Winning hearts, changing minds, inspiring action
The U.S. produces more than 12% of the planet’s trash, though it is home to only 4% of the world’s population
How do you win over hearts, change minds, and inspire action? In the world of waste, Republic Services is doing just that. And it’s no secret the United States is the most wasteful country in the world with each American producing more than 1,700 pounds of trash a year. And in a recent study, we generate 3x the amount of waste of our counterparts across the world who have much higher populations.
Republic Services is a Fortune 300 company leading San Diego in offsetting our global waste footprint. You might recognize Republic servicing your residential neighborhoods, providing on-campus systems at Carlsbad Unified School District, educating shoppers, and partnering with the City of Carlsbad on banning single-use plastic at the Carlsbad Village Association Farmers Market and managing waste at TGIF Concerts in the Park.
Republic Services in contract with the City of Carlsbad launched a waste diversion program at last year’s TGIF concerts with the help of Kids for Peace volunteers. The kids highlighted their newfound waste knowledge of proper recycling, trash, and composting organics. They couldn’t wait to bring home what they learned to their families.
This year, Republic Services is launching a sustainable summer internship experience open to students and community volunteers to expand the impact all summer long.
Jenna Dotson is the recycling coordinator and now internship designer of Republic Services. When Jenna was younger she had always desired to make a big impact on the planet; Sustainability in action. While she could have easily worked for a large environmental organization, Republic Services opened her eyes to make a difference in daily life. Plus, being able to contribute to the circular economy resonated with her goals. Future Jenna will mentor interns through Republic’s concert series waste diversion efforts.
This July – August, Republic Services is looking for passionate volunteers to help decrease waste and increase diversion at Carlsbad’s TGIF Summer Concert Series. The summer internship will also be offered at Cal State University San Marcos. Interns can expect to “help monitor the waste sorting stations, encourage and educate residents to use the correct 3-bin sorting system, and help weigh the bins at the end of each event to obtain diversion data” (decreasing waste that ends up in landfills). “Our goal is to have each concert get higher and higher diversion,” Jenna Dotson, Recycling Coordinator, Republic Services.
TGIF brings 30,000 attendees to the four largest parks in Carlsbad and Republic Services provides over 20 stations. Jenna puts the “ability” in “sustainability”, empowering the next generation of land stewards. This summer is a unique opportunity for interns to contribute to waste diversion efforts, educate attendees, and actually see a direct tangible impact from each event from start to finish.
“Jenna is uniquely equipped to lead this program and mentor students as a recent CSUSM alumna herself, as she gained valuable experience as the sustainability student assistant for three years,” Juliana Goodlaw-Morris, Sustainability Manager and Environmental Studies Professor at California State University San Marcos. Interested CSUSM students can find this opportunity on the internship website, make it a senior project or service learning project.
“The internship introduces college graduates to the environmental services industry which will help to increase our local talent pool. Students interested in working with data will help us offer more public data through end of event recaps, and determine which events performed better with diversion. Jenna has taken the initiative to bring this program to life and get it into the right hands to make it a reality. Being a recycling coordinator herself, helps to demonstrate the natural path that these interns could eventually take and creates a unique connection to this program. She is an exceptional example of what a great career path at Republic Services can look like. Most people don’t think of trash companies offering great jobs, but Republic Services does more than just picking up the trash. We have roles in IT, data analysis, public relations marketing and many other corporate positions. This internship exposes students to the vast possibilities inside our industry,” Stephen Herring, Municipal Manager, Republic Services.
In the future, Republic Services Summer Sustainability Internship could expand into a more in-depth semester-long internship, or course credit in the environmental studies major mentions Professor Juliana Goodlaw-Morris. Inside and outside the classroom, “the biggest issues we face today are climate change, transportation, and waste.” Specifically, “to help with waste on campus, we started a plastic film recycling program with Plastic Beach. Companies like Republic Services recognize it’s not just the end of a product, but how can we upcycle trash. From ecopreneurs to refillery shops in the zero waste trend, there are so many different avenues to spark student interest that one might not think of. Before leaving college, so many students graduate without knowing what they want to do. Republic Services’ internship can help guide them in which direction they might enjoy.”
Republic Services is not your average waste removal company. They view trash and commit to sustainability through holistic action. In fact, they are launching a fleet of electric trucks in California by 2024, making them one of the most innovative waste companies in the nation. They have big plans in the near future to commit to a more circular economy including opening a polymer plastic center next year.
Republic Services’ summer internship features a fun environment and great music, plus you might even get a hat and T-shirt out of it. Beginners are welcome to apply; as long as you have passion, Republic will teach you the rest.
Orientation is coming up so sign up before May 31 by emailing [email protected]