Students from the University of South Florida's Patel College of Global Sustainability recently participated in an impactful educational visit to Pinellas County's Solid Waste Disposal Complex. Led by Dr. Thomas Henry Culhane, Concentration Director of Climate Mitigation and Adaptation, students from the course "Waste Not, Want Not: Rethinking Waste" observed firsthand how Pinellas County processes over one million tons of garbage annually, turning waste into valuable energy.
The visit began with an engaging classroom session, where Jasmine Scott, Pinellas County's Environmental Outreach Specialist, introduced the county's comprehensive approach to managing waste. Students learned about the county's ambitious goal of achieving zero waste to landfill by 2050 and explored practical ways individuals and communities can contribute to waste reduction.
Following the presentation, the students embarked on a guided driving tour. They viewed key areas of the complex, including the scalehouse, citizen hand unload area, tire processing facility, and the yard waste-to-mulch operations. The highlight of the tour was observing the state-of-the-art Waste-to-Energy Facility, where garbage is efficiently converted into usable energy, significantly reducing landfill waste.
On their tour into the world of Sustainability, the students met Kiana Sladicki, a Patel College of Global Sustainability alumna who currently serves as Hazardous Waste Manager for Pinellas County. Sladicki generously provided a private tour of the Household Hazardous Waste Center, shared her professional experiences, and offered meaningful career advice to the aspiring sustainability professionals.
The event was more than a typical field trip; it was an immersive experience designed to bridge classroom learning with practical sustainability solutions, highlighting how innovative waste management practices directly benefit the environment and society.