At the San Francisco Marriott Marquis, a team of Toolworks employees work to sort and process the hotel’s waste, which is generated from 1,500 guest rooms, three restaurants and cafes and a large convention center. Toolworks, a local nonprofit agency that provides job training and employment for people with disabilities, has helped the hotel achieve an 85 percent waste diversion rate, which is one of the highest resource recovery rates among hotels in the U.S.

“We want to make it easy for guests to stay true to their commitment to reduce waste and preserve the Earth’s natural resources while traveling,” said San Francisco Marriot Marquis General Manager Chuck Pacioni in a statement. “Before Toolworks, we did not have the built-in capacity to manage our waste processing. Now, we are providing productive careers for people with disabilities while improving the efficiency of our operations and our bottom line. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

The San Francisco Marriott Marquis has been working with Toolworks since 1989, providing housekeeping, custodial, waste management and other workforce opportunities to people with disabilities. In 2009, the hotel stepped up its waste management program and asked the employees to help out when they finished their daily duties. Since then, the program has grown into a daily operation run by a dedicated crew.

“We’ve had a great partnership with the Marriott Marquis. They’ve always been forward thinking and have found ways to really integrate our team with their associates,” said Toolsworks CEO Kristy Feck in a statement. “Our clients have multiple barriers to employment, but thanks to the financial grants from San Francisco’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development, we have been able to develop specialized training and supportive services for our clients so they can be successful.”

The Office of Economic and Workforce Development manages a vast variety of programs, services and grant opportunities for organizations like Toolworks to help residents gain the job skills they need for employment. Through a partnership, Toolworks is able to leverage state funding awarded to the Office of Economic and Workforce Development that supports training and employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

“Through the Disability Employment Initiative, the Office of Economic and Workforce Development works closely with community partners such as Toolworks to provide education and employment opportunities for adults with disabilities,” said Office of Economic and Workforce Development Workforce Development Director Michael Carr. “Their partnership is valuable toward further diversifying San Francisco’s workforce. We are proud to work alongside with Toolworks and many of our community partners to ensure residents have access to workforce training and jobs.”