It’s been almost six years since a new way of disposing of and collecting trash came to downtown Kissimmee.
Time flies when you’re creating refuse removal solutions that benefit a lot of people.
Underground Refuse Systems, a company born locally — literally, right out of the UCF Business Incubator program in downtown Kissimmee — made its first underground unit for trash operational at City Hall on April 19, 2016, according to its website. Other receptacles have popped up around downtown.
“Yes, I can believe it’s been that long. I’ve been hard at work with my team working to expand it,” said company founder and president, and former Osceola County School Board member Jay Wheeler, who has since gotten the city of Clearwater on board earlier this year. Ennis, Texas will hold a ribbon cutting for its system later this year, and Kissimmee has expanded the number of mobile units that can be moved for events or other needs.
Along with its new technology for getting rid of the city’s trash was a companion bin for recyclables. Why is that noteworthy?
Because it created the first means for businesses and individuals downtown to recycle.
Kissimmee started a recycling program in downtown Kissimmee in 2017 with Underground Refuse System technology. Prior to deploying the Underground Refuse Systems technology into downtown Kissimmee, historical downtown Kissimmee had no recycling program.
“It’s really worked out for the city,” Wheeler said. “I knew it’d be good for the city and for downtown, but they’ve been an unbelievable partner.
“They went to Europe to see how it was deployed. Over there, there is much less space, so there’s a need to recycle and prevent waste. They have separate space for green bottles, for brown bottles, for plastic, for paper.”
Kissimmee City Manager Mike Steigerwald said the units don’t impact the ability to provide parking or pedestrian access, or the other challenges that come with an urban environment downtown.
“We can stick these things in sidewalks and in areas that are very tight spaces,” he said.
Having some way to recycle has benefitted the city, and also its businesses downtown where the underground units are located.
“What’s been done is a good thing for this area,” said Jackie Espinosa, who owns multiple businesses in downtown Kissimmee.
