Every new season impacts solid waste processing in different ways. During the summer, especially of late with the historic heat waves and fires in the US and Canada, the operation required to collect and process waste materials rushes against the clock. Hot weather service disruptions, humidity, foul odor, and pests threaten landfill diversion expectations. When the temperature drops, however, another set of challenges arises. From October 2022 to March, 677 inches of snow covered the Sierra Nevada mountains, making last winter the second snowiest period on record by the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab in 77 years.

The increased risk of avalanches and flooding added extra layers of complexity to collecting, processing, and transporting waste. Most people don’t understand the complexity of collections or its dangers, let alone in inclement weather. While most people work behind computer monitors, or at indoor service jobs, waste needs to be picked up, preferably on schedule. With road closures, “there were time periods over the course of a couple of months when roads and trucks were impacted 50% of the time,” commented Mickey Eckman, District Manager of WM’s Eco Center Material Recovery Facility in Reno, Nevada. According to Mickey, during one of the harshest winters in the area, Rogelio Salas-Hernandez honored the saying “every challenge is an opportunity in disguise” and took it upon himself to keep things moving inside the Eco Center at WM’s Sage Street Transfer Station.

With more recycling materials coming in and bales piling up, the weather disruption would have affected WM’s ability to service the area if it weren’t for the expertise and initiative of hundreds of employees, such as Rogelio. “Rogelio never panics. He does not freak out. We had loose, sorted, and baled material all piling up,” but he kept performing the daily tasks with the experience and confidence of those who have endured the test of time.

Beyond Managing Bales at the Eco Center

Rogelio has worked for WM since 1997. He experienced many winters with the company and knows precisely how to navigate the nuances of processing waste during each season. Though managing waste requires teamwork, there is always that crucial piece that keeps the whole engine running. This is Rogelio’s role. Each day, he enters the transfer station and knows how many bales he can fit into the facility. There are no visual aids or spreadsheets guiding his movements. After 26 years dedicated to running WM’s baling process in the area, he’s an expert.

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My job is to monitor the baler and verify if bales are going out correctly, weighing more than 3,000 pounds, and to load the bales onto the trucks.

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“During the summer, the material is different from the material arriving in the winter because it arrives with water and ice. We have to make sure the material isn’t too wet or icy [to bale]. In winter, sometimes, they take only 12 bales because they are heavier. During the hot season, they always take 14 or 15 bales. It was complicated because sometimes, when we add an extra bale, it gets too heavy. We have to unload it,” explains Rogelio as he moves his forklift back and forth to distribute the day’s load of solid waste over a narrow area, taking pride in the work he has been doing over almost three decades to support his community and family. “My job is to monitor the baler and verify if bales are going out correctly, weighing more than 3,000 pounds, and to load the bales onto the trucks (…) right over there, at the dock.”

Amidst the dreary winter months, as the facility became increasingly congested and burdened with solid waste, Rogelio’s adroit knowledge and communication skills prevented potential disruptions in the facility’s operations. He played a crucial role in ensuring the efficient management of material processing while waiting for the I-80 to reopen.

“He always communicates with us. Based on his input, we moved some of his loads down the street and stored them there so we could make it through until the road opened. He knows exactly how many bales can fit there. He can see it in terms of how many days of material is going to get us through,” emphasizes Mickey.

9,490 Days (and counting) of Matchless Dedication

There is no doubt that managers can shape employees’ behavior and teach them new skills. However, the ability to exhibit the same level of enthusiasm at work as if it were the first day of work is a rare quality that only a few possess. While a good attitude is not a transferable skill, it does have the power to affect everyone with positivity. “I always try to come with good spirit. I am happy working here because this company always has work to do. There is job security here. You just have to follow the rules. If you violate the rules, it’s like quitting the job yourself, not like being fired. If you follow the rules, you will stay a long time; like me, already 26 years working here,” says Rogelio.

He is a testament to the fact that time is the best ally when it comes to perfecting one’s capabilities. Having spent many years operating light machinery for WM, Rogelio now moves through his tasks with ease, not wasting a single movement and accurately predicting what new hires may struggle to foresee. As autumn approaches, it is difficult to predict the upcoming challenges, however, it’s easy to forecast that Rogelio, like many of WM’s dedicated frontline employees, will always rise to the occasion.

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