Going Green in Businesses: A Focus on a Non-Profit called Save the Trash

Going, Going Gone!

A real easy way to go green in the backyard of businesses.

By Laura Peters petersle@vcu.edu

In the back lot of The Camel there are hundreds of bottles sorted out between clear, green, and dark; it’s like a garden of recyclable goods. Carter Anderson, an independent contractor, started the non-profit organization Save the Trash to make a difference in his community. Starting with businesses like The Camel was one of his first steps into making the City of Richmond go green.

“The whole idea behind Save the Trash was to have commercial recycling paid for by the good community businesses that are around,” said Anderson.

The main purpose of Anderson’s organization is to provide recycling options for businesses and special events around Richmond. Anderson said that him and volunteers go to festivals in Richmond, like the Irish Festival or music festivals, and set up recycling centers.

Anderson has been saving the trash for three years, and the problem he faces is that most businesses are finding it hard to continue to recycle and find places to take recyclables. Anderson said that if he built separate containers for each type of recyclable, businesses would find it easier to sort all the trash out and make it easier to take the recyclable goods to drop off centers, like behind the Science Museum, to be sent off to be recycled.

Save the Trash became a legitimate a year ago and is signed on with Cooperative Solutions, another non-profit. Save the Trash is tax exempt under Classification 5013 C. Anderson is now trying to get grants for the start up of the more business side of his non-profit.

“I rarely get a good response,” said Anderson. “It’s really a one-man operation… It’s usually a question as to somebody doesn’t want to have it, don’t have space for it, can’t be bothered with it.”

Anderson’s main job is mainly contracting for businesses in Richmond. He does a lot of work with the Camel by building tables and anything that needs to be fixed.

Rand Burgess, owner of The Camel which is a bar, restaurant, and lounge at 1621 W. Broad St. said he’s only been recycling at his bar for a little over three months.

“It does take a little effort. And you don’t get any money for recycling, there’s no financial gain in doing it. It takes extra man hours,” said Burgess. “So, I was very hesitant at first. But once we started, it makes sense as long as we can maintain it.”

Julia McCauley, the WRIR’s, the independent radio station in Richmond, Operations Director has been a supporter for Anderson for some time. The radio station plays public service announcements promoting his Save the Trash organization.

“Save the Trash helps WRIR,” said McCauley. “All of Carter Anderson’s skills are summed up in Save the Trash. Not just Save the Trash recycling, but also Save the Trash carpentry and design.”

McCauley has been building a new live studio for the station and applying Anderson’s skills to it. According to McCauley, the new live studio is even made out of recycled materials including an old kitchen table from a volunteer.

“He pushed me to start a recycling program,” said Burgess. “The City of Richmond doesn’t collect recycling on the back, so he does that. And my employees are all about it.”

Burgess also mentioned that with the City of Richmond’s trash system around the city isn’t economically or ecologically safe. They could be using smaller trashcans and have more of them per block, according to Burgess.

“The City of Richmond’s trashcans, the super cans, the concrete ones or the metal ones, they cost 5, $600 per can,” said Burgess. “The City of Richmond talks about expense and whatever but if you put one super can or you could do a whole entire block and reduce the amount of litter.”

According to the City of Richmond’s Refuse Collection’s website, each household is entitled to one plastic super can which is priced at $55. As for recycling with the city, Richmond works directly with the Central Virginia Waste Management and come weekly to pick up recyclables in certain areas.

“We’re trying to find to look for other ways for the City of Richmond to increase in recycling,” said Darlene Mallory head of the City of Richmond’s Clean City Commission.

Mallory said that with businesses that are already recycling isn’t through the city, instead with separate companies. Mallory also mentioned that most ideas that the Clean City Commission has are not concrete yet.

With the approach of a green revolution in the current economic crisis, Anderson feels that with thinking green could produce more jobs.

“I want jobs; I want people to have good jobs. I know a lot of people that need good jobs. I think green jobs can do it,” said Anderson. “I think if people are willing to pay for their recycling then that’s going to open up money to get paid doing their recycling.”

In the long run, Anderson hopes to make a program out of his nonprofit that offers scholarships to children who utilize recycling and special.

Not only does Anderson take the reusable materials to be recycled, he does the recycling to make art. He’s made bar counters out of old glasses and a concrete base, one you can find in Shockoe Bottom at Papa Ningo’s. He’s been collecting trash from all sorts of places he’s traveled.

“I like it when I go out walking or hitchhiking and pick up the trash along the way,” said Anderson. “Whatever town I’m at I’m figuring I might as well pick it up.”

Save the Trash needs to be more organized, according to Burgess, who talked about getting a Board of Directors together. Burgess said that it needs to be looked at through a more business-like view, with specific jobs split among a group of people, rather than just Anderson doing all the work.

“I’m excited about and what is to come,” said Burgess. “Once it gets set up it’ll be a successful organization.”