October 2006
Waste Reduction
Reduce, reuse, recycle
By Laura Freeman

Chet Green, owner of Northcoast Inc. Recycling Specialists, surrounded by recycled materials. Northcoast provides waste-reduction programs for businesses involving improving waste handling and educating employees. Photo by Marc Golub

Businesses account for much of the trash produced every day. Many businesses do what they can to recycle. Others don’t know where to start or if it’s worth the effort.

On one hand, recycling can help save or make money as well as save energy and other natural resources, cut pollution and create jobs. On the other hand, recycling also can take more time, space and effort. It may actually end up costing more to recycle.

As of 2000, almost 100,000 jobs in Ohio were dependent on recycling, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Recycling resulted in $22.5 billion in sales and an annual payroll of $3.6 billion statewide. Northcoast Inc. Recycling Specialists, a full-service recycling company in Wickliffe, is one of those businesses. The company started out collecting pop bottles and milk jugs curbside, but that became less lucrative as larger waste haulers took over.

“We had to find a niche,” said Chet Green, owner of Northcoast. “That’s how we got into industrial and commercial waste reduction.” The company develops waste-reduction programs for businesses. They begin with an audit of the company’s waste stream. Next they prepare a proposal listing what can be diverted and the revenue potential. Finally, Northcoast educates the company’s employees.

“Some companies are concerned about the environment, but most companies recycle to save money on waste hauling,” Green said.

Saving money securely

Jones Printing Service in Willoughby recycles all its scrap paper in six large bins Northcoast picks up every couple of weeks. “We call when they’re full and they’re here the next day,” said Jim Jones, one of four brothers who are partners in the printing company. Jones recycles for a couple of reasons.

“One is to be good corporate citizens and do our part in the recycling process,” he said.

His recycling efforts provide an added service to his customers; Northcoast shreds all the paper they pick up.

“Having our recycled material shredded before it gets shipped to the end-user provides us with a little extra information security for our clients,” Jones said.

Northcoast does not charge Jones for picking up his scrap paper. Neither is Jones paid for the paper. Jones said it’s not his intent to make money, but he does save money.

“If we had to put it out with the regular refuse we’d need a bigger container and they’d have to pick up more often,” he said. “It’s just a good thing all the way around.”

Making money

Businesses may recycle for altruistic reasons, but there is money to be made from doing so. Green said Avery Dennison is one of his most environmentally conscious clients.

Bryan Hudgins is environmental health and safety manager for Avery’s Graphics and Reflective Products Division in Painesville. Hudgins says his main reason for recycling is the environment, but cost savings and financial return weigh heavily in the decision.

“That’s our driving force – to not only be compliant with government regulations but to go above and beyond,” Hudgins said. “Secondly it’s advantageous from a cost standpoint and thirdly it reduces landfill.” The reflective plant earns $80,000 to $100,000 a year from recycling. Add to that what the company saves by not having to manage the waste and what they would pay to have it disposed, about $70,000 a year, and Hudgins says there’s no reason not to recycle.

When Avery started its recycling with Northcoast more than seven years ago they earned about $20,000 a year. Hudgins worked with Green to find an outlet for much of the company’s waste.

“They can now pay for my salary and a few others’ salaries just from the recycling,” Hudgins said.

Mandatory recycling?

Chris Hodges, public services and solid waste coordinator for the Lake County Department of Utilities, said the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency requires each county to capture a percentage of recyclables from the total tonnage sent to the landfill.

All solid waste districts statewide must meet requirements in two segments: 25 percent in the residential/commercial segment and 66 percent in the industrial segment. Hodges said historically Lake County has been ahead of the cut. “We’ve always been in a position to put ourselves ahead of the bottom line,” Hodges said.

He said although curbside recycling in Lake County was stopped early this year, 15 out of 23 communities in the county now participate in a countywide central drop-off program. Remaining communities do their own weekly curbside recycling. The numbers haven’t been tallied for this year yet, but Hodges said with the commercial sector helping to carry the load, he thinks the county will meet required levels.

Green industry

Hodges is a member of the Lake County Business Waste Reduction Committee. The BWRC helps businesses establish recycling programs and publishes a newsletter. A recent newsletter featured Cottage Gardens Inc. in Perry. The nursery has 1,600 greenhouses, or polyhouses as the plastic-covered greenhouses are known. The nursery needed a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to dispose of the plastic sheeting used to cover them.

With the help of the Lake County Solid Waste District, The Ohio State University Extension and Lake County Nurserymen’s Association the nursery found a baler that strips and bales the plastic from a 200-foot-long polyhouse in less than five minutes.

Cottage Gardens recently purchased a second baler. The nursery also earns enough from recycling to cover the cost of labor involved. Marketing manager Nathan Hicks said the nursery also saves $5,000 on dumpster fees. “It turns the cost of disposing the plastic into income,” Hicks said.

Help is available

The Ohio Department of Development and the Division of Recycling & Litter Prevention offer grants and loans to businesses for recycling. Recent awards totaling almost $3 million supported a variety of activities from litter collections to the development of innovative ways to process recyclables. Recipients partner with their local solid waste district for funding. Recent recipients include Kurtz Brothers Inc. in Willowick which received $250,000 for equipment to process construction and demolition debris. For more information on these and other grants, contact the Ohio Department of Development at 800-848-1300 or visit www.odod.state.oh.us/EDD/Loans_Grants.htm.

Locally, the BWRC helps area businesses become part of recycling co-ops with one or more other businesses, such as those in a strip mall or industrial park. They locate the recycling container in a central location and share the cost of the service.

The Lake County Solid Waste District is considering offering waste audits. Another idea is to create forms so companies can conduct their own audits.

“The incentive is, by doing this, they can save money on waste hauling,” Hodges said. “But you have to look at the big picture. Recycling is not a cheap business, but by doing so, you are protecting and/or saving our natural resources.”

Hodges says the interest in recycling and the ecological consciousness he sees from business owners is amazing.

The committee partnered with Classic Park in Eastlake to provide large soda bottle-shaped receptacles to collect all their plastic beer and soda bottles on game days. The Captains cover hauling fees. “I would say 100 percent of all businesses are conscious of wanting to recycle and understand the need for it,” Hodges said. “What we are trying to do is establish a communication with businesses that the Business Waste Reduction Committee is here to help.”

Laura Freeman is editor of the Lake County Business Journal.