Central SC Habitat for Humanity Restore Honored with an “Outstanding Small Business”

Award by the Carolina Recycling Association

Emily Fernald receives the “Outstanding Small Business” Award on behalf of Central SC Habitat for Humanity Restore from CRA’s President Will Sagar

The Central SC Habitat for Humanity Restore was awarded the “Outstanding Small Business” Award by the Carolina Recycling Association during its annual conference and trade show in Charleston, SC last month.

The “Outstanding Small Business” Award recognizes a business with less than 50 employees that has made a strong commitment to waste reduction practices within its organization as part of its business.   Businesses were judged based on their environmental leadership, education to employees, and the benefit of their actions on the environment.

Central SC Habitat for Humanity Restore built waste reduction, reuse and recycling into literally every aspect of their business.   From the phones and computers the employees work on, to the display shelves in the store, to the actual materials for sale: literally everything has been repurposed and reused. Their philosophy is that every item has a purpose and can be recycled, that there is no need for it to end up in a landfill.  In 2010 alone, they successfully diverted 638 tons from the landfill.

Central SC Habitat for Humanity Restore has shown strong leadership by finding markets for materials that are donated to them that they cannot sell in their store including clothes, books, batteries, cardboard, paper, metal, ink cartridges, scrap lumber and furniture.  They also have worked with employees and artists to turn depreciated materials such as doors and shutters into functional items like table tops and artwork.  A team goes to homes and businesses being remodeled and harvests unwanted materials like countertops and doors.  This strong commitment to preventing materials from going into the trash, made possible by their ability to form partnerships and work with the community, sets them apart as leaders in waste reduction.

Outside of their daily operations, Central SC Habitat Restore also has a strong presence in the community through electronic recycling events, Drop Spots at churches and schools, and participation in events, seminars and expos.    They partner with local schools to sponsor book drives that will be resold and raise money to build houses and are members of the Smart Business Recycling Program and a Green Business Charter Member.  Central SC Habitat Restore runs off donations (especially furniture) in an effort to eliminate poverty housing through funding homes for Habitat for Humanity.

The Carolina Recycling Association (CRA) is a non-profit organization serving the public and private recycling industry in order to advance waste reduction and recycling in North and South Carolina. For more information on recycling, the CRA or to become a CRA member, please visit www.cra-recycle.org