As cliché as it sounds, time sure does fly when you’re having fun! It seems like just yesterday was my first day working at Rumpke and I received my summer assignments. It is incredible how much I accomplished and learned from Rumpke during three short months as an intern.

I often tell my friends about the wonderful things Rumpke does for its employees, the community and the environment. I have always been familiar with the company name, being a Cincinnati native myself, but I had no idea the amount of engineering  it takes to manage waste effectively while maintaining a minimal impact on the environment. 

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A large component of my job was to educate the public about Rumpke’s sustainability efforts. During weekly landfill tours it was my job to explain the Colerain Township landfill’s general processes, its construction, and how Rumpke utilizes the space to recycle resources such as water and methane gas. I also developed YouTube videos about how to start an at home compost and a three episode series debunking common recycling misconceptions.  Internships are a tool for learning, and I could not have asked for a better experience from Rumpke. My team let me write press releases, utilize my passion for photography to create marketing materials, and even write a radio advertisement to air during The Ohio State University football games. Each day brought a new set of tasks and challenges that I was happy to take on—there is never a dull moment in the communications department.

Although I am sad to go, I am happy that I can apply my new skills throughout my college education, but above all I am happiest that I am now more environmentally conscious and that my work has the ability to make a lasting change. This may be my last day working for Rumpke, but I will always be a lifetime green guardian.

About the author: Sarah Mattina was the summer 2014 corporate communications intern at Rumpke.