ARE 5 0 1 C NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS SCHOOLS, BUSINESSES, OR ANY TYPE OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH, WE'LL, UH, LET YOU HAVE AS MUCH PAIN AS YOU LIKE FOR FREE.
AND WHAT ABOUT THE FACILITY IN, IN TOTAL? WHEN ARE YOU GUYS TO OPEN HERE? OKAY, SO WE'RE OPEN EVERY TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY FROM NINE TO THREE FOR COLLECTIONS AND OPEN EVERY FRIDAY FOR THE RE REUSE STORE FROM NINE TO 12.
NOW, THE VERY IMPORTANT, WHAT ARE THE DO'S AND DON'TS OF BRINGING MATERIALS HERE? YEAH, SO PLEASE BRING US YOUR MATERIALS SAFELY.
WE DON'T WANT YOU TO PUT IN A TRASH BAG OR PUT IT IN THE BACKSEAT OF YOUR VEHICLE AND IT'S ALL SPILLING AND LEAKING.
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR TOPS AND LIDS ON.
IT'S A SAFETY LIABILITY FOR US AND THE CUSTOMERS.
WE DON'T WANT YOU TO PUT CHEMICALS IN A BAG AND THEY'RE LEAKING AND THEN SOMEBODY REACHES IN THERE AND GET A CHEMICAL BEAR.
WELL, THAT'S VERY GOOD INFORMATION.
THANK YOU FOR TELLING US THAT.
DID YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE AN APP? YES.
DOWNLOAD OUR APP AT HTX COLLECTS.
CHECK OUT OUR APP FOR YOUR TRASH AND RECYCLING CALENDAR, DROP OFF LOCATIONS, AND EVEN GAMES, AND MUCH, MUCH MORE.
MAKE SURE TO DOWNLOAD THE APP AT HT X COLLECT, VISIT OUR WEBSITE, CHECK US OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.