When Corning, Inc. In Christiansburg decided to upgrade kilns they realized that they had a large amount of material that needed a new home. Rather than running everything to the landfill, someone at the company took the time to reach out to the community to see if the materials could be reused. Indeed, the old shelving was a treasure for many regional crafters who responded enthusiastically to the call. Says potter Silvie Granatelli, ‘This was a wonderful windfall for many of us. We are set up with kiln shelving for years to come.’ With a simple act, Corning created a triple bottom line: efficient disposal of unwanted equipment, keeping a large amount of material out of the local landfill, and helping the local craft community.
This is just a small example of a way that waste can be kept out of the landfill with just a little planning, and even may have the possibility of a useful new life. Here at SustainFloyd we are interested to help facilitate ways of reducing our local waste stream. We are putting together a guide to recycling, reducing and reusing. We are reaching out to you now for your thoughts, ideas and stories. We all have a few pet ways that we can reduce our waste. If we compile these together it can inspire more of us to take more action. Please let us know what works for you.
Featured Image: Kiln shelves in use by Elizabeth McAdams, studio assistant to Silvie Granatelli.