by Mauro Battocchi

You've likely seen the Recology trucks cruising around the neighborhoods of San Francisco collecting the contents of their plastic bins. The company was founded 90 years ago by Italian Americans as one of the nation's first urban recyclers and is committed to recycling, renewal, reuse and reduction. The goal? Zero waste.

The history of Recology, as described in this lengthy YouTube video, is fascinating. The original Bay Area garbage men were called "scavengers" and came from Italy in the late 19th century. These men competed with each other collecting reusable refuse and repurposing it for a profit. For example, used bottles were a hot commodity that the scavengers collected, cleaned and sold to the wineries.

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Fonte: San Francisco, Italy