The United States is home to more than 32 million independent businesses, and we at Rubicon® recognize the importance of helping them improve their sustainability practices.

Living by our mission to end waste, we are helping our customers in Houston, Texas to reach their sustainability goals and find economic value in their waste streams. Utilizing RUBICONConnect™, our customers gain access to Rubicon’s all-in-one solution for their independent business’s waste and recycling needs. RUBICONConnect allows users to view invoices and billing history, explore cost and waste savings, and it provides full visibility into their waste streams across multiple locations.

Environmental innovation can be found all over the United States, and the following small businesses in the Houston, Texas area are leading the charge. Along with the customers they serve, they are helping to build cleaner, healthier, and safer communities for all. We are proud to call them all partners.

St. Peter United Church

St. Peter United Church prides itself on creating a diverse and inclusive space for anyone who walks through its doors. Since 1848, the church has encouraged members to do their own exploring and find what speaks to their heart and soul on a personal level to help build their faith. Members can live stream their Sunday service every week from all over the country.

“We switched to Rubicon because of rising costs with our other provider and their inability to work with us. With Rubicon, we were able to save money AND add recycling services. With those cost savings back in our budget, we were able to invest more in our church ministries for youth and the local community.” – Cynthia, Church Moderator.

Shipley Donuts

Shipley Donuts started as a family run business in Houston almost 90 years ago, using a recipe created by Lawrence Shipley Sr. Since then, it has expanded to over 190 locations across six states. Despite its rate of growth, the company has never lost sight of what is important. They are still cutting their donuts by hand and serving them hot every day. With over 60 varieties of donuts, they have something for everyone looking to enjoy one of their tasty, gourmet treats.

“We appreciate the flexibility that Rubicon provides when scheduling pickups. We often need to schedule additional pickups throughout the week and the Rubicon team is always responsive. With Rubicon we also benefit from improved reporting and billing transparency. Savings on our trash service allowed me to give pay raises to my employees!” – Rene, Franchise Owner.

Pecan Village Apartments

Pecan Village Apartments is an apartment building in an up-and-coming Houston neighborhood expecting to see an uptrend in commercial and residential activity in the coming years. This 12-unit building provides homes to families and gives tenants peace of mind that they will be cared for with maintenance service throughout the week and an emergency line on weekends.

“We love the convenient ways of accessing billing and scheduling pickups via the Rubicon mobile app. Rubicon’s service is consistent, and the billing is transparent. This allows me to focus on building upkeep and keeping our residents happy.” – Harry, Manager.

Gulf Coast Energy, LLC

Gulf Coast Energy uses state-of-the-art technology to provide reliable access to refined petroleum products for businesses. It believes that an effective fuel distribution system relies on speed, precision, and safety. That is exactly what its business is dedicated to providing every day to its customers for all their different kinds of fuel needs.

“Switching to Rubicon provided us with better waste services and billing processes. Rubicon customer service is extraordinary. The cost and time savings are a huge benefit for our small startup company.“ – GerriAnn, Office Manager.

Christian Community Service Center

The Christian Community Service Center (CCSC) started as an incorporation of six local churches in 1980, and since then it has been helping its community through various outreach programs. Today, the CCSC has grown to become a coalition of 39 churches, maximizing community resources to provide assistance to people in crisis. Regardless of religious, ethnic, or cultural differences, it aims to serve the poor, hungry, disabled, and all others in need, any way that it can. Currently, CCSC has programs in place to provide basic necessities to the community, as well as employment and youth programs, a community garden that helps feed the hungry, and natural disaster relief services.

“Rubicon has provided us both cost savings and the ability to recycle more materials than we thought possible in Houston. Plus, the online customer service team is always quick to respond. As a non-profit, saving both time and money is helpful so we can assist more community members.” – Julie, Office Manager.

5020 Investments, Ltd.

5020 Investments, Ltd. is the property management company responsible for Prosperity Bank Plaza. This nine story, 82,000 square foot retail and office building is in the heart of Houston’s museum district, surrounded by some of the city’s most exclusive neighborhoods. A building in such a prestigious area requires top of the line management, which 5020 Investments is able to provide.

“We were formerly with another company. Billing was terrible, costs would unexpectedly increase to the point that in just a few years we were being billed double from what we started at for the same service. We were able to reduce cost by 75 percent per month by moving to Rubicon.” – Gaye, Building Manager.

Rubicon is a digital marketplace for waste and recycling, and provider of innovative software-based solutions to businesses and governments worldwide. Using technology to drive environmental innovation, we help customers of all sizes find appropriate recycling solutions for their waste streams in order to keep as much material out of landfills as possible and live by our mission to end waste.

If you have any questions, or you are interested in learning more about how Rubicon’s services can help your independent business, please reach out to danielle@rubicon.com.


Danielle McHarris is Senior Director of SMB Sales at Rubicon. To stay ahead of Rubicon’s announcements of new partnerships and collaborations around the world, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, or contact us today.