Northern Technologies International Corporation (NASDAQ:NTIC) is a leader in industrial corrosion prevention as well as bioplastic technologies. As a natural extension of its strong green focus, the company recently decided to further reduce its environmental impact by separating its organics for composting while also improving their single stream recycling activities.
To ensure that they had all the tools necessary to take on this new initiative, NTIC’s Jody Rieck and Mia Thomton met with MN Waste Wise to learn about Anoka County’s business recycling grant process and to identify a waste hauler that could accommodate organics composting. Waste Wise walked NTIC through the grant program and within a month, they had received color-coded waste and recycling bins and signs. Additionally, NTIC was able to provide their employees with certified compostable food service ware, displacing conventional plastic products that previously wound up in a landfill. “One of the hardest parts was finding a waste hauler that could transport organics to a composting site. Once that was complete, we were extremely excited to begin,” commented Jody. “Our next step was making sure our employees and upper management were on board.”
NTIC’s management fully backed the new recycling initiatives, and Jody and Mia invited Waste Wise out to lead a staff training session that clearly illustrated the nuances of the new collection system. Rieck was excited, “adding organics recycling has made people stop and think about what goes where and become more conscious of their impact on the environment.” The program results have really shown this commitment from all levels of their organization with over 40,000 pounds of new waste being diverted into recycling and composting outlets on an annual basis. “We really are sending less trash and our single stream recycling collection increased significantly with the addition of organics recycling. I think employees are proud of what we’ve accomplished together,” said Rieck.