Bona Bros. Automotive Services of Fridley met with MN Waste Wise in 2017 to develop a plan to improve recycling collection for both their employees and customers. Following an initial walk through and recommendations provided by Waste Wise, John Bona chose to address single stream recycling and cardboard collection by utilizing the financial assistance available from Anoka County’s business recycling grant program.
“We were recycling before this, but we never realized the benefits of a well organized and focused recycling program,” said John Bona. Bona Bros was able to pair every trash can in their shop, store, and out at pump islands with a recycling partner and added nice labels to bins as well. In addition to the bins and signs, Bona obtained funding to purchase and install a baler that would address the large volumes of cardboard waste that are produced by both the convenience store and the automotive shop. With all of these new tools in place and staff well trained to participate in recycling programs, Bona Bros is now diverting 14,400 pounds of cardboard per year, and about 4,500 pounds of new single stream recycling per year. “All of this new recycling has allowed us to cut down on our trash services, saving us $120 per month,” commented Bona. Between the reduction in trash services and sales of cardboard bales, Bona Bro’s new recycling initiatives are saving $1800 per year!
“We at Bona Bros cannot show enough gratitude for the assistance we received in setting up this program, it has really reduced our footprint, and employees have bought into recycling as much as possible,” added Bona.