2014 RecyclonomicsSC

Supporting the recycling industry in S.C.

Next voyage South Carolina company recycles racing yacht

Trash to treasure Recycling grows to a $13 billion industry In Partnership With

www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

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Contents

Cover and contents photos: © ORACLE TEAM USA, Photographer:Guilain GRENIER

4

Could recycling be the perfect industry?

5

Welcome from our partners

7

Upfront

8

smart Electronics Recycling electronics gives a jolt to the local economy

10 smart Economics

The business of recycling

16 smart Materials Recycling businesses eye new recycling opportunities

13 smart Governments

Local governments take recycling

efforts beyond plastic bins 20

Profiles: Special Advertising Section

27

smart Companies A use for everything: More companies finding creative ways to recycle materials

30 smart Resources

• RecyclonomicsSC Members • Resources

www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

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Could recycling be the perfect industry?

R

ecycling is the only waste management option that offers the opportunity to save money and earn revenue. The proof: in 2013, recycling became a $13 billion industry in South Carolina, nearly double the revenue from just

six years ago.

We know that recycling helps save the environment by lessening the amount of trash that goes into landfills, but it also moves commerce by reusing commodities like plastic, metal, glass and other items into the marketplace.

When done right, businesses can save money on landfill costs and even make money selling unwanted scrap.

Making this happen requires a bit of effort for a business:

Jenny Peterson Editor

taking inventory of your waste stream to see if anything can be recycled, sorting things into designated bins and selling recyclables and working with reclamation companies.

The best part is that almost everything is recyclable, and

with a growing economy in the state—especially the booming automotive industry—recyclers are now in high demand. The industry isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

There are many resources to help individuals and businesses with recycling efforts, from municipalities providing larger recycling carts to public/partnerships.

There are even local recycling businesses that do waste stream analyses for free.

All of these entities work together to make recycling easy and convenient...and profitable.

Recycling Partnerships in S.C. RecyclonomicsSC is one of the statewide clusters made up of recycling businesses as well as industry who utilize recycled materials in their manufacturing process.

RecyclonomicsSC’s mission is to expand and strengthen South Carolina’s recycling industry by establishing policy, building networks, promoting market

RecyclonomicsSC Magazine Editor - Jenny Peterson jpeterson@scbiznews.com Special Projects Editor - Licia Jackson ljackson@scbiznews.com Creative Director - Ryan Wilcox rwilcox@scbiznews.com Senior Graphic Designer - Jane Mattingly jmattingly@scbiznews.com Graphic Designer - Andrew Sprague asprague@scbiznews.com Account executives Account Executive - Mariana Hall mhall@scbiznews.com Senior Account Executive - Robert Reilly rreilly@scbiznews.com Account Executive - Bennett Parks bparks@scbiznews.com Contributing Writers Mike Fitts, Chris McCandlish President and Group Publisher - Grady Johnson gjohnson@scbiznews.com Vice President of Sales - Steve Fields sfields@scbiznews.com Director of Audience Development - Rick Jenkins rjenkins@scbiznews.com Event Manager - Kathy Allen kallen@scbiznews.com Audience Development & IT Manager - Kim McManus kmcmanus@scbiznews.com Audience Development Specialist - Jessica Smalley jsmalley@scbiznews.com Event Planner - Jacquelyn Fehler jfehler@scbiznews.com Accounting Manager - Vickie Deadmon vdeadmon@scbiznews.com

development and leveraging existing infrastructure.

The Recycling Market Development Advisory Council (RMDAC) is a 14-member, Governor-appointed council focused on recycling. Managed by the South Carolina Department of Commerce, RMDAC works to improve rec ycling feedstock supply and addresses the market needs for new or emerging recyclable materials. Its mission is to support the economic growth of South Carolina’s recycling industry through building recycling markets, increasing material recovery and promoting the recycling value chain.

The South Carolina Council on Competitiveness is a nonpartisan, businessled non-profit organization committed to advancing the long-term economic

The entire contents of this publication are c­ opyright by SC Business Publications LLC with all rights reserved. Any reproduction or use of the content within this p ­ ublication without permission is prohibited. SCBIZ and South Carolina’s Media Engine for Economic Growth are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Mailing address: 1439 Stuart Engals Blvd., Suite 200 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 Phone: 843.849.3100 • Fax: 843.849.3122 www.scbiznews.com SC Business Publications LLC A portfolio company of Virginia Capital Partners LLC Frederick L. Russell Jr., Chairman

competitiveness of our state, industries, and citizens. Its work is accomplished through actionable research, support of industry clusters, and education and workforce development initiatives.

4

www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

Corporate & Commercial Publishing Division

Going green is good for business Keeping the recycling industry thriving in South Carolina

I

n South Carolina, green

is good for business. The state’s booming recycling

industry has doubled in the

T

he South Carolina Council on Competitiveness celebrated

last eight years – providing

its 10th anniversary in 2014.

a $13 billion impact annu-

The organization was founded

ally on the Palmetto State and boost-

by state industry leaders who

ing related jobs by 44 percent. These

shared one goal—to advance the

results are impressive alone, but when

long-term economic competitiveness of South Carolina.

looked at next to other comparable

While our partner organizations in economic development

economic engines in South Carolina

focus on recruiting industries to our

like aerospace, tourism and the military,

state, the Council on Competitiveness

the state’s green economy has a strong

strengthens and builds on those ef-

foothold here in South Carolina.

forts by addressing underlying factors

More and more, businesses all

Bobby Hitt

S.C. Secretary of Commerce

over the state are adopting a green

South Carolina.

One critical component to the

state of mind, and finding that there is value in their trash. What might

Council’s work is actionable research.

be considered trash to one company

You will read in the pages to come

or a by-product of their process can be an essential element to a recycling process for another company. The strong and profitable connection between recycling and business can be seen in several of the state’s innovative and sustainable partnerships: •

causing industries to stay and grow in

about our partnership with the SC

Ann Marie Stieritz

Department of Commerce, the SC Department of Health and Environ-

President & CEO South Carolina’s Council on Competitiveness

mental Control and RecyclonomicsSC to update the economic impact study

In 2013, Boeing and MIT-RCF partnered to recycle

of the recycling industry. The impact

the 80-footlong Oracle Team USA racing yacht,

•

•

study is an important tool for recy-

which is made from carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic

cling business leaders and economic developers to market

composites. The boat’s materials are planned to be

the industry, understand trends and identify obstacles

repurposed into a mold for next-generation water-

to growth. This research enables the industry to develop

crafts, among other uses.

informed plans for continuing the upward trend that saw a

Recleim LLC and the South Carolina Association

doubling of the industry’s annual total economic impact in

of Heating and Air Conditioning Contractors have

the past eight years.

teamed up for a statewide initiative to help contrac-

The Council also advances the competitiveness of

tors find a convenient and environmentally-friendly

businesses in South Carolina by supporting industry

solution to recycle retired HVAC equipment.

clusters—a geographic concentration of related compa-

The Upstate BMW Plant has a longstanding partner-

nies, organizations and institutions. Clusters contribute

ship with Stree-Rike3 in Columbia, S.C. to collect

to the competitiveness of businesses because they create

plastics from its assembly process and turn them

an infrastructure that increases productivity. The Coun-

over to the whiffle ball manufacturer to produce

cil currently has direct support relationships with four

hard plastic training balls for baseball players.

industry clusters: RecyclonomicsSC, iTs|SC (insurance

Home to more than 500 recycling companies, the Palmetto

technology services), TDL Council (transportation, distri-

State is emerging as a national leader in the green economy.

bution, logistics) and South Carolina Aerospace. We not

Global brands like Johnson Controls and Sonoco, and smaller

only seek to see individual clusters thrive in their own

firms like Tomato Palms and Fisher Recycling, make up the

industry areas, but also facilitate opportunities for clus-

state’s impressive roster of recycling businesses, and the list

ters to collaborate where interests intersect for the overall

continues to grow. The Department of Commerce remains

benefit of the state.

committed to its support for this thriving industry that’s creating a sizeable contribution to our state’s economy.

See NEW CAROLINA, Page 6 www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

5

Recycling’s ‘ripple effect’ matters

G

oing green has countless benefits for the environment but have you ever stopped to think about the impact recycling has on our state’s economy?

Recycling is voluntary in South Carolina. With a current

recycling rate of 31.5 %, there is a long way to go to meet the state recycling goal of 40 %. But every bit helps. When you or the company that you work for chooses to recycle bottles, cans, cardboard boxes, plastic packaging, industrial plastic process scrap, glass, carpet, tires, electronics or appliances, it is truly like the impact of a pebble in the pond: those ripples of forward progress that recycling creates move through homes, workplaces and the

Tina Green Huskey

RecyclonomicsSC

community, impacting not only the environment but also the economy of our state.

The ripple effect is the belief that

a single action has an effect over many different entities, both directly and indirectly. The closer you are to the “kerplunk,” the greater the impact may be, but those smaller, less noticeable ripples are just as important.

The 2014 Recycling Economic Impact study update, commissioned by the S.C. Department of Commerce, S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, New Carolina and RecyclonomicsSC and written by economist Dr. Frank Hefner of the College of Charleston Department of Economics and Finance concludes that the concept that “recycling is beneficial for the environment is a virtually uncontested proposition. What is becoming increasingly

44 % increase in recycling employment from 2006 to 2014, with an average annual wage of $40,203 (vs. average wage in SC for all jobs of $38,700). These are quality jobs with family-supporting incomes. There is also a significant number of additional indirect jobs associated with vendors that supply support to the recycling industry. A gripping fact from the study is that if the recycling industry were to disappear tomorrow, over 54,000 jobs would disappear along with it.

South Carolina is a leader in recycling jobs in the Southeast. We are home to cutting edge recyclers who turn carpet into car parts and carbon fiber into molded composites. In the coming year, RecyclonomicsSC will strive to stay on the crest by furthering education about recycling’s economic impact and increasing recycling opportunities for both our growing manufacturing sector and communities alike.

With all that said, on behalf of the recycling industry, thank you for choosing to recycle. It is an investment that economically impacts real people with real families and real homes. And by the way, the recycling industry in SC has a huge appetite so we want to encourage everyone to landfill less, burn less and recycle more....it matters.

more obvious is that recycling contributes to the economic

Tina Green Huskey, Chair

health of the state’s economy.”

RecyclonomicsSC, an initiative of the

The outreaching waves of recycling have resulted in a

NEW CAROLINA, from page 5

South Carolina Recycling Council

company growth. The recycling industry in South Carolina truly has the potential to run the continuum from curbside

The Council is always looking ahead to emerging competitive opportunities for our state, and you will learn in

to aerospace.

Through sustained collaboration among the private,

this publication about South Carolina’s emerging niche in

public, academic and non-profit sectors, the South Caro-

reclaiming and repurposing carbon fiber materials. This

lina Council on Competitiveness advances the economic

trend in advanced materials is supplemented by cut-

competitiveness of our state, its industries and its citizens.

ting edge work at our state’s research universities as well

Moving into our 11th year, we celebrate our successes and

as increasing opportunities for small- and medium-size

look forward to the opportunities and challenges ahead.

6

www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

Upfr nt Recycler collects SBA honors Nancy Ogburn, founder and president of Irmo recycling company Tomato Palms, has been honored as the 2014 S.C. Small Business Person of the Year.

The Store of Hope in Columbia

Ogburn received her award at the annual Salute to Small Business event pre-

takes items that may need a little

sented by the Small Business Administration earlier this year.

help and reconditions them into

Ogburn started Tomato Palms out of her home in 2008 after

one-of-a-kind gifts and furnish-

reading a newspaper article about a previously homeless man

ings. And along the way, the work

who had picked up discarded aluminum cans and sold them

helps young people who have

to recyclers so he’d have cash to pay his rent. Ogburn then got

traveled a bumpy road.

the idea to approach local businesses and ask them to donate

Nancy Ogburn

Find a repurposed gift at the Store of Hope

The store is a new youth-driv-

their empty cans so she could sell the cans to recyclers and

en enterprise program for the S.C.

use the profits to help the homeless. As it turned out business-

Department of Juvenile Justice, fo-

es were willing to help and also needed someone to collect

cused on providing job-readiness

other recyclables, Ogburn said.

training to young people in the

She started the company from her home using her Honda Pilot SUV to pick up

system. Among many hand-craft-

the recyclable materials. Today, her firm operates out of a 3,000-square-foot ware-

ed items for sale are older chairs,

house and office space and provides Midlands businesses with a range of recycling

benches and ottomans that have

services, from collection to sorting to monthly weight tracking of the recycled

been reupholstered for a new

materials.

look. The young entrepreneurs

Tomato Palms now serves 125 clients in four counties, has six employees and

also make wood Adirondack

three trucks. The company estimates it has saved more than 1.5 million pounds of

chairs and metal palmetto trees,

waste from being dumped in a landfill.

hand-carved pens and pencils

Ogburn, who began her training in the recycling industry through the S.C. De-

and sturdy fabric tote bags.

partment of Commerce’s Recycling Marketing Development Department, said she

The Store of Hope is at 3208

named her company after her two favorite plants, a tomato and a palm tree. She

Broad River Road, Columbia, and

joined the Recycling Industry Group, now known as the S.C. Recycling Council, in

is open Wednesday, Thursday and

2009.

Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

“It is very humbling to be at this point in my life,” Ogburn said when accepting

and on the third Saturday of the

the award. She represented the state at the National Small Business Week celebra-

month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For

tion in Washington, D.C.

information, call 803-896-4736.

Recycling as art This image of S.C. Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt (see his photo on page 5), which hangs in the Department of Commerce offices, was made by artist Kirkland Smith. Smith is a classical painter who began creating contemporary assemblages using post-consumer materials as an evocative way to drive home the message of the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling. “We live in a disposable society and what we throw away says a lot about who we are, but what we choose to cherish and protect says even more in the end,” Smith says. (Used by permission of the artist) www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

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smart Electronics

Recycling electronics gives a jolt to the local economy

By Jenny Peterson

H

undreds of thousands of electronic devices are dis-

amount of electronics dropped off at the site. “Sometimes

carded each year in South Carolina as new prod-

we have two pickups every week, and we get a tractor

ucts hit the market. South Carolinians recycled

trailer once a month,” she said.

more than 11,500 tons of electronics last year alone, a 25

According to Richard Chesley, with the South Carolina

percent increase from 2012, according to the South Caro-

Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Office

lina Solid Waste Management’s 2013 Annual Report.

of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling, governments must

Unwanted electronics – computers, printers, televi-

partner with certified responsible recyclers in

sions, DVD players, cell phones, etc. – comprise one

order to properly recycle items.

of the nation’s fastest-growing waste streams.

“You can’t just use anybody; local govern-

The problem? They are the slowest to break-

ments have to use a company that’s certified

down and deteriorate when sitting in landfills.

‘R-2’ standard of responsible recyclers,” he

Heavy metals, sealed batteries, electric

said.

cables, circuit boards and switches that

The law also requires computer, printer

make up these devices will remain intact

and television manufacturers to provide

for years in landfills. Many parts can even

their own recovery programs for desk-

create health hazards to the environment.

top, laptop, notebook and tablet

For the past four years, an important state-

computers, monitors, printers and

wide program has been in place to ad-

television sets.

dress this issue: E-scrap Recycling.

Most commonly, these recovery

Voted into law in 2010, E-scrap

programs encourage residents to

Recycling eliminates unwanted

bring these items back to the retail

electronics from ending up in a

store for recycling at no cost to the

landfill. The law makes it ille-

consumer. Other recovery programs

gal for residents to knowingly

can include mail-back programs, with

leave electronics by the side

retailers paying for shipping. Retail

of the road for garbage pickup;

manufacturers and local governments

instead, residents are required

pay for the collection, transportation

to bring these items to designated drop-off locations run by local governments. There, the

and recycling of these devices by law.

While the motivation behind the law was for health

items can be sorted and recycled safely through a certified

and safety, the benefits of E-scrap recycling are far-reach-

recycler. Every municipality in the 46 South Carolina coun-

ing.

ties has a designated drop-off site for electronics.

In Richland County, recycling coordinator Shirley Mims said a box truck comes weekly to haul away the large

8

www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

E-scrap recycling provides many business opportunities. Currently, there are 24 companies in South Carolina that are part of the e-scrap recycling industry, dedicated

smart Electornics to collecting unwanted electronics from companies and

public relations with Goodwill Upstate, said upstate Good-

local governments so that that the items are recycled

will stores accept televisions, computers, VCRs, radios, cell

properly.

phones and other electronics.

One of those companies is eCycleSecure, an electronics

“Believe it or not, people still buy VCRs,” she said. “We

recycling firm out of Charlotte, N.C. “We disassemble the raw-material components, separate it out and send it to the various markets,” said eCycleSecure owner Brett Rhinehardt. “From there, it goes to other markets – steel goes to steel markets, etc. We separate out the

also have people who buy a lot of them

By the numbers S.C. electronics recycling (in tons)

25%

Increase

lead and other harmful chemicals.”

11,560

and use them for parts.”

She said TVs are the most popular electronic device brought into stores, especially during the holidays when people get newer devices as gifts.

Goodwill in the upstate also partners

9,258

with Dell computers on a third-party

Rhinehardt said a major part of their

program called “Dell Reconnect.” It’s a

service is destroying sensitive informa-

nationwide program that either reuses,

tion on computers and laptops.

recycles or refurbishes computers and

“Information left on your computer is

puts them back in the marketplace.

2012

highly at risk if it’s not handled properly,” Rhinehardt said. “We remove all the data from all the computers we receive. We take circuit boards off—there’s no way

2013

Source: South Carolina Solid Waste Management Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2013

anyone is getting data off of that.”

Another option for consumers who

Residents are encouraged to bring computers of all brands and in any condition to participating Goodwill sites, and Dell will either recycle or refurbish it.

“That has been a very progressive and beneficial program,” Hardesty said. “Every-

have unwanted electronics is to bring them to a local

thing is recycled in a completely green manner and nothing

Goodwill store. Crystal Hardesty, director of marketing and

winds up in a landfill.”

www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

9

smart Economics

The business of recycling

By Jenny Peterson

R

How recycling helps the bottom line

ecycling isn’t just good for the environment; it’s great for the economy.

Recycling is the only waste management option that of-

In South Carolina, recycling has a staggering $13

fers the opportunity to both save money and earn revenue.

billion dollar impact on the state’s economy, according to

In 2013, recycling in South Carolina kept more than 1.3

a study from Frank Hefner, professor of economics and

million tons of material out of landfills, allowing items

development at the College of Charleston.

that would have otherwise sat for years in a landfill to be

In just eight years, the industry has doubled its annual

turned into profits. Companies can avoid landfill fees and

total economic impact from $6.5 billion in 2006. About 500 re-

get tax credits by recycling — turning unwanted materials

cycling businesses now operate in the state,

into revenue.

and the industry provides more than 22,403 jobs—a 44 percent increase since 2006.

According to Hefner’s 2014 S.C. Recycling Industry Economic Impact Study, recycling in South Carolina generates $2.7 billion in annual personal income and $329 million in state and local tax revenue each year.

The study was commissioned by the S.C. Department of Commerce, RecyclonomicsSC and the S.C. Council on Competitiveness.

“The results of this report are exciting for us at Commerce, because they further reinforce the correlation between recycling and business,” said South Carolina Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt.“The fact that

In 2013, governments reported earning

Recycling in S.C., by the numbers 22,403

jobs attributable to recycling

54,121

total jobs impacted by recycling

44 percent

increase in recycling jobs since 2006

500+

recycling-related companies

more than $9 million in recyclable materials.

“In the traditional solid waste program, a giant corporation has a dumpster out back and they pay a hauling fee. If you recycle, then someone may take it away for free or may even pay you for it,” said Brett Rhinehardt, owner of eCycleSecure, a Charlotte-based provider of electronics disposal. Success stories include Cooper Standard Automotive in Spartanburg, which found a vendor for its plastic waste that had previously been sent to a landfill.

That diversion resulted in a $15,600 per year cost savings while keeping 200,000 pounds of

the green economy brings a $13 billion economic impact

material from a landfill. Fruit of the Loom in Summerville

to the state annually is significant on its own, but for that

reached 100 percent landfill free operations in 2012 and

impact to double over an eight-year period —- even in the

generates more than $60,000 from the sale of recyclables

midst of a challenging national economy — speaks to the

each year. For more success stories, visit www.scdhec.gov/

strength of the Palmetto State’s recycling infrastructure

smartbusiness/success

and growing recycling capacity.”

Materials that commonly generate the most profits include scrap metal, steel and plastics, Rhinehardt said.

10

www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

smart Economics Another type of material that may bring in revenues for businesses is cardboard and certain types of paper. Adding in the avoided disposal costs also can add in to the bottom line for businesses.

With a booming automotive industry in the state, industrial plastics recyclers are in high demand. More plastics recycling companies are moving into tolling recycling, which means a company makes unwanted materials usable again through melting, pulverizing and grinding the product, and then sells it at a cost cheaper than new or raw materials. “Toll work is the newest thing. Companies want their own stuff back to reuse,� said Tina Huskey, recycling and waste specialist at Mumford Industries, Inc. a full-service recycling company out of Ninety-Six, S.C. Glenn Odom, vice president of raw material development

Pratt Recycling celebrated the grand opening of its new 72,000-squarefoot recycling facility in Rock Hill this summer. The facility processes residential and commercial recyclables. From left: Kurt Schmitz, Vice President and General Manager Pratt Recycling; Honorable Doug Echols, Mayor of Rock Hill; Myles Cohen, President Pratt Recycling and Jeff Bushardt, York County Chamber of Commerce. (Photo/Pratt Recycling)

munities — selling paper, metal, plastics, glass, textile, carpet

with Wellman Plastics in Johnsonville, said tolling services

and other materials — it provides a return on investment to

have increased dramatically over the past 10 years.Â

the region and keeps these materials in the value stream.�   Sunshine Recycling, a concrete and scrap metals collec-

Public-private partnerships a booming industry “Local governments are a sturdy force in the recycling in-

tion and processing firm based in Orangeburg, has been partnering with counties and companies to haul away

dustry,� said Secretary Hitt. “ When local governments invest

concrete from the demolition of bridges to repurpose into

in recycling and collect recyclables from within their com-

concrete used for future roads and parking lots.

SC is Just Right for Recycling 5HF\FOLQJ FDUSHW SURYLGHV PDWHULDO IRU FDU SDUWV HOHFWURQLFV KRPH LPSURYHPHQW DQG FRQVWUXFWLRQ LQGXVWULHV EXW

6RXWK &DUROLQD¡V UHF\FOHUV GR PXFK PRUH • Creates jobs •

• Fuels manufacturing • • Grows the local economy •

5HF\FOLQJLQ6& FRP www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

11

smart Economics The company has worked with Orangeburg County on recovering bridge materials, a concrete crushing project for

landfills are now being diverted and reused,” Rich said. “It makes a huge impact on our local economies.”

the Riverwalk in Rock Hill and a bridge near Fort Mill, just to name a few. Recycled concrete is graded specifically to use in

It’s

future South Carolina Department of Transportation projects.

up to the public to keep it going

While businesses are essential, they are only part of

“It’s a neat thing to see our technology take a bridge and

the recycling equation. Manufacturers of recycled-content

turn it into fresh gravel. And recycling concrete allows it to

products rely on a steady stream of recycled material from

be bought at a much cheaper rate, especially with govern-

commercial, institutional and industrial sources as well as

ments tightening their belts,” said Sunshine Recycling

residential recycling programs.

owner Joe Rich. He calls it a win-win for everyone involved.

“Recycling partnerships with private industry and the

Small changes in recycling habits can make a big impact in both the environment and the economy.

public sector allow a city government to operate more efficiently,” Rich said.

According to the South Carolina Department of Commerce, more than 448,000 tons of easily recycled material

Wellman Plastics, which has a division solely dedicated

may have been disposed in landfills in 2013, which trans-

to carpet recycling, has formed partnerships with several

lates to about $60 million in lost potential revenue from the

counties to set up trailers in rural areas including Horry

sale of these materials. Many material recovery facilities in

and Union counties to recycle used carpet material, and

the state are operating at half capacity. More recycling hab-

counties avoid the hauling and landfill fees on those items.

its can mean more jobs and positive environmental savings.

While recycling takes planning, many recycling compa-

Recycling gets creative

nies offer free evaluations of waste streams.

Entrepreneurs around the state are coming up with cre-

“South Carolina has developed a team approach to eco-

ative ways to bring new life to unwanted materials. Today,

nomic development. When we work together, we all win.

nearly everything is recyclable, allowing the industry to

The state’s robust recycling industry is a testament to the

make huge gains in growth.

success of our strategy,” said Hitt. “Our recycling markets

Green Roof Outfitters, in Charleston, manufactures

are hungry for materials, and Commerce continues to work

green roof modules from plastics and old carpet. GeoHay,

with public-private partnership groups like the Carolinas

in Inman, S.C. manufactures erosion control products from

Plastics Recycling Council and the S.C. Carpet Recovery

100 percent recycled carpet.

Coalition to help increase recycling levels in the state.”

Fisher Recycling, in North Carolina, is making counter-

“[Businesses] are moving towards zero-waste initia-

tops and landscape materials with recyclables. Many art-

tives as more and more companies find a way to pull it all

ists and designers upcycle recycled glass, fabric and other

together,” said Huskey of Mumford Industries. “They can

reusable items to make new products.

avoid landfills, avoid buying new materials. It’s a complete

“Because of new ideas, products that are formerly in

Most profitable recyclable items recovered materials prices (Southeast USA)

closed loop.”

2014 recycling related economic development announcements

Commodity......................................................................Value per ton

Company name County Investment Jobs

Aluminum Cans (Sorted, Baled, ¢lb, picked up).................................... $1,570 PET (Baled, ¢/lb, picked up).................................................................... $345 Steel Cans (Sorted, Densified, $/ton dropped off).................................... $115 Mixed Paper (Prices in US$ per short ton - Baled, F.O.B. seller’s dock)...................... $52.50 Cardboard (Prices in US$ per short ton - Baled, F.O.B. seller’s dock)...................... $97.50

12

www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

Oconee

$8,200,000

38

Dixie Poly-Drum Corporation

Hampton

$1,100,000

84

ACI Plastics South, LLC

Oconee

$4,100,000

25

Viva Recycling of South Carolina, LLC

Anderson

$6,900,000

14

CRR Carbon Resources Recovery SC LLC Anderson

$20,000,000

30

$2,100,000

50

packIQ, LLC (formerly Tech Source Inc.)

Amber Glass ($/ton del.)...................................................................... $22.50 Source: Region 6 SE United States Commodity Pricing Trends, RecyclingMarkets.net October2014

Greenfield Industries Inc.

Source: S.C. Department of Commerce

Anderson

A student learns the importance of recycling at a waste sort station. Through Charleston County Environmental Management’s partnership with Charleston County School District, 32 schools currently have food waste recycling programs, with plans to add more schools next school year.

(Photo/Charleston County)

smart Governments

Local governments take recycling efforts beyond the plastic bin

By Chris McCandlish

B

y now, most people have heard of the farm-to-table

It also has a partnership with the Charleston County

movement, a food philosophy that narrows the gap

school district, which collects food wastes from 32 elemen-

between the people who grow food and the people

tary school cafeterias.

who eat it.

But for Christina Moskos, Charleston County’s recycling coordinator, that linear relationship is coming full circle.

The county owns a 28-acre composting facility, the only facility in the state permitted to process food waste, and it

“Students learn why they need to separate food waste, and the importance of saving landfill space and conserving natural resources. It lets them see how they can have a small part in taking that process full circle,” Moskos said.

The county facility composts 100% of incoming yard

accepts food waste from a variety of generators, including

waste with food waste brought in from local generators.

local restaurants, grocery stores, and colleges and universi-

Once compost is produced, the county sells it back to the

ties.

local community. www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

13

smart Governments

Charleston County’s finished compost is available for sale to the public for $2/bag or $10/loose ton.

Inset: Food waste is tipped at Charleston County’s Bees Ferry Compost Facility (Photo/Charleston County)

“Whether it’s residents who use it or farmers who buy it by the ton and put it on their fields, it’s staying here, it’s staying local,” Moskos said.

Under the county’s composting system, local farmers

cling tonnage and more than double participation.

Richland County also began making the switch to single-stream two years ago, according to interim solid waste director Rudy Curtis. They are still in the process, and aim

will buy its product and use it on their fields to grow crops,

to convert all county households to the new system by

and sell the crops to local restaurants. Then, the restau-

February of 2015.

rants give the county their food waste from meals cooked

To get the word out, Curtis and coworkers Omah Mc-

with crops raised in soil enriched by the county’s compost.

Clinton and Justin Martin have turned to social media and

“It’s farm-to-table-to-compost,” Moskos said.

technology. The county filmed a music video featuring

As a result of the program, Charleston County is one of

McClinton singing and acting out the lyrics to songs about

the biggest producers of compost on the East Coast. Last year, the county’s composting facility processed about 3,600 tons of food waste that would otherwise be taking up landfill space and creating methane, and which wouldn’t be able to create sellable compost, according to Moskos.

This summer, Charleston County finished converting 115,000 households from dual-stream to single-stream

recycling and the new rollcarts.

“It was just an attention getter to get people to think more about recycling,” Curtis said.

The video was posted to Youtube and Facebook and aired on the local county television network, and it had 10,000 views within days, Curtis said.

Richland County also holds Richland Recycles Day once

recycling, replacing 15-gallon bins with a single 95-gallon

a year in May, an 11-hour recycling marathon that allows

rollcart. The switch allowed the county to double its recy-

residents to drive through the Fairgrounds parking lot and

14

www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

smart Governments

Phil D. Bin, Charleston County Environmental Management’s new mascot, encourages residents to recycle. (Photo/Charleston County)

drop off their recyclables. On that day, the county provides shredding services and takes electronics, latex paint, light bulbs, mattresses and hazardous waste, which are not accepted during the normal curbside recycling service.

Curtis said electronics and latex paint are the most prevalent items on Richland Recycles Day because they are not accepted curbside, so many families save them all year for the special one-day event. The county handles around 1,100 to 1,200 vehicles and well over 100,000 pounds of recyclables and hazardous waste that day, he said.

The county also brings fourth- and fifth-graders to the Ellison building at the fairgrounds on Richland Recycles Day for a learning center that runs from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. The nearly 300 students that participate get to learn composting and bake cookies in a solar oven, Curtis said.

“We’ve had reports back from kids and teachers that it was the best trip they’ve ever been on,” Curtis said.

Special programs aside, Curtis said that the biggest development in the state’s recycling programs has been the improved infrastructure and the number of opportunities available for recycling.

“We’re providing an opportunity here for the folks to do what I think they’ve always wanted to do,” Curtis said. www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

15

smart Materials

Recycling businesses eye new recycling opportunities

By Mike Fitts

N

ew laws and new materials are creating chal-

regulations went into effect this past summer, there was

lenges for two industries that reuse materials

not a permitting process in place that would let those fa-

that might not immediately come to mind when

cilities open, unless they were classified as experimental.

people think of recycling.

For the recycling of organic materials including

The only one open in the state operates in the Charleston area. Several companies and even municipalities are

restaurant scraps, new laws are opening up new oppor-

looking into opening commercial composting facilities

tunities in South Carolina. Regulations issued this past

now that the regulations are ready, McMillan said.

summer are expected to allow the composting industry to create an infrastructure in the state.

Entrepreneur Joseph McMillan has been building an organic material recycling company in the Upstate called Junk Matters, along with co-owner Kate Conner. The

New regulations may help McMillan’s company continue to grow. Junk Matters now has five employees, and he envisions a path to grow across the Upstate and the Southeast.

To get there, more clients will have to get over their

company started as a student project at Wofford College

concerns over composting, what McMillan calls “the ick

in 2013.

factor.” Companies worry about a smell or mess from the

For organic materials, Junk Matters goes to area res-

on-site container collecting organic scraps. That’s not a

taurants, cafeterias and other businesses that produce

problem, though, McMillan said. The organic scraps are

a lot of organic scraps. Instead of letting them go into

kept in a plastic container with a biodegradable liner,

the trash, his company gathers them and takes them

and the containers are emptied frequently, he said. It’s

to a commercial site. After the material is composted, it

less of a mess or a burden to handle than using a regular

could come back to consumers’ gardens.

dumpster.

At the beginning, Junk Matters had to explain to

It also saves money for the company, he said. Less

potential customers what organic recycling could do for

waste in the dumpster saves costs in fewer visits to

them. “We don’t live in a culture where people had heard

empty the container and to dump it by a waste disposal

of organics collection,” McMillan said.

company.

Now more businesses are using Junk Matters to recycle their organic materials, but the Upstate has no major corporate composting facilities. Until the new

16

www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

Carpets: A new challenge The kind of carpet that consumers buy is changing,

smart Materials

Carpet Recovery in South Carolina 1,280

5 billion

3.5%

60%

Almost 100%

Number of

Pounds of carpet

Percentage that

Percentage

Percentage of

recycled carpet

workers in the

placed in the

carpet makes up

of the carpet

carpet that is

• Can be turned

carpet recovery

landfill every year

of the waste that

manufactured in

recyclable

and recycling

is placed in U.S.

the U.S. that is

resin to create

industry

landfills

made of nylon*

new products

Things to do with

back into plastic

• Can be converted to plastic resin to make new carpet • Can be used as *Nylon fibers have the highest economic value in the recycling process making them ideal

fuel to create

for turning into new products.

energy

and that means a change for the expanding carpet recycling sector, too.

Traditionally, most carpets were made of nylon. Since the mid-1990s, more and more installers and consumers had been recycling the old carpets rather than letting them go to a landfill.

One of the key users of recycled nylon has been the

That material, having already been recycled once, doesn’t have as much strength and integrity left as nylon does, and it cannot be put to the same uses. “The PET is the biggest challenge for us right now,” Odom said.

That doesn’t mean that it is useless.

Votaw said that he believes the market should move to using the shredded PET material as a fuel to be burned

automobile industry, according to Glenn Odom of Wellman

in commercial plants and cement kilns. Mixed into those

Plastics Recycling. In fact, the Ford Mustang is just one of

uses, it burns relatively cleanly. With that use, it can be

the cars that contain parts made of recycled nylon under

made to be cost-efficient, Votaw said, especially as emis-

the hood because the material is so heat-resistant, Odom

sions rules encourage cleaner-burning fuels. For any re-

said.

cycled material to work, Votaw said, “there’s got to be some

Now, most of the carpets being installed in homes are made of a plastic that already has been recycled, usually

way to offset the price of processing.”

Votaw believes that the industry will work out recycling

from drink bottles, called PET. Making the carpets from

uses for the carpets made with PET. Carpets and mat-

that material saves the manufacturers considerable money,

tresses create problems in landfills because they expand

30 percent or more over nylon, said John Votaw, owner of

after being dumped, potentially destabilizing the landfill,

Southeastern Plastics Recovery in Mount Pleasant. Within

he said.

the next five years, 80 percent of the used carpet coming to recyclers is expected to be made from PET.

See MATERIALS, Page 19

www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

17

smart Materials

New ways to recycle carbon fiber Sometimes recycling involves something very small — a battery or pill bottle. And other times, it can be something much larger — like a racing yacht.

About that yacht: Oracle Team USA, whose yachts have won the America’s Cup in 2003 and 2013, wanted to recycle the carbon fiber from the older yacht. They found the perfect partner in MIT-RCF, a South Carolina Research Authority company in Lake City.

Carbon fiber’s popularity is soaring because of its light weight, flexibility and strength. But it is not an easy material to recycle. MIT-RCF has developed the process for breaking down carbon fiber so that it can be used to mold new parts.

“We got into discussions with Oracle about using reclaimed fiber,” said Mark Housley, executive vice president of MIT-RCF and SCRA Launch zone manager. “They came back in four weeks and had found an application.”

It turned out that the reclaimed carbon fiber could be used in the manufacture of new parts, even a new boat hull.

The first thing made for Oracle from the recycled yacht was a pair of sunglasses, Housley said. But that’s just the beginning, as it has been used to make a mold for their next-generation watercraft.

Oracle Team USA approaches Alcatraz Island during the final race of America’s Cup with New Zealand on Sept. 25, 2013 in San Francisco. USA won the race in a historic comeback. (Photo/cdrin, Shutterstock.com)

MIT-RCF recycled the 2003 yacht’s hull and mast. When the 2013 yacht, known as AC 72, crashed in practice, pieces of it were recycled too.

Boeing, a big player in the carbon fiber world, also sent some parts of the yacht to its carbon-fiber research partner, University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom.

“Every bit of carbon fiber can be recycled,” Housley said. South Carolina is home to two of the top 10 carbon fiber manufacturers and now a major carbon fiber recycler.

“We will be the only state where you make it here and you recycle it here.”

Oracle Team USA received the first ever REXC award for intelligent design and commercial integration of reclaimed carbon fiber from composites. Oracle Team USA ‘s Chris Sitzenstock receives the award from. Ambrose Schwallie, executive vice president of the South Carolina Research Authority. The matting for the framed award is made of recycled carbon fiber.

Inset: Recycled sunglasses. (Photos/ MIT-RCF)

18

www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

smart Materials MATERIALS, from page 17

Turning this around involves both improving consumer awareness and making recycling easier. To change at-

One of the keys to increasing carpet recycling is for more consumers to realize that the old carpet can have new uses. Once the carpet and liner have been thrown to the curb, recycling use is unlikely, Votaw said. “Any value that it had is gone,” he said.

titudes, the committee is sharing the message that “Your Bottles Mean Jobs.”

“It all goes back to jobs,” Zagorski said.

The number of jobs involving plastics recycling in the Carolinas is growing. “It could make that (number) stronger when we increase what’s being collected,” said Leslie

Plastic bottles: Please send more Three out of four plastic bottles don’t get recycled in

Hatchell, recycling coordinator for York County.

The committee brings together businesses and local

the Carolinas, and that’s a shame in two ways, said Steve

governments that are involved in recycling in the hope

Zagorski, co-chairman of the Carolinas Plastic Recycling

of increasing consumers’ use of the services. To Hatchell,

Council. That means more good materials take up landfill

making it simple for folks is key. Too many consumers are

space, and they are not available for use by the growing

confused about the different types of plastic or whether to

recycled materials industry in the state, said Zagorski, also

take lids off of containers (answer: you don’t have to). To

a vice president with recycler US Fibers.

simplify the message and encourage more recycling, York

The plastics in bottles are excellent for recycling into new things that consumers use, including automotive carpeting, but too many bottles are thrown away in the

County is telling citizens to recycle any “bottle, jugs and jars.”

More efficient recycling services and making it easier for

Carolinas. Instead of recycling those bottles here, compa-

customers to take part are two ways to increase what the

nies import plastic recycled elsewhere or use new plastic,

region recycles, Hatchell said. “I feel like we’ve come a long

according to Zagorski.

way, but we still have a ways to go,” she said.

www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

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Special Advertising Section

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Randy Blackston, vice president of operations for Glen Raven Custom Fabrics, surrounded by the fibers that go into Sunbrella fabrics. All waste fibers that occur during the manufacturing process are recycled or repurposed, including Glen Raven’s line of Renaissance fabrics that include 50 percent recycled content.

(Photo/Glen Raven)

smart Companies

A use for everything More companies finding creative ways to recycle materials

By Licia Jackson

A

s companies find that more and more of their waste products can be reused, they also discover that recycling is good for business. Not only does it save them

stories: What started as a life-cycle approach for its fabrics grew to a holistic environmental movement at Glen Raven’s plant

money, but it brings them new customers who actively seek

in Anderson. More than 50 years ago, the company developed

out companies who recycle. It’s win-win, and then some.

Sunbrella fabrics for outdoor use, made to have a longer use-

South Carolina is blessed to have companies such as Sonoco Recycling, Pratt Industries and ICE Recycling that help

ful life than most other outdoor fabrics.

With expensive pigmented polymers used in manufactur-

other companies find a home for their recyclables. Our state

ing, “we looked at ways to recycle,” said Randy Blackston,

also has good corporate citizens that are leading the way in

vice president of operations. “We couldn’t afford to have high

achieving Zero Waste to Landfill status. Here are a few of their

waste.” Starting with recycling of fiber and cardboard, Glen Rawww.RecyclonomicsSC.com

27

smart Companies has already been achieved is the Greenville plant, which went from sending 450 tons per month to the landfill to sending nothing, said Scott Delorme, continuous improvement manager. The plant was honored by the S.C. Smart Business Recycling Program in 2012.

Now IAC Group is working to make its Spartanburg plant landfill-free, Delorme said. The plant makes interior carpet and noise reduction parts and is looking for new outlets for waste carpet and nonwoven material.

Ladd said IAC Group is using hemp, soy, corn and wheat husks and kenaf, a product similar to bamboo, in an effort to find materials that are strong but also lighter. “That equals fuel efficiency. Car companies are under pressure to make vehicles more fuel efficient,” he said. “That’s what the whole industry is doing.” Natural materials can be more easily recycled, and what does go to the landfill is biodegradable.

In Graniteville, newcomer Recleim helps companies and contractors recycle tough items such as refrigerators, HVAC Natural fibers are used in a vehicle’s glove box manufactured by International Automotive Components Group. These materials are lighter and easier to recycle. (Photo/IAC Group)

units and vending machines. “We are recycling over 95

ven progressed to the point of being landfill-free at its domes-

fluorocarbons.”

tic operations and also at a new plant in China.

percent of these materials,” said Doug Huffer, president of Recleim. “In addition we destroy 99.99 percent of the chloroMost of the household appliances sold are replacements,

“We don’t have a dumpster on our property,” Blackston

and the dealers usually take away the old appliances to make

said. “There is a use for everything. You have to work hard to

sure they are properly recycled, Huffer said. Recleim has part-

find someone to use it.” The 1 million-square-foot Anderson

nerships with the dealers and also with apartment manage-

plant repurposes every single fiber and composts its food and

ment companies, hotels and municipalities to take care of old

landscaping waste. Much of its 180-acre site has been turned

appliances.

into forests, corn and soybean fields. The site is WAIT (Wildlife

As consumers become more aware of the need to take

and Industry Together) certified with bird feeders, bird baths

care of the environment, they want to deal with companies

and food plots.

that responsibly recycle, Huffer said. “This is really picking up

A new plant that opened a year ago in Burlington, N.C., where Glen Raven is headquartered, has never sent anything to the landfill.

steam.”

Recleim recently announced a partnership with the S.C. Association of Heating and Air Conditioning Contractors.

When a customer does finally wear out a Sunbrella prod-

Recleim pays contractors for used HVAC systems and picks

uct, the fabric can be sent back to the Anderson plant where it

them up at no expense. The company will also provide a cer-

can be repurposed. Glen Raven’s Renaissance fabric line uses

tificate of destruction confirming that Recleim processes the

50 percent recycled materials.

unit according to all regulations. This saves HVAC contrac-

With International Automotive Components Group, the drive to be landfill-free is intertwined with the need to find

tors labor and costs of disposing of freon.

The recycled items are broken down by Recleim into

natural materials to replace oil-based resins, said spokes-

their raw materials for resale. The market is good for the

man David Ladd. The resins are costly, and natural materials

steel, copper, aluminum, zinc and plastics that are left.

are better for the environment. IAC makes car interior parts

“Over 95 percent is sellable raw materials,” Huffer said.

— everything but the seat — including cockpit, door panels, flooring and headliners.

The company is driving to make all 33 of its North American plants achieve zero waste status. One place where that

28

www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

In addition to recycling appliances and HVAC units, Recleim has recycled its building. It renovated the old Hickman Mill in Graniteville for its home.

Zero waste to landfill has been a firm commitment for

smart Companies

Shown here is carbon fiber used to manufacture the 787 Dreamliner.

(Photo/Boeing)

Russell Athletic brand ambassador and pro football wide receiver Pierre Garcon wears the CarbonTek shoulder pad system, with an exoskeleton made of 787 carbon fiber. He is shown inside a 787 Dreamliner carbon composite fuselage. (Photo/Russell Athletic)

pany implemented a program to repurpose metal, paper,

Stronger, lighter pads use excess fiber from Boeing’s Dreamliner

carbon fiber, safety vests and glasses, gloves, wood, card-

Russell Athletic, a maker of sports apparel since 1902, wanted to

board, soft plastic, mixed recyclables and organic waste.

create something entirely new when it designed the CarbonTek Shoulder

And it is committed to maintaining that status even as

Pad Exoskeleton for football players.

Boeing South Carolina for years now. In 2011, the com-

the company grows. To meet this goal, Boeing works with

“We wanted to revolutionize protection, so we scrapped the standard

such recycling and reuse suppliers as Charleston Steel

shoulder pad,” said Sarah Gholston, vice president of design and

and Metals, Iron Mountain, Nexeo and the Charleston

development at the company.

County Compost Program.

To meet business and environmental goals, Boeing

The result is a two-part garment that is much lighter than old-style pads. The inner part is made of an automotive foam that absorbs and

looks for markets or companies that can use excess

spreads impact. The outer part is carbon fiber, incorporating excess

materials from its production. As carbon composites are

material from the production of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.

used in planes, the company looks for ways to make sure

The aircraft-grade carbon fiber provides flexibility, strength and

carbon fiber gets reused and recycled in aerospace, auto-

reduced weight, Gholston said. The fiber pad system also allows

motive and other products. A recent solution is a col-

increased range of motion and fits closer to the body.

laboration with Russell Athletic, which is using surplus

The CarbonTek pad system has been tested by players on the field for

787 carbon fiber from Boeing to make CarbonTek football

the past two years, Gholston said, with adjustments made along the way.

shoulder pads.

Dr. Richard Brandt of Sports Science did independent tests and found

Boeing is also a user of recycled materials, incorporating recycled aluminum and titanium into parts for airplanes. The material is collected from its own supply chain, recycled and then reused. Kaiser Aluminum has helped form a closed-loop scrap recycling program.

Boeing is also working to use recycled carbon fiber in its aircraft. In coming months, the company will flight test an exterior wing access door make from recycled 787 carbon fiber.

that the pads significantly disperse the impact of a hit. Players echoed that finding, saying they did not feel a hard impact where they were hit.

The system helps a player recover more quickly and perform better later in the game, according to Gholston.

In addition, the CarbonTek pads are low-profile and fit more easily under today’s tighter jerseys, which are harder for opposing players to grab. The pads give 360-degree coverage and are antimicrobial.

“This really will help athletes perform better,” Gholston said. “It’s always been our goal with our apparel, to help the athletes.” www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

29

smart Resources

Resources

MEMBERS • Adams Scrap Recycling LLC

RecyclonomicsSC www.recyclonomicsSC.com SC Department of Commerce www.sccommerce.com

• Alcoa Mt. Holly • Alfa Enterprises USA Inc. • Blue Ridge Packaging • BMW • Carolina Interior Demolition Specialties Inc. • Carolina Waste Solutions, Inc. • Cedar Green and Associates

SC Department of Commerce – Recycling Market Development Program www.recyclinginsc.com SC Department of Commerce Recycling Directory www.recyclinginsc.com/directory

• Davco Steel, Inc. • Divergent Energy • E-Z Products, LLC • Ever-Green Recycling • Expense Reduction Analysts • Fisher Recycling, LLC, Elizabeth Fisher • Impact Cleantech, Don Dubey

SC Recycling Market Development Advisory Council www.recyclinginsc.com/sites/default/files/all/ rmdac_members_2014.pdf SC Business Network sccommerce.com/south-carolina-businessnetwork

• Jim Self Center, Donna London • Kershaw County, Vic Carpenter • Kiln Direct Inc., Jeff Hobday • Leigh Fibers, Ron Rose • Michelin North America Inc., Dan Chuy • Mumford Industries, Inc., Tina Huskey, Bill Bruce • SC Council on Competitveness, Ann Marie Stieritz

Asphalt Rubber Technology Service www.ces.clemson.edu/arts Habitat for Humanity ReStores www.habitat.org/env/restores.aspx

SC Biomass Council www.scbiomass.org SC Carpet Recovery Coalition recyclinginsc.com/recycling-sc/carpet Carolina Plastics Recycling Council recyclinginsc.com/recycling-sc/plastics SC Clean Energy Business Alliance www.scceba.org State Trade and Export Program sccommerce.com/sites/default/ files/all/sccommerce/Documents/ Business%20Services/state_trade_ and_export_promotion_flyer.pdf SC Opportunities for Promoting Exports sccommerce.com/sites/ default/files/all/scope_ application_2013-2014.pdf SC Green Building Directory www.scgreenbuildingdirectory.org SC Sustainability Institute www.sustainabilityinstitutesc.org

Keep America Beautiful www.kab.org

U.S. Green Building Council – SC Chapter www.usgbcsc.org

Palmetto Pride www.palmettopride.org

Apprenticeship Carolina www.apprenticeshipcarolina.com

Solid Waste Association of North America – SC Palmetto Chapter www.scswana.org

RecycleMoreSC www.recyclemoresc.org/index.htm

• Nucor, Bryan Williamson • Palmetto Synthetics Inc., Bob Usher • Pratt Recycling • Resource Recycling Systems, Marty Seaman • Clean Harbors • SC Department of Commerce • Sonoco Recycling • Southeastern Plastics Recovery • Southpaw Marketing Group • Sustainable Midlands • Tomato Palms, LLC • United Resource Recovery Corp. (URRC) • US Fibers • VLS Recovery Services • WasteZero • York County Government

SC Department of Health and Environmental Control-Office of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling www.scdhec.gov/HomeAndEnvironment/ Recycling/ SC Small Business Environmental Assistance Program www.scdhec.gov/HomeAndEnvironment/ BusinessesandCommunities-GoGreen/ SmartBusiness/SBEAP/ SC Energy Office www.energy.sc.gov

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www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

Carolina Recycling Association cra.myecoville.com/home-7 Southeast Recycling Development Council www.serdc.org SC Biomass Council www.scbiomass.org SC Business One Stop www.scbos.com U.S. Environmental Protection Agency www.epa.gov