In July 2015, Oakland began requiring all residences to have compost bins and contracted Texas-based Waste Management to manage the compost program.
In light of compost’s rising popularity, Bay Curious reader Maggie Glaize wanted to know, “Where does all of that compost end up?”
I arrived at Waste Management’s East Oakland headquarters at 5 a.m. on a recent Wednesday, searching for an answer to Maggie’s question.
Dozens of collection trucks line the parking lot surrounding the Waste Management building while boisterous truck operators, clutching coffee and energy drinks, crowd into the office to pick up their route assignments for the day. By 5:30 a.m., I’m riding shotgun in a collection truck with Amanuel Yemane, a seasoned truck operator and my guide for the morning.