Contributed by Stacey Smith, FHR NC

Earlier this year, the Wake County Solid Waste Reduction Committee awarded FHR NC a $3000 grant to help its offices become green. The project, Waste Not, Want Not, focused on increasing efforts to reduce, recycle and reuse at the main office in Raleigh and the satellite office in Cary. Since the award, both the Building Foundations site and the Cary Clubhouse have used the funds to start up recycling programs.

Jeff B., one of the lead people in the Recycling Crew at the Building Foundations Program, was happy to bring folks up-to-date on what the crew has been working on. “We’ve been recycling more cans and newspapers,” he said. “We now have a can crusher and a scale to weigh the crushed cans before sending them to the recycling center. We track the weight each week with a chart to keep us motivated towards recycling more and wasting less.”

While the program has been recycling cans and newspapers for some time, the grant has further encouraged the recycling of plastic bottles and the use of plastic containers on the snack bar. “Before people used to throw the bottles in the trash,” remarked Jeff. “Now we not only recycle plastic, but are looking into how we can begin to compost with limited outdoor space.”

Although there have been a few challenges along the way, such as learning how to use the scale correctly, Jeff reports that “people are getting much better about recycling items.” He encourages everyone to help the environment and recycle more.