In April 1975, as Saigon fell to North Vietnamese forces, David Duong made a decision that would reshape his family's future. He gathered 23 relatives onto a small boat and headed into open water, carrying with them a philosophy instilled by his father: nothing should be wasted—not materials, not opportunity, not human potential.
After months in a Philippine refugee camp, the Duong family arrived in the United States in 1979 with virtually nothing. Seventeen people shared one apartment with no money. At night they collected bottles and cardboard from San Francisco's streets. By day they studied and worked, guided by their father's belief: "There is honor in every kind of honest work."
In 1992, David Duong founded California Waste Solutions in Oakland with eight used trucks and a commitment to his parents to rebuild the right way—through service, transparency and respect rather than shortcuts.
Today, that single promise has grown into a major operation. California Waste Solutions serves more than 343,000 customers across Oakland and San José, operating six recycling facilities. The Oakland operation processes about 1,000 tons of material weekly. San José handles roughly 1,300 tons. Over its lifetime, the company has managed more than 3 million tons of material, with over 717,000 tons processed annually.
The Duong family's story is the subject of "The King of Trash," a documentary by filmmaker Errol Webber that returns to the Bay Area for new screenings this fall. The film examines how the family's work in waste management—often invisible to the public—depends on precision, coordination and daily discipline.
Michael Duong, now president of California Waste Solutions and a third-generation member of the company, said: "For most people, recycling is part of a routine they rarely think about. Bins are placed at the curb, trucks arrive on schedule, and materials are collected without interruption. It feels simple, and that is exactly how it should feel. But behind that simplicity is a system that depends on coordination, preparation, and consistent execution."
The company's leadership structure has remained multigenerational. Kristina Duong serves as CFO overseeing financial operations. Victor Duong, who started by driving trucks, now leads operations and community partnerships.
The family has also expanded internationally. Vietnam Waste Solutions, founded by the same family, developed the Da Phuoc Integrated Waste Management Facility and the Long An Green Environmental Technology Park. VWS now manages up to 7,500 tons of waste daily in the Ho Chi Minh City region.
"The King of Trash" completed an eight-city U.S. pre-screening tour last year that drew more than 5,000 attendees. Nearly 1,000 people have registered or joined waiting lists for current Bay Area dates. The film has also been selected for the 2026 Red Rock Film Festival in Utah.
The documentary celebrates a often-overlooked aspect of American success: the craft of building systems that work. Rather than mythologizing the self-made entrepreneur, it documents a family's understanding that excellence lives in repetition, in showing up before dawn, in treating every customer and every job with respect.
