Here are some quick highlights:
Thomas Neilson – Goodwill: In addition to its stores, Goodwill partners with companies to recycle and/or reuse items not suitable for resale. For example, plastic bags from donated items are sent to Trex which recycles the plastic into decking materials and loose scrap metal is sent to Baltimore Scrap.
Carol Fearns – Habitat for Humanity Carroll County/ReStore: Collects donations of used building materials, household items, electronics, lawn and garden items and more for resale, which creates revenue for building new homes and home repairs.
Eric Laun – Howard County DIY Education Center (Howard County Library Elkridge Branch): In addition to offering DIY classes, the Center offers a collection of tools for home improvement projects, gardening, bike maintenance and more for loan to county residents.
Leslie Kirkland - The Loading Dock: Collects used building materials for resale keeping usable materials out of waste stream while saving people money in their project costs.
Ian Edwards – MD Department of Aging Durable Medical Equipment Program: Accepts new and gently used durable medical equipment which is sanitized, repaired and redistributed to Marylanders in need. The goal is to improve mobility and quality of life while diverting used medical equipment from landfills.
Nancy Hotchkiss – Scrap Creative Reuse/SCRAP B-More: Accepts leftover craft items for upcycling or repurposing sparking creativity while keeping discarded items out of the landfills.
A huge THANK YOU to all our panelists. It was a great conversation!