Founded in Oakland in 1992 with eight used trucks, California Waste Solutions has grown into a family-owned recycling and environmental infrastructure company serving more than 343,000 customers across Oakland and San José while investing in jobs, technology and community partnerships.
Nearly 35 years after David Duong founded California Waste Solutions (CWS), the company that began with eight used collection trucks has grown into a recycling and environmental infrastructure business with operations in California and Vietnam.
Today, CWS serves more than 343,000 customers across Oakland and San José and operates six Bay Area facilities. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, Vietnam Waste Solutions (VWS), the company has extended its environmental infrastructure work to Ho Chi Minh City.
“Thirty-five years is not just about how much the company has grown,” said David Duong, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of California Waste Solutions. “It is about the employees who helped build it, the cities that trusted us and the communities that gave our family an opportunity to build a new life in America. Our responsibility is to keep earning that trust.”
Duong arrived in the United States as a Vietnamese refugee and rebuilt his life through the recycling business his family had known in Vietnam. He founded CWS in Oakland in 1992, and the company received its first City of Oakland recycling franchise in 1993, beginning a municipal relationship that has continued for more than three decades.
CWS provides residential recycling services through Oakland Recycles, including curbside recycling, household battery and used-motor-oil collection, customer assistance and multilingual recycling education. In San José, CWS is a long-standing service provider in the City’s Recycle Plus program. The company is also working with the City on a planned curbside household battery collection program for single-family homes in 2027.
Investing in People, Technology and Infrastructure
Behind every collection route is a workforce of drivers, mechanics, recycling facility employees, customer-service representatives, supervisors and managers.
CWS continues to invest in its workforce and technology. Recent initiatives include Pellenc optical sorting in San José and EverestLabs artificial-intelligence scanning in Oakland to improve material identification, operational visibility and recovery performance.
In Oakland, CWS is advancing its North Gateway Recycling Facility, a 14.38-acre project designed to receive, process and transfer recyclable materials while supporting material recovery, storage, administration and truck maintenance.
A Family Business Built Across Generations
Nearly 35 years after its founding, CWS remains family-owned and operated.
Michael Duong serves as President, Johnny Duong as Chief Operating Officer, Kristina Duong as Chief Financial Officer and Victor Duong as Executive Vice President of Public Affairs. Their responsibilities span operations, finance, municipal relationships, public affairs and long-term planning.
Their work also extends into the community. Victor has built relationships with chambers of commerce, nonprofit organizations and community groups, while Michael has been involved with the San José Police Foundation. CWS returned as a Diamond Sponsor of the 2026 San José Police Department Major Awards Ceremony.
Andy Duong, David’s youngest son and the first of his sons born in the United States, represents another part of the family’s generational story. Raised in the Bay Area as CWS grew, Andy has participated in family business and community initiatives and remained engaged with Vietnamese American organizations, business events and community causes. His involvement reflects the family’s belief that opportunities created by one generation carry a responsibility to give back through the next.
Community Service Beyond the Recycling Cart
CWS and the Duong family have supported schools, youth programs, neighborhood organizations, cultural groups and humanitarian initiatives. Activities have included the Lakeshore Street Festival, Oakland Housing Authority Summer Block Party, recycling education for young people and support for the Oakland Dynamites youth football program.
In 2024, David Duong committed $5 million through Vietnam Waste Solutions to support scholarships at Fulbright University Vietnam. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the family also supported relief efforts in California and Vietnam, including the distribution of masks, hand sanitizer and medical assistance.
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