Updated June 17, 2022
It doesn’t take much to grab the attention of a child. Police cars, airplanes, helicopters, motorcycles – all are excellent for drawing quick attention. But of all these wonders that flash before their eyes, one has repeatedly stuck out more than others: garbage trucks.
The garbage truck drivers of Environmental Utilities are celebrities in Roseville. Their engagement with kids and adults is frequent, their customer service is unmatched, and it’s rare to pass by one without getting a wave or a smile.
Meet Connor, refuse truck driver
Meet Adam, refuse truck driver II
Meet Brian, refuse supervisor
“Back when I was young, I used to love running out and waving to the garbage man as he passed,” said Conner Gallagher, a refuse truck driver for Environmental Utilities. “Now, I’m the guy that gets waived to.”
But our drivers do much more than attract a string of onlookers down every street in the city.
Waste services that help our community thrive
As a city-owned utility, the waste services division manages all aspects of trash and recycling in Roseville. Our garbage truck drivers cover 18 residential routes daily (Monday through Friday) and 83 commercial routes per week (including organics and recycling), serving over 50,000 accounts within Roseville.
Drivers are trained on a fleet of five different trucks, consisting of a side loader for residential areas, front and rear loaders for commercial bins, roll-off trucks for large commercial businesses, and an organics truck for composting. Some drivers switch vehicles throughout the week, depending on need.
“It’s important that our drivers are highly trained and flexible with the trucks we use,” said Chris Uhercik, refuse supervisor. “We have a large area of responsibility, so we want to ensure our people are prepared for anything unexpected on their routes.”
After the city’s waste has been picked up, it is delivered to the Materials Recovery Facility, separated, recycled, and processed. More than 130,000 tons of trash and recycling is processed annually.
On top of that, the trash and recycling team provides additional services that include recycling cardboard, managing proper battery and oil disposal, medication take-back days, door-to-door pickup for household hazardous waste – the list goes on.
To recognize waste professionals and their service to our community, June 17 is “Global Garbage Man Day.” Help us observe this day by thanking our incredible staff of garbage collectors and waste management team by using the hashtag #ThankYouGarbageMan on social media. Your garbage truck drivers will thank you.