×

Cost of Doing Business

HOUGHTON – The members of the Copper Country Recycling Initiative have been working to get more of the local business community involved, but some are already recycling.

Suzanne Van Dam, co-chairwoman of the CCRI, said the cities of Hancock and Houghton recently received proposals for waste collection from collection companies, and in the requests for those proposals, the collection of recycling material was included, but only for residential curbside collection.

Van Dam said some local businesses have contacted the CCRI about recycling their waste products, especially cardboard.

“They have so much cardboard,” she said.

Currently, Van Dam said businesses that want to recycle cardboard have to spend time flattening the cardboard down then transport it to where it will be processed for recycling. For businesses, time is money.

In order to improve efficiency, Van Dam said the CCRI is trying to come up with ways businesses can work together to recycle.

Many business owners have expressed interest in recycling, Van Dam said.

“I think they would like to recycle everything,” she said.

Frank Fiala, owner of the 5th & Elm Coffee House locations in Calumet and Houghton, said he makes a serious effort toward recycling.

“We recycle everything, except glass,” he said.

Fiala said he stores the material he recycles in the back of his businesses and takes it once a week to the Waste Management recycling bins at the company’s location on Enterprise Street in Houghton. It costs $4 per vehicle load to drop off material, but Fiala said he doesn’t mind that cost.

“It’s part of a cost of doing business,” he said. “It would still cost me to throw it away.”

If Houghton provided a centralized location for recycling for businesses, Fiala said, he would gladly use it.

“If they just had a bin where we could just throw it in there, it would be great,” he said.

Van Dam said in many larger municipalities, recycling is a reality with the business community, partly because of the volume of waste they produce.

“In most cities, recycling starts with businesses,” she said.

In fact, Van Dam said many cities require recycling as part of the contract with the trash collection companies.

She said even in small rural areas such as the Copper Country, recycling is important, and businesses need to be part of the effort.

“To really make an impact, we have to involve businesses,” she said.

Getting the large local institutions involved, such as hospitals and schools, is also needed to make a community as completely involved with recycling as possible.

Van Dam said there is a growing interest in recycling from residents and from some businesses.

“There seems to be a critical mass with people expressing an interest in recycling,” she said.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today