SC Agency Recognizes Businesses for Recycling Efforts

The South Carolina Recycling Market Development Advisory Council recognized 10 businesses and organizations for their efforts to support recycling in the state. The winners were honored at a luncheon held at the Michelin Conference Center as part of the second annual Recycling Business Forum.

The Advisory Council tracks the recycling industry for the state as well as promotes the benefits of recycling through the Business Recycling Assistance Program. B-RAP is a partnership with the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control that provides free technical assistance to business, industry, government agencies and other interested organizations.

“Choosing this year’s winners was no easy task as we had a good number of deserving nominees,” said Ted Campbell, senior manager of the Council. “But the winners we recognized today took some extra steps to help foster our recycling industry and we’re certainly appreciative of the example they set for their peers.” 

The awards were broken into two categories: four recognizing recycling businesses and four recognizing organizations that implemented successful recycling initiatives as part of their operations. There were two special recognition awards also presented.

The SC Recycling Business Awards are the following:

Chris Fisher, owner of the Charleston-based Fisher Recycling, was recognized as the Recycler of the Year in recognition of his growing business and recent expansion at the old Naval Base in North Charleston as part of the Noisette redevelopment of the area.

Nucor Steel in Berkeley County was recognized under the state’s Best Large Company category. Nucor produced more than 3.3 million tons of carbon steel sheet and beams in 2004 at its Huger facility, recycling 12 percent more scrap such as old automobiles, railcar wheels and appliances than it had the previous year.

Mid-Carolina Steel & Recycling Company in Columbia received honors as the state’s Best Medium-sized Recycling Company. Mid-Carolina not only operates a ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal recycling processor but has added a new steel service center that includes an ornamental iron warehouse and showroom.

Earth Protection Services Inc. in Williamston won recognition in the state’s Small Recycling Business category. EPSI serves as a regional collection and processing center for a variety of materials regulated as universal waste, including computer electronics, mercury-containing fluorescent lamps, industrial and consumer batteries as well as PCB and non-PCB lighting ballast.

Greenville County was recognized as having the Best Office Recycling Program in the state. Greenville County employees increased the amount of office paper they were recycling as well as added beverage containers, fluorescent bulbs and printer cartridges to their recycling efforts.

S&T Grading and Excavation in Lexington was recognized as the top Construction and Demolition Recycling Program in the state. S&T recycled 95 percent of the land-clearing debris, concrete, asphalt and brick debris generated in construction and demolition projects to create mulch, boiler fuel and aggregate products that are sold to various commercial and industrial customers.

Chicago Pneumatic Tool Company in Rock Hill was honored as the state’s Best Small Industry Recycling Program. After tackling high volume items like cardboard and office paper, Chicago Pneumatic aggressively targeted a number of additional items, including used oil, fluorescent bulbs, scrap metal, printer cartridges and skids. They have also implemented a program to use reusable packaging and containers to reduce packaging waste.

Alcoa Mt. Holly was awarded Best Large Industry Recycling Program in honor of the company’s efforts to recycle 72 percent of its total waste in 2004. Alcoa has long been a recycling leader in SC, recovering a wide array of materials in its waste reduction and recycling efforts. Employees may bring recyclables from home to recycle, and they participate in a number of community outreach programs to foster support for environmental stewardship. 

Collins Home & Family Ministries of Seneca was given special recognition for its efforts to recycle newspaper and office paper in the Upstate. As a non-profit children’s home, the recycling program began in 1986 as a way to raise money for the support of the children living at Collins Home. Collecting newspapers from individuals, civic groups, neighborhood associations and businesses throughout a three county area, this program generates about $25,000 in revenue for the Collins Home each year and provides a positive stewardship message not only to the residents of the Collins Home but also the customers they serve.