Scraponomics Episode 79: Friedland Receives the 2015 Outstanding Campus Partner Award from MSU!

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” — Helen Keller

On Earth Day this year, Friedland received the 2015 Outstanding Campus Partner Award from the Michigan State University Sustainability Department! We’re incredibly honored to have received the award. We’ve partnered with MSU for a long time to help recycle various scrap materials.

Personally, I think this is a great example of a public/private partnership. By this, I’m referring to both public and private entities working together to accomplish a goal. In regards to scrap recycling, the relationship between public organizations, like municipalities and schools, and the private scrap-processing companies is unique and important. It’s yet another reason why I like to think of the recycling process as a circle, rather than the common triangle we see today.

MSU, for example, has their own recycling center, which is known as a Materials Recovery Facility, or MRF. They use this MRF to collect and separate recyclable material generated on campus. Actually, in MSU’s case, the facility has a dual purpose. They also use it to educate students about recycling. The materials they generate are then sent to processors like Friedland, where they are then prepared for the re-melt or re-pulping process at a mill or refinery. MSU has various downstream vendors (not just us) depending on what the material is.

Again, recycling done right is all about finding a cost-effective way to give material a new life. When public organizations and private companies work together to get the job done, the results can be astounding.

Side note: At the award ceremony, I was most impressed to learn about some of the stuff MSU is doing with composting. Composting isn’t in Friedland’s wheelhouse, but it’s great to see MSU doing so many innovative things with it. I highly recommend checking out their efforts online.

To the MSU Sustainability Department, thank you. We truly value the relationship we’ve had over the years, and look forward to further making a difference together in the future.

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