Recycling Works Volume 20, Number 1 Winter 2014 A cooperative effort of the N.C. Department Job Growth in NC Recycling of Environment and Natural Resources and the N.C. Department Industry, Study Shows of Commerce. by Sherry Yarkosky, Recycling Business Development Specialist Private sector recycling jobs in North The total estimated annual payroll Carolina have increased by nearly 12 for North Carolina recycling busi- percent since 2010 as recycling busi- nesses is $442 million. nesses in the Tar Heel State continue Forty-five percent of recycling to grow and thrive, according to a businesses surveyed anticipate cre- study released by the N.C. Department ating more jobs during the next of Environment and Natural Re- two years. sources. Eighty-one recycling businesses The study’s major findings include: reported spending $79.6 million in equipment, facilities, and land in- There are more than 17,000 direct vestments from 2011 to 2013. private sector recycling-related jobs in North Carolina. Fifty-one percent of recycling busi- nesses surveyed plan on investing Private sector recycling jobs have $47.3 million in equipment, facili- increased by 11.95 percent since ties, or land in the next two years. 2010. Twenty-eight percent of businesses surveyed report manufacturing a product, using a combined 2,264,565 tons of recycled materi- als. (JOB GROWTH continued on page 2) Inside Recycling Works 2014 CRA Annual Conference..………………… 3 EarthStone Products Poised for Growth...….……4 Rain Water Solutions’ Recycled Content Barrel.......6 State Disposal Trends Down..……………………8 Results published since 1994 document consistent expansion in RBAC Says Farwell to Staffer…………………….9 recycling employment in North Carolina. Market Pricing…………………………………..10 Recycling Works Winter 2014 2 JOB GROWTH continued from page 1 ——–————————————--—–——————–-——- Recycling businesses target a wide variety of 2013 document consistent expansion in recy- recyclables for collection, processing, or use in cling employment in North Carolina. manufacturing. No single commodity “The continued, strong “This study shows that dominates the North Carolina’s recycling state’s recycling growth of recycling validates businesses are thriving, cre- economy. ating jobs, and investing its importance to our economy for the long-term,” said “Recycling is an as a generator of jobs,” said John Skvarla, secretary of important initiative the N.C. Department of to support manu- Governor Pat McCrory. Environment and Natural facturers and reduce Resources. “By participat- our long-term dependence on landfills,” said ing in recycling at home, at work, and on-the- Governor Pat McCrory. “The continued, strong go, North Carolinians help grow the economy growth of recycling as an economic sector vali- while protecting the state’s environment.” dates its value to our environment and its im- portance to our economy as a generator of Data for the report came from a survey of jobs.” North Carolina-based recycling businesses listed in the state’s online Recycling Markets Conducted by DENR’s Recycling Business As- Directory. These businesses received an email sistance Center, the research is the latest in a invitation to participate in the 2013 recycling series of studies spanning nearly two decades business employment study update. Additional and demonstrates the ongoing contribution of recycling employment data from the N.C. Em- recycling to the state’s economic growth. As the ployment Security Commission was included in graph shown on page one indicates, results the study for recycling-related businesses not published in 1994, 2000, 2003, 2008, 2010, and listed in the Recycling Markets Directory. A complete copy of the study, Employment Trends in North Carolina’s Recycling Industry—2013, can be found online at: http://bit.ly/1fYqHMD. For more information, contact Sherry Yarkosky at [email protected] or 919-707- 8133. to all the North Carolina recycling businesses that participated in the recent recycling employment study. Recycling Works -2- Winter 2014 3 Make Plans to Attend the 2014 CRA Conference by Scott Mouw, Community and Business Assistance Section Chief The 24th Annual Carolina Recycling Association Attendees of both events will have access to the Conference and Trade Show will offer a unique exhibit hall and will share a general session on setting for recyclers to network, learn, do busi- Wednesday morning. ness, and help ensure that 2014 is a successful year. This year’s conference returns to the Recycling companies who want to market their Grove Park Inn services to manufac- in Asheville Recycling companies who want to turers who are mo- and will run tivated to com- from Monday, market their services to manufacturers pletely avoid land- March 31 st motivated to avoid landfill disposal fill disposal should through Thurs- consider attending day, April 3rd. should consider attending the the Manufacturers Manufacturers Zero Waste conference Zero Waste confer- The conference ence and exhibiting program will and exhibiting in the combined Zero in the combined feature a wide Waste/CRA exhibit hall. Zero Waste/CRA array of cutting exhibit hall. -edge technical topics, including: The CRA Conference is one of the largest state recycling organization events in the country, The outlook for recycling markets typically attracting over 500 attendees and ex- Organics collection and composting hibitors, from the Carolinas and beyond. Emerging new energy and processing technologies To grab your spot as attendee and/or exhibitor, visit the CRA’s conference website: Tackling the #3–#7 plastic recycling http://cra.onefireplace.org/2014conference challenge Construction and demolition recycling markets and trends Collection and marketing of new mate- rials MRF equipment and operations Locating and financing recycling busi- nesses A special feature of the 2014 CRA conference is the Manufacturers Zero Waste to Landfill confer- ence, a concurrent event that will start on Tues- day, April 1st and go through noon on Wednes- day, April 2nd. Recycling Works -3- Winter 2014 4 Greensboro’s EarthStone Products Poised for Major Growth by Mike Greene, Recycling Business Development Specialist If you ask Sandy Brady of EarthStone Products how he is doing, he will immediately tell you, “Man, I’m having the best day ever!” His ener- gy and the dedication of his crew have helped catapult EarthStone to one of the fastest grow- ing recycling companies in the state and the on- ly zero waste patio paver in the country. Located in Greensboro, EarthStone is a part- nership between Sandy Brady, who runs the EarthStone’s Sandy Brady stamps out a recycled operations and installations, and his brother, patio paver from granite countertop scrap. Patrick Brady, who oversees the bookkeeping. EarthStone specializes in turning waste from granite countertop installations into high quality patio pavers and fire pits. According to Sandy By way of comparison, concrete is only .65 slip Brady, 25 to 35 percent of the slab used to resistant. Any leftover scraps are crushed into make a kitchen countertop goes to the landfill. aggregate for use in North Carolina roadbeds. “This month, we expect to take in over one million pounds of granite previously going to To ensure the quality of the finished patio, all the landfill,” said Brady. “It will be the most we projects are installed by the same EarthStone have ever taken in.” employees who manufacture the product. The patio is installed in one day. The quality of the EarthStone receives granite pieces in various product is gaining national attention as Panera shapes and sizes and cuts them into a shaped Bread recently made EarthStone the official paver with what has been described as a giant flooring of their outdoor gathering areas. cookie cutter. One side is blasted to create a texture that is .77 slip resistant and then sealed. Panera Bread Vice President of Design Creative Jay Jung explains that Panera strives to build gathering places for the local community and the 100 percent recycled EarthStone products fit the corporate model. “The clincher was EarthStone's affordability and installation pro- cess,” Jung said. Jung continued, “It was perfect for us – a warm, rich material that is actually doing good for the environment!” Over the next few years, EarthStone pavers will be installed in all new Granite scrap from countertop installations are re- ceived at EarthStone for transformation into granite patio pavers and other granite tile products. (EARTHSTONE continued on page 5) Recycling Works -4- Winter 2014 5 EARTHSTONE continued from page 4 ——–—–——————–--———————————--—–— and existing Panera Bread locations across the cused on interior and exterior recycled granite country that have outdoor patios. flooring sold by a network of flooring distribu- tors. The 2008 economic crash created a diffi- In addition to the na- cult business environment for the young com- tional exposure from pany. In 2009, the business was purchased by Panera Bread, Earth- Rosemarie Williams who experienced similar Stone recently formed a issues due to the recessionary decline in home partnership with two improvement projects. nationally-known North Carolina companies: In 2008, Brady began a granite custom engrav- Buck Stove in Spruce ing business. Through his friendship with Tesh Pine, and Bob Timber- and McClain, Brady started engraving material EarthStone employee lake in Lexington. Cus- from EarthStone for Williams. When told that finishes patio installa- tomers can now pur- EarthStone was closing,