1. What is the best thing about your job and why?
DV: The best thing about my job is being able to outreach to education. I like going to schools and teaching students about waste-diversion…educating all ages by being able to plan and create ideas that engage people to recycle.
2. What inspired you to work for the city of Dallas recycling?         
DV: Well first, I am a business major and well when I was in college I wanted to educate and teach. A person told me about a job opening because they thought I was right for the job and it would be a good opportunity.
3. What are the rewards of working for the City Of Dallas?
DV: Hmm… Since I constantly visit places—I get to teach and talk to various groups of classes. Then later, when I visit other places—I get to see familiar faces that come up to me and talk to me about what they learned and how exciting it was. The reward to me is knowing that I made a difference when children come back inspired.​

4. What do you think one has to know about recycling before starting to recycle?
​DV: The most important thing you have to think about before even starting to recycle is to find out about your area [such as Dallas, Plano, Mesquite and etc…].Every area has their own ‘recycling rules’, some can recycle bags and some cannot. The city of Dallas for example, does not recycle bags. Therefore, we should first learn what we can recycle within our communities.
5. What advice would you give to other aspiring Environmentalists who want to work for the City of Dallas Recycling?
DV: Of course interns would help to get you on the right track. But also, coming to volunteer at round-ups, wanting to know how to do compost, asking questions, and wanting to help the community would definitely help you understand more of what we do.
6. What are some of your recycling goals for the future?
DV: Since more people know about recycling, my future goals would be to have more composting classes. Therefore, we can teach people how to compost since not that many people know how to do it.
7. Do you have a favorite hobby? If so, what is it?
DV: oooh, I like social sports! I do dodge ball, Kickball and softball and I also usually go road biking with my boyfriend on the weekends.
8. Do you have any environmental concerns about our planet? For example, the pollution in China.​
DV: The pollution in china is very terrible! I am concerned about our oceans; there is currently a large body of water that is filled with illegal dumping of plastic bags, water bottles and many other things that can be recycled. The need for education in recycling is to do more composting and planting .
9. What ideas do you have for Texas to be more sustainable?
DV: Since Texas is a big state, we are very ‘spread out’. We should apply more facilities in different areas that do not know how to recycle .To do so, we should teach them the proper way to dispose.
10. Between 2005 and 2013 there has been a numerous amount of deforestation in Brazil. Within the next few years if it continuously happens, how do you think society would be?
DV: The society would experience climate changes and of course price changes. There would be many people affected by these place of living and their culture…​

Denise Vasquez

Denise Vasquez is a Waste Diversion Specialist at the
City of Dallas recycling. She attended Sunset High
School. Ms. Vasquez introduces recycling events to 
Skyline High School and helps with recycling
round-ups around the Dallas metropolis. She is part of
the waste diversion department and enjoys doing
research. She likes educating young people to
recycle and compost.