The Grave & Gritty World of Garbage City of Ponca

City – Senior Collectors

As we rush about our daily lives in the oftenfrenzied pace that has become so common, it’s easy to forget about the things at play making our lives easier and our communities more livable. It’s easy to forget there are humans doing essential work so our lives keep spinning with little interruption. We turn on lights without a second thought to the workers who keep the power on. We drive over smooth roads without a second thought to the employees who paved that road during its last repair. We empty our trash without a second thought to the collectors who risk their lives each day keeping our community clean. Because it’s human nature to take these things for granted, it is important to educate yourself about what happens behind the scenes.

Rick Daine and Robert Hays are Senior Collectors with the City of Ponca City’s Solid Waste Department. Daine has been with the City for 30 years and Hays for over 20 years.

What does a Senior Collector do, you might be wondering?

They drive the trash trucks. Both have worked their way up over the years and performed a myriad of jobs within the Solid Waste Department. This makes each of them a wealth of knowledge in their field.

When asked what a normal day looks like, Daine laughs good-naturedly and says, “There is no such thing as a normal day in solid waste.”

A typical day for these two has many variables. Start time is based on available trucks. Days can range from a normal workload to a 15-hour day. The job is hard and reliable help is not a given. Trucks break down and must be fixed. Holidays, summer break and even the pandemic change the nature of trash in our community. During the pandemic, people spent more time at home. While spending more time at home, many took on remodeling projects, did light cleaning or even heavy purging. All of these things generate more trash.