By Louis Zylka
The 830 Times
The first citywide cleanup of the year took place at the Jose Ramos Center Saturday between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
People were allowed to go to the cleanup and dispose of trash they collected without any fees as long as they showed proof of residency.
The City of Del Rio and Platform Waste Solutions created this campaign to decrease the amount of waste in areas such as the San Felipe and Chihuahua neighborhoods. These citywide cleanups give Del Rio residents the chance to get rid of any garbage without driving to the city’s dump site. Jose Huerta, general manager for Platform Waste Solutions, said a lot of people show up to these cleanups because they live close to the area.
“We had a huge line out here by eight a.m. and we didn’t start ’till 9 a.m., so that is always a telltale sign, and with it being a beautiful day, we have been having a good turnout,” Huerta said.
Al Arreola, City of Del Rio Mayor, said Platform Waste Solutions and its workers do a great job picking up and recycling all types of trash in the city. He said the administration picked the Jose Ramos Center as the first cleanup site of the year to help the San Felipe area.
“This is where we start to beautify Del Rio and this is just the beginning because everyone does an amazing job of helping,” Arreola said.
People drove to the cleanup site with various trash including household appliances, unused wood and white goods. The only items not allowed were tires, oil or any kind of electronic such as televisions or computers. San Felipe resident Bobby Aguirre said he went to the cleanup twice because he lives a few blocks away.
Rodrigo Almeida, from the Chihuahua neighborhood, said these cleanups are convenient for the people who live nearby.
“We got to take advantage of these cleanups because it is free to do this and we do not need to go all the way to the dump,” Almeida said.
The trash gathered at the site was put in trailers and taken out to the landfills while specific items were separated to be recycled.
The next cleanup event will be April 29 with pickup sites at the Jose Ramos Center and the Del Rio Civic Center.
