The Elves want to go green(er)!
This week we had Julie from Allied Waste come talk to us about recycling. Julie was impressed with our shop... everything from using reusable cups/plates to us sorting our recycling. We had a handful of items we asked her about... can colored paper go in 'office' recycling? Or should it go in co-mingled? (It can go in 'office' if it's lighter than 'golden rod' color.) We also talked to her about our two biggest trash/recycling challenges... soling and leather scrap.
Two ideas for the soling scrap were around recycling. The first was taking our scrap material to the tire recycling plant in Salem. The second idea was getting in on Nike's shoe recycling program. Even though it would be better if there was a way to reuse the scrap soling material, we would LOVE to begin recycling so that we aren't throwing it away.
For the scrap leather, Julie suggested the SCRAP organization in Portland. This group collects 'throw away' office and schools supplies from teachers and businesses and makes the materails available for other teachers and artists to purchase at LOW prices. The scrap material can then be used for class room projects and art work. We are hoping they will see some potential artistic value in our leather scraps! (And don't forget, you can purchase scrap leather on our site.)
We are very fortunate to live in a community where recycling is valued and encouraged. It was great to have Julie come in and spend a little time with us. Over the next couple weeks we'll be following up on the leads she gave us and, if all goes well, we'll soon be requesting a smaller trash can!
Soft Star Shoes is a family friendly company located in Corvallis, Oregon. Viewpoints in this blog are those of individual workshop elves, and do not necessarily represent those of www.SoftStarShoes.com
Trish has been an entrepreneur, marketer and maker ever since she crushed her first lemonade stand at age five. Growing up in rural Wisconsin, she spent many summers running barefoot with her sisters. These early memories later inspired her to build a brand which embraced the joy and freedom of childhood with the health and science of minimal footwear.
Trish relishes evolving the company to grow stronger and more competitive with each passing year. She is a frequent expert panelist for both e-commerce and entrepreneurship conferences. Trish enjoys spending time with her family, dogs and ducks on their property in Oregon and loves the proximity to both surf and snow. She has a background in Engineering Physics and an MBA from the University of Chicago.