This summer, I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work and learn at Rumpke as a Corporate Communications Intern. I’ve been here for a week so far and have already learned a lot.  

Prior to starting at Rumpke, my knowledge of waste and recycling ended when it left the curb outside my house. I had never seen a landfill up close, and I had no idea what a ‘murph’ was (correctly abbreviated, MRF or Material Recovery Facility). I didn’t know the long history Rumpke had or its family origins. 

From the beginning, I was impressed by the long history Rumpke has in the Midwest.  Founded in the 1930s, Rumpke is still family owned and around 75 Rumpke family members work in various parts of the company. Even more impressive is the family-like atmosphere here at Rumpke’s headquarters. Everyone is very friendly and the open-door policy that Rumpke prides itself on is apparent in every department. 

Part of my internship includes giving tours of the landfill to visiting groups, so I spent a portion of this week learning details about the landfill, its construction, trucks and some of the crazy things buried in it.  A lot more goes into the designing and use of a landfill than I ever imagined. The landfill is designed to protect the environment; four protective layers of materials must cover the base and sides of a landfill cell before any garbage can be brought in. Working near to so much trash, one might expect everything in the area to reek of garbage, but thanks to the industrial strength “Febreze” sprayed around the landfill, the workspace is odor free.

It’s only been a week so far, but I have already learned so much. I know that it is going to be a great summer and I look forward to working with and learning more about the company.

About the author: Maureen Ray (pictured above right) is the Corporate Communications Intern at Rumpke.