Recycle on my bicycle
By Brooke O'Hara
28 September 2008
What's your profession? Please describe it.
Last year I was a route rider for the recycling program at my university. This job involved riding around campus on an awesome bike with a trailer on the back that held a few recycling bins. I would ride from one recycling cluster to the next until I filled the bins up with recyclables. Then I would bike over to a larger recycling dumpster and pour the bins out, using man power instead of fossil fuels to consolidate for pickup.
Where do you do this?
I'm currently a student at the University of California, Santa Barbara and am employed by Associated Students Recycling.
Do you enjoy what you do?
I love what I do. The route rider position combined my passion for environmental issues, my love for the outdoors, and my need to always be moving.
When you were young, what did you want to "be" when you grew up?
Well I'm still pretty young! So when I grow up I want to be a professor/researcher.
Do you feel stuck doing what you are doing?
Not at all. It suited me well last year. I've since been promoted to Outreach Coordinator, so now I get paid to inform people about recycling. Not bad, eh?
What are the most and least satisfying parts of your job?
The most satisfying part... well that would have to be that I get to do something that makes me feel good.
The least satisfying part was having to remove trash from the recycling bins. That wasn't cool because it's nasty and it reflects recycling ignorance.
How do you combine photography with your job?
I realized I wanted to do a photo project involving my job while I was taking an introduction to photography class, so I took my point and shoot camera on every route. It helped me see more into what I was doing, making the job more interesting.
Anything else you'd like to add?
Reduce reuse recycle!
