Texas Disposal Systems wins Greater Austin Business Award for environmental preservation that goes beyond paper and plastic

It’s no surprise that Austin sits on top of magazine lists as one of the best cities for jobs and other demographics. As the third-fastest growing city in America, it attracts college graduates, families, seniors, and another group – environmentalists.

Environmental preservation and good neighbor practices are critical in the solid waste industry, which is why brothers Bob and Jim Gregory founded Texas Disposal Systems (TDS) in 1977. Since beginning with just one truck, one customer and $10,000, the company now employs more than 850 Texans across 45 counties.

TDS has grown into one of the largest independently-owned solid waste and disposal companies in the nation, thanks in part to innovative techniques in preserving the environment. TDS accomplishes this by capturing methane emissions from the landfill, and by recycling or composting several millions of pounds of waste annually in the Austin area. Additionally, TDS recycles concrete and demolition materials from construction projects, turning that debris into reusable material. TDS also markets their composted products such as soil, mulch and compost through their Garden-Ville stores and Texas Organic Products lines.

“TDS is committed to a noticeably different, noticeably better operation,” said Bob Gregory, co-founder of Texas Disposal Systems. “Our fleet and site services operations, landfill, and composting and recycling facilities assist our municipal and residential customers to economically manage their waste commodities in an environmentally responsible manner.”

In recognition of their responsible stewardship, TDS won the Brookfield Environmental Friendly Award. The accolade – a category of the Greater Austin Business Awards program – recognizes businesses that demonstrate a commitment to environmentally sound practices.

That commitment is best exampled through TDS’ new program, Eco Academy, which educates K-12 students in Central Texas about recycling and composting items in their schools. The program provides students with educational materials on how to recycle, lessons on diverting waste, and reasons on why landfill diversion is important.

TDS’ commitment to the environment is also readily found in business partnerships. Since 2009, TDS has partnered with C3 Presents to reduce the environmental impact of the ACL Music Festival. Because of innovative recycling and composting practices, TDS has been able to divert 74% of all waste from the festival away from the landfill. In addition to ACL, TDS also works with Central Texas icons such as the Round Rock Express, Dell Diamond, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, and several schools and businesses to develop environmentally sound waste streams.

To learn more about how TDS communities, organizations and schools manage and divert waste to beneficial uses, visit their website at TexasDisposal.com.

Pictured (left to right): Ellen Wood, Chair of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce; Justin Murrill, Senior Manager of Corporate Responsibility of AMD; Hal Roberts of Lettuce Networks; Yogesh Sharma of Lettuce Networks; Bob Gregory, Co-Owner, President, and CEO of Texas Disposal Systems; Phyllis Snodgrass, CEO of Austin Habitat for Humanity; Amanda Castroverde of TreeHouse; TreeHouse team; Rachel Podhorn of Treehouse; and Jessica King of Brookfield Residential.

Blog image: Mrs. Christina Martinez and her class poses outside of Lalla Odom Elementary School during the launch ceremony of TDS’ Eco Academy program. Odom ES was the first school to adopt the program.

IMAGE CREDENTIAL: Texas Disposal Systems