On the Job for Polk County On the job for the Polk environment
Many of our vehicles are powered by compressed natural gas, or CNG. This is a cleanerburning alternative fuel. In fact, CNG powered trucks produce up to 23% fewer gas emissions than comparable diesel models. They’re not only better for the environment; they’re more costeffective, too. Republic Services in Polk County is proud to be a leader in converting to a cleaner fleet. And that’s good news for Polk County!
On the job for Polk recycling
Every month at our Polk recycling center, we process 13 million pounds of materials – metal, plastic, glass, aluminum and cardboard. It’s a huge investment in earth-friendly technology, but it helps simplify and streamline recycling for you, your neighbors and local organizations and schools. Our MRF (material recycling facility) is also one of Florida’s leaders in recycling volume, reducing our carbon footprint.
On the job for Polk customer service
At Republic, we have one of the cleanest records nationwide for customer service. We take calls from our customers seriously and try to respond promptly. In Polk County, our local customer service representatives are here to help answer your questions and fulfill your requests. To contact our customer service center, call 863-665-1489
On the job for Polk waste collection technology
Soon, we’ll launch our “geo-fencing” initiative to track and enhance service. It’s a GPS technology that will assist our drivers to ensure every Republic Services customer’s garbage and recycling is picked up on the assigned days. The technology allows us to define virtual boundaries around our Polk geographic collection areas. The key feature is real-time monitoring and tracking for more precise daily collections.
On the job for community partnerships
Diamond Sponsor of Keep Polk County Beautiful Nearly all local Chambers of Commerce Ridge League of Cities Eastside Positive Action Committee United Way of Central Florida Touch-A-Truck events at Polk County schools City of Mulberry school supply drive
On the job for Polk safety
Our Republic Services team is on Polk County’s roads on a regular basis, typically making pickups at each home in our service areas three times a week. We take pride in keeping an eye out for safety concerns that we may spot. - Our “101 Days of Summer” campaign reminds drivers about key summer safety issues, such as proper hydration in higher temperatures, watching for children at play and increased pedestrian traffic, and wearing high-visibility vests. - “Looking Out for You” offers training from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, so our teams can better identify and report neighborhood risks and suspicious activity
Keep Polk County Beautiful Environmental Champion On December 6, 2013, Republic Services of Polk County was honored with the Environmental Champion Award given by Keep Polk County Beautiful. Keep Polk County Beautiful, Inc. is a non-profit organization that focuses on litter prevention, education, community cleanups and beautification projects throughout Polk County. Awards were given out to groups, individuals, businesses, municipalities and communities that have set a goal of cleaning up and improving the aesthetics of Polk County. As a nationwide leader in sustainable collection of waste and recyclables, Republic Services can provide the right technological resources to the Polk community, but we also believe in giving back to our community. We are a dedicated diamond level sponsor and partner of Keep Polk County Beautiful and provide collection support for numerous events per year. We also routinely provide cardboard trash and recycling receptacles to special events around Polk County. We work with the Polk County School system through the touch-a-truck program and other education initiatives to ensure future generation’s value to the power of recycling.
Republic Services Drivers Save Life Monday, May 19th, started out like any other morning for Republic Services drivers Joaquin Cordero and Edward Balbi, but quickly turned into a day they will never forget. As they prepared to pick up the garbage from a residence in Lakeland, FL, they noticed an open window with smoke coming out of it. The closer they got to the residence the more they realized there was a problem. The two men reacted quickly. They ran to the front door and saw that a fire had started in the kitchen. They began to scream and bang on the door to try and get someone’s attention, afraid that people were inside. Edward ran back to the truck and grabbed the fire extinguisher equipped on the vehicle. Joaquin noticed the door was unlocked and went in. Edward in tow, they used the fire extinguisher to suppress the fire long enough for the resident to wake up and helped him to safety outside. They called 911 and assisted the homeowner until the fire department arrived. Joaquin and Edward were recognized by Republic Services for their Resourcefulness but humbly said “it’s part of the job”. - Kim from Lakeland, FL says, "Just want to thank the two refuse workers formally for their actions this morning. As I sipped my coffee I hear a horn honking and then banging and yelling. The words they were yelling were muffled so we went outside to see what all the commotion was about. As we opened the front door we noticed the neighbor’s dog loose. Then we turned to the neighbor’s house to find smoke billowing out. The workers were telling the neighbor to call 911 but he was hesitant thinking it was something he could handle. The workers called 911 to be safe and then grabbed their extinguisher and ran in to put out what they could. From what we could see, the smoke had stopped flowing out of the house with any strength. The fire department arrived and took over. Honestly, if it weren't for the actions of the refuse workers it might have been a very different ending! These two gentlemen should be highly commended! They have our thanks!!"
