Recycling is green in more ways than one

Recycling and sustainability are often referred to as green. They got the label because green is often associated with environmentally friendly initiatives.

But for some Albuquerque businesses, recycling and sustainability are also green because they bring in money.

This week’s Business Outlook includes a business profile on a company that is making money while keeping food and other organic waste from the landfill.

Soilutions takes organic material, like yard waste or food, and converts it into compost, which is then used to improve the soil. Customers order compost directly from the company.

That waste would likely otherwise end up in the landfill.

It takes about six to nine months to complete the process of turning organic material into compost.

The company was founded in 1996 and has converted more than 60 million pounds of waste into compost, Soilutions CEO Trishelle Kirk said.

Also in Albuquerque, Goodwill Industries of New Mexico is increasing its recycling efforts under CEO Shauna Kastle, who is the subject of this week’s One-on-One.

The company does this by selling clothes that don’t sell at its thrift stores in bulk and by actually recycling the garments using other vendors. And the efforts appear to be helping the company’s bottom line.

Under Kastle’s five years leading the organization, Goodwill in New Mexico’s operating budget has gone from $24 million to $36 million. With the profits, the organization offers free services, such as job placement or training, to thousands of New Mexicans each year.

Kastle said that last year, Goodwill initiatives kept 8 million pounds of garments out of the landfill.

When I think of pollution, I think of coal plants and vehicle exhaust. But throwing away food and clothes is a major environmental health problem as well.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that 30% to 40% of the country’s food supply ends up in a landfill each year. That amounts to about 133 billion pounds of trash that a company like Soilutions could turn into a profit.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 11.3 million pounds of garments, much of which is made from plastics, ends up in a landfill each year.

Both Goodwill and Soilutions provide a way to avoid adding to our landfill and helping the local economy. Dropping off uneaten food and yard waste at Soilutions instead of the trash and old clothes at Goodwill will both help Albuquerque.

The businesses are growing. And Goodwill additionally helps the local economy with job-training services.

When it comes to sorting trash, we might as well become green. Why throw money away?