Story Created:
May 18, 2008 at 11:05 PM CST
Story Updated:
May 18, 2008 at 11:18 PM CST
For his final dirty job, KSFY's Robert Wilson tries to help clean up Millenium Recycling. Facilities manager Phil Blom offered to let Robert help clean and maintain the baler.
"To be honest right now I'm still not sure what all that entails, but they've given me one of these clean suits," Robert says. "So I have a feeling I'm going to get pretty dirty."
What Robert is about to do has to be done every couple of days. The baler machine bundles recycled items so they're easier to work with.
The first obstacle is just getting inside.
"I don't want to get stuck in there," Robert says.
It was only after Robert was covered head to toe and started shimmying under the cross bar that he realized what he had gotten himself into. Once inside, his assignment was simple: start pulling all the oily cardboard, paper, and who knows what else out.
"They kind of laugh at me when I ask what all I might find down in here," Robert says. "I was almost afraid to keep asking."
Not only is Robert working in cramped quarters, he has to work over, under and around a cylinder the size of a bowling ball.
"You know, it's not all that bad," Robert says. "It's kind of like working in a cave, basically."
Eventually Robert did find his rhythm and began making progress.
"I suppose this is called making myself useful," Robert says.
Once Robert had grabbed and thrown out all the items he could grab, push and shovel, Phil called in his next set of instructions.
"From that side we're going to blow off all the shredded paper from the inside," Phil says.
Robert liked the air hose, he could see my housekeeping efforts start to take shape. Phil even tells him he's doing a pretty good job.
Finally Robert gets the all clear signal to come out but, again, it's no easy task itself.
"I just swallowed something, not quite sure what it was."
Once out it's time for Robert to rake up his mess.
"Well, I guess after doing this job I can safely say I'm definitely not claustrophobic," Robert says. "I have to admit, when I first took a look at this machine, I didn't think there was any way I was going to fit inside it. But we did, I hope I helped them clean up, and I sure learned a lot today."
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