Columbia, SC - The South Carolina Recycling Market Development Advisory Council, managed within the SC Department of Commerce, recently recognized a number of the state’s businesses that are actively engaged in the recycling and reuse of a number of materials. The companies were featured at an awards luncheon as part of the third annual Recycling Business Forum held last month in Columbia.
“Recycling plays a prominent role in contributing a $6.5 billion economic impact in South Carolina. These outstanding businesses are helping our state achieve goals of sustainable environmental and economic progress,” said Chantal Fryer, senior manager for the Recycling Market Development program at the Department of Commerce.
The following recycling businesses were recognized for their efforts to help communities and businesses recycle various materials as part of the state’s overall efforts to reduce the amount of waste being landfilled. In addition, the Council recognized several existing South Carolina companies that have adopted aggressive recycling programs and placed a significant emphasis on resource management and environmental conservation as part of their business operations.
Best Small Recycling Company – Sunshine Recycling, Orangeburg, SC
Sunshine Recycling recycles scrap metal and resells the recycled metal products. The company constructed a 10,000 square foot warehouse made entirely of recycled materials, doubled the size of the facility, and is in the process of bringing railroad access to its facility. The facility runs on solar power and utilizes five oil-water separators to ensure that the water leaving the plant is clean. This expansion has created approximately 20 new jobs in the past year and reportedly saved Orangeburg County over $1 million a year by successfully privatizing operations and providing 12 additional sites for collection since the inception of the business.
Best Medium Recycling Company – Global Investment Recovery, Inc., Salley, SC
Global Investment Recovery’s annual recycling capacity exceeds 60 million pounds. It recycles 100% of all electronics with zero discharge to the landfills. Its services include computer and electronics recycling, monitor disposal and recycling, and certified destruction. The company collects a myriad of scrap electronic equipment, including televisions, computer monitors, central processing units (CPUs), printers, fax machines, keyboards, laptops, modems, power supplies, printed circuit boards and cell phones. Global is the primary destruction contractor for the US Department of Defense and is on contract with South Carolina State Government.
Recycler of the Year – Diversified Recycling, Inc., Rock Hill, SC
Diversified Recycling, Inc. continues to grow and expand its recycling services which include scrap tires, ink, batteries, waste oil, fluorescent lamps and computers. Owner Don Burnette developed a crusher that not only drains residual oil but also converts the filters into tight briquettes that can be used by the steel industry. Steel companies with electric arc furnaces are able to recover the steel in the filter, keeping thousands of oil filters out of the state’s landfills. Diversified has experienced significant growth in the past three years – going from a one-person business to a firm that now employs nine people and has a fleet of seven trucks to handle customers’ accounts throughout the Southeast. They are a licensed hazardous waste transporter and handle plant decommissioning as well as emergency spill response and clean up.
Best Medium Industry Recycling Program - Fujifilm-Pucketts Facility, Greenwood, SC
Fujifilm's Greenwood, SC facility has achieved a 72% recycle rate, significantly reducing solid waste sent to local landfills. Fujifilms has set targets for improved its recycling rate, reduced the concentration of silver in wastewater, improved removal of chemicals from exhaust through technology improvements, and partnered with local groups to help fund a study to preserve the water quality of the Saluda River. The company’s disposable QuickSnap cameras are designed to have the capability to be 100% recycled. Some parts in the QuickSnap are designed for reuse, such as the main unit, lens, battery and flash unit and others that cannot be reused are crushed, ground up and recycled into new parts.
Best Large Industry Recycling Program - Michelin-Spartanburg Facility, Spartanburg, SC
Michelin’s recycling programs include paper, cardboard, kitchen grease, off-spec production materials, metals, oil, and most universal waste. From January through August 2006, it has generated 2,112 metric tons of waste and recovered 1,499 metric tons. This represents a recovery rate of nearly 71%, and an annualized savings of $81,000 in landfill avoidance fees.
Michelin-Spartanburg Facility has found reuse/recycling markets for 82 metric tons of off-spec rubber, 572 metric tons of off-spec metallic tissue, 18 metric tons of used oil, 272 metric tons of metal, and 481 metric tons of off-spec tires. Reuse outlets for wood wastes are being developed, which will further reduce the facility's waste sent to the landfill.
BRAP Partner of the Year – Cleanlites Recycling, Inc., Spartanburg, SC
The Partner of the Year award recognizes businesses and industries for their collaborative efforts. Cleanlites Recycling, Inc. collects and recycles universal waste fluorescent lamps, batteries, lighting ballast, mercury-containing devices, toner cartridges computer and electronic equipment. Cleanlites helps address South Carolina’s and surrounding state’s portion of recycling the over 400 million fluorescent bulbs that are thrown in the trash each year nationally. In addition, Cleanlites recently assisted the SC Department of Commerce and the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control with fulfilling the requirements of a Mercury Lamp Disposal Education Outreach Campaign grant funded by the EPA. By utilizing their Lampmaster boxes, a pilot program is now in place to assist school districts around the state with recycling their T8 and T12 fluorescent bulbs.
BRAP Special Recognition – Roche Carolina, Florence, SC
The BRAP Special Recognition Award recognizes companies that have contributed to recycling and waste reduction efforts as well as community outreach. For each new drug compound developed at Roche Carolina, waste reduction goals are established. For drug compounds developed in 2005, 35% of chemical waste was eliminated during the new drug development process. During 2005, 805 tons of various solvents were recovered and reused back in the manufacturing process. This is a 47% increase when compared to 2004. Total savings due to the use of recycled solvents in 2005 was $2.5 million. An additional $190,000 savings was realized due to increased waste segregation and off-site recycling during the fourth quarter of 2005 alone.
Sustainability Award – Alcoa Mt. Holly, Goose Creek, SC
Being a good steward is a key element in sustainability. As such, this stewardship entails companies being able to lessen their environmental footprint by providing services that promote community growth and prosperity. Established in 1990, Alcoa Mt. Holly’s recycling program has been recognized numerous times for its effectiveness in recycling materials, reducing waste going to area landfills and promoting environmental conservation to students and citizens in Berkeley County.
Alcoa has continued to move forward with its sustainable efforts by adding new waste streams to its reduction and recycling efforts, including the addition of managing burned anodes, which has contributed to 3,022 tons of material being diverted from the landfill. The facility has initiated a process for recycling carbon dust, recovering about 200 tons of carbon swiping. In addition, the pollution prevention team is researching options to send its plant municipal waste for fuel blending and creating collection points for other plastic materials. Finally, the Mt. Holly facility uses biodiesel fuel in its farm equipment used to maintain it 6,000 acre site and recently developed a small grant program for biodiesel use.