Our Members
Our members have access to valuable resources, networking opportunities, and support to help them achieve their alternative fuel goals. With their direct support, they help us work towards a cleaner, more resilient Treasure Valley and play a role in the growth of our coalition.
Member Spotlight
Republic Services
Republic Services is a company focused on sustainability. They have ambitious carbon emission targets based on the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and are officially ahead of those targets. The company can be found in 46 states. Everything they do around is focused on sustainability, carbon reduction and climate action. Rachele Klein manages municipal solid waste contracts from the eastern Idaho cities of Pocatello and Chubbuck to Homedale and Marsing near the Oregon border. She crafts contracts that reflect what the communities want, which can include services such as composting, recycling, and more. Rachele’s job is to find avenues to reduce carbon emissions/footprint, streamline operations, outlets for materials, and improve energy and resource efficiency. She constantly looks for opportunities and brings them to cities to gauge interest. Rachele and her team are data driven as they look for ways to reduce and divert waste.
What is your organization’s mission?
“To provide sustainable solutions that make businesses more efficient while taking care of the planet. Across our operations, we are always looking for ways to improve sustainability. Whether we’re developing processes to support circularity through recycling and reuse, turning landfill gas into renewable energy, or growing our fleet of electrified trucks, each innovation is an opportunity to make a difference. To remain accountable and transparent, we’ve established industry-leading benchmarks for reducing emissions, contributing to a sustainable circular economy, producing renewable energy, and operating safely and responsibly for our employees, communities, and the environment. Our goals are driven by science and focused in areas where we see the greatest potential for a positive impact.”
Tell us about your organization’s clean transportation journey.
"We realized back in the early 2000s that we were one of the biggest polluters in the Treasure Valley. When I first started with Republic Services all 200 of the collection vehicles ran on diesel. We decided to reduce our impact so we reached out to the Treasure Valley Clean Cities Coalition for help. The TVCCC helped us convert our fleet from diesel to compressed natural gas. The fuel was clean and affordable, and there was grant funding available. The TVCCC helped us win a $6.7M stimulus grant which helped offset the initial compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling infrastructure and truck costs. We started with 12 trucks which took a tremendous amount of planning, but we worked through the process. We figured there were a lot of right ways to the finish line towards carbon neutrality. Today, we have just under 200 renewable natural gas trucks. There are also growing numbers of electric garbage trucks in the market, and we’ve begun incorporating them into our Idaho fleet. We just received our tenth electric truck this week in early November and we built out our charging infrastructure to hit our goal of 32 electric trucks. Our energy portfolio supports electric trucks because here in the Treasure Valley our electricity comes from hydropower, solar, natural gas, and wind, with a very small amount generated from coal.”
“We are trying everything to see what works best. Our goal is to grow our business every year, while reducing harmful emissions. More and more people are moving to the Treasure Valley each year, and our goal is to continue to provide the additional services without increasing our carbon footprint. "
How has the TVCCC helped your organization reach its goals for cleaner transportation?
"The TVCCC has held us accountable by showing us reports that demonstrate data about our emissions. We think we are on the right track and then the TVCCC comes up with another opportunity to improve, such as installing idle kill switches on every truck which will turn the car off after 3 minutes of idling. This helped us save a couple of gallons of fuel each day, per truck. We run 200 trucks daily so suddenly, that helped us save 400 gallons in a single day. The TVCCC has been great at coming to us to help with grant writing and educating us on fuel efficient driver practices to improve fuel economy. We tell our drivers that slow is smooth and smooth is fast. We get a lot of tips from the Clean Cities Coalition."
What advice would you give to an organization or business interested in the transition to cleaner fuels and fueling/charging infrastructure?
"Businesses and organizations do not have to reinvent the wheel. It’s scary but it’s worth it. You don’t know the progress you are making unless you track it so start measuring so you can see the progress. Don’t be afraid to rely on the TVCCC. Ask them for advice and use their resources. Everyone in the alternative fuel is super supportive. There is great reciprocity and partners in this space are always willing to lend a hand if there’s any charging infrastructure issues, or if you're curious about vehicle operations.”
What inspires you most about the work you do?
“I think for me it is the education component of my work. I like seeing the progress and the results through the monthly reports we provide to all the cities we serve. We can see and have seen diversion increasing and emissions dropping. In my job, if you can dream it, you can do it. No one really sees waste as a part of the environmental field but it really is in many ways.”
Any additional information you would like to share with the TVCCC community?
"If you are interested in learning more, jump in on one of the trainings like the Green Transportation Summit. Or if you are a fleet manager try a fleet manager training program. If the timing isn’t right or if you want to learn more get involved with the TVCCC, see what’s out there! Participate in the field trips, attend conferences, and ask questions. I’m a clean cities coalition fan and it’s been incredibly helpful to our business.”
Contact information
Rachele Klein, the Municipal Services Manager at Republic Services of Idaho has offered to leave her contact information for anyone with additional questions. Feel free to email or call her at rklein@republicservices.com or 208-283-0624.
Our Members.
Making a difference, one mile at a time.
