Recology completes first acquisition since 2023, returning to family roots

Recology has reached an agreement to acquire Tahoe Truckee Sierra Disposal (TTSD), a family-owned garbage and recycling company serving the Lake Tahoe and Truckee areas of California.

The transaction is expected to close this fall, subject to required approvals and satisfaction of closing conditions.

TTSD has operated in the region for 62 years, providing collection services to approximately 31,000 residential and commercial customers. The company holds franchise agreements with the Town of Truckee and El Dorado County through 2028; with Nevada County through 2029; and also operates in Placer County.

According to its website, TTSD operates a materials recovery facility (MRF) with an annual processing capacity of approximately 50,000 tons, as well as a fleet of about 80 trucks and heavy equipment.

"This acquisition is a natural extension of our Northern California operations and reflects our continued growth strategy in the region. We look forward to working with the local community to fully leverage the strength of Recology's resource recovery network," said Recology CEO Sal Coniglio in a statement.

This is Recology's first announced acquisition since 2023, when it acquired Sunset Garbage in Clackamas, Oregon, according to a list provided by Recology.

Upon completion of the TTSD transaction, its operations, employees, and customers will become part of Recology under the name Recology Tahoe Truckee. According to its website, TTSD has approximately 100 employees.

The two companies are linked by history, said TTSD owner David Achiro. Rafelin DeMattei helped found the San Francisco Scavenger Company in the early 1900s, which later merged with other companies to become Sunset Scavenger Co., and was acquired decades later by the company now known as Recology.

DeMattei's grandson, TTSD founder Silvano Achiro, came to the United States from Italy in the 1950s and worked at Sunset Scavenger. Silvano Achiro later purchased his own company, Tahoe City Disposal, in 1964. He oversaw the construction of a landfill in the Lake Tahoe area in 1973, but the landfill closed in 1995 to comply with modern landfill regulations. According to the TTSD website, the MRF built on its original site is still in operation today.

"One hundred and twenty years ago, our ancestors helped found one of the San Francisco Scavenger companies that later became Recology," David Achiro said in a statement. "Generations later, we are entrusting the company our family built to the same organization. We are bringing it back to where our family business began."

Recology operates through more than 26 collection companies in California, Washington, and Oregon, according to its website. The company recently secured new collection service contracts, including one in Renton, Washington, in March, which Recology said expanded its Recology King County offerings. In June, the city of Suisun, California, expressed intent to award a solid waste collection franchise agreement to Recology Vacaville Solano.