Recycling Efforts Benefit The Block
There’s an old adage: “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”
A local construction company is proving it true through a program to recycle scrap metal from job sites and give the proceeds to charity—including the Build The Block campaign.
Mid-Illinois Companies Construction Supervisor Bobby Taylor came up with the idea and, with enthusiastic approval from company CEO Debra Young, put it into action. “Mid-Illinois is passionate about both environmental stewardship and giving back to the community,” Taylor said at a recent press event. “This allowed us to do both.”
Going Green
The first job site where metal was collected was the new Catholic Diocese Pastoral Center in Peoria. Mid-Illinois, with collaboration from seven other subcontractors and general contractor River City Construction, filled two dumpsters with 8.2 tons of scrap metal that could have ended up in a landfill.
Mid-Illinois partnered with Hitchcock Scrap Yard of Canton, which supplied the dumpsters at no charge and hauled away the scrap. The total proceeds? Nearly $2,000!
At a recent press event, Mid-Illinois donated the first $1,000 of their proceeds to the Build The Block campaign. Accepting the donation on behalf of The Block was Jim Richerson, President and CEO of Lakeview Museum of Arts & Sciences. “This really fits into our mission,” Richerson said. “Recycling today will help us build a museum that will promote green practices tomorrow.”
Just the Beginning
Mid-Illinois plans to continue the recycling program to help support The Block and other charities. “The Block is a well-needed project in our Peoria area,” Taylor said. “It will bring jobs and tourism. There’s nothing but good about it.”