A Sheboygan County enterprise has been honored as one of eleven recipients of the Wisconsin DNR’s annual Wisconsin Recycling Excellence Award on “America Recycles Day”, November 15, 2023.
A release from the DNR on Wednesday noted that the 2023 award winners formed partnerships, engaged community members and implemented systems and equipment to achieve their waste reduction and recycling goals. Their efforts resulted in many tons of materials diverted from the landfill, cost-savings for residents, businesses and communities as well as increased access to donation, recycling and disposal services.
Among the honorees was Richardson Resale Store of Sheboygan which, since 2019, has been seeking ways to minimize their waste footprint within the community. An arm of Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice, Richardson Resale Store models the philosophy of “reduce, reuse or recycle” by accepting donations of gifts and belongings from persons who have been given “end of life care” through their hospice agency. Some donations are sold to fund patient care, outreach and education programs. If items arrive dirty or broken, volunteers wash and attempt to repair them to save them from the landfill. Richardson Resale has partnered with other entities to identify alternatives for items not easily resold. Some of the items diverted from landfills include fabric, paper and plastic shopping bags, bubble wrap, unsellable apparel, broken glassware/pottery, metal and wood products and more.
Richardson Resale Store Manager Ruth Weigel summed up the organization’s philosophy by tellling the Wisconsin DNR that one should “Be open and partner with others; seek even small ways to wash, fix, upcycle and reuse items that others may see as undesirable. Make it fun with your team by talking it up, speaking to others about sustainability and researching new ideas.”
Comments