The Successes Possible from a Jigsaw Puzzle Theory of Recycling

It’s pretty obvious by its name which sector Donco Recycling Solutions plays in. But what may be less obvious is how Donco also acts like a matchmaker, pairing one company’s waste stream with another’s raw material needs.

Donco President David Mendelson takes a different view, preferring to compare the recycling industry to a giant jigsaw puzzle.

“Sometimes the pieces come from different boxes and it’s your job to think about how you can take your piece — your byproduct — and fill the hole in an another industry’s puzzle,” Mendelson said Thursday. “You’d be surprised at how this simple process can not only improve your environmental footprint, but also improve your bottom line.”

At the State of Green Business Forum in Minneapolis yesterday, Mendelson assumed the spotlight in a segment dubbed “One Great Idea.” Or in Donco’s case, four great ideas.

To meet its basic business goals — lower costs and raising revenue, without investing capital — Donco looks to turn byproducts into assets. Here’s how Donco has played matchmaker to meet these goals:

Read More…

Source: GreenBiz.com
By Tilde Herrera