His colleagues at Recology are the second reason.  Many people in the corporate office in California are Rotarians, a number of them past-presidents.  When they heard he was located near Seattle #4, they asked him, “how can you not join that club?”  Kevin Kelly and Dave Vaughn (Dave flew in from California) are here today from Recology. 

 

The third reason Derek joined Rotary results from how he approaches life.  Derek has moved 10 times.  He found that being connected to his community is the easiest way for him to be happy and have meaning. 

 

One of the ways Derek found meaning is through recycling and managing the waste we produce.  As the first college graduate in his family, Derek said, “I didn’t go to college for a job in garbage.”  Love led him to recycling. 

 

On his first date with Camille, now his wife, he asked her was why she worked in recycling.  I guess it was a good day for falling in love. 

 

Derek is responsible for operations in the Pacific Northwest for Recology, which carries out recycling and solid waste management on the West Coast.  I could have talked to him for hours. 

 

A sobering bit of news I learned: the ocean is our largest protein source, and every animal in the ocean has plastic in it.  Every one of us is eating plastic. You see, plastic never dissolves, it just breaks down into tiny particles.  Plastic started in the 1950s, and it has infiltrated our food chain.  Only 10% is recycled. 

 

Luckily, I have good news for you. 

 

As Derek says, we don’t need to get rid of plastic, we need to better manage it. 

 

Recology’s vision is a world without waste.  It is the only 100% employee owned recycling and solid waste company in the country, and has 3,700 employees.

 

His company is the first in the state to use renewable diesel.  1.2 million gallons a year!  They own one of the first 100% electric garbage trucks in the U.S and they have electric cars for staff. 

 

Recology has a four-month residency where an artist comes in and makes art out of waste. 

 

Recycling is not just for liberals.  In fact, Derek posits that recycling and waste management is economic, not political.  In working with people on the political right, Derek appeals to their business sense.  1,000 tons of trash = .2 jobs, 1,000 tons of recycling produces two jobs.

 

Yuma, Arizona is the site of Derek’s proudest accomplishment.  At the time, Yuma was burying all their waste.  In an area that didn’t value tree hugging, Derek rolled out curbside recycling.  That program is still going. 

 

Two acres in North Bend is where Derek calls home.  He and Camille have two kids, Mariel and Ronan.

 

They have 98 mature blueberry bushes, 14 chickens, and a guinea pig named Pig.  In his spare time Derek fishes and hikes. 

 

I’ve given you many facts.  The best ones I saved until last.  In high school, Derek was voted “worst driver.”  He and Camille take an international trip every year, just the two of them.  It is non-negotiable.  And he referred to his children as a “dream come true.”

 

You can see why he is driven to make our earth a better place.