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Recently there has been some on-line chatter about the Triangle Recycling boxes that have been popping up around town. One of our Owners inquired about them and we thought others may benefit from the exchange:
From a concerned WFC Owner:Greetings,WFC Response:
I have seen the recent coverage on the green clothing boxes around Duluth on Perfect Duluth Day, including the TV coverage done by Fox 21 news. Below is a link if you have not read about this yet: http://www.perfectduluthday.com/2011/05/23/green-clothing-recycling-boxes-hurt-duluth-area-nonprofits/
I see the Whole Foods Coop (sic) has a green box outside, and I was wondering what the position is of the Co-op to either keep the box or to have it removed.
What I have learned is that while the green boxes do provide a very convenient way for people to recycle their clothes, that the items donated do not stay here locally and are in fact affecting our own distribution sites in the area like the Damiano Center, Goodwill and Salvation Army. Some of the money (5%) goes to the United Cerebral Palsy Foundation in St. Cloud, but otherwise this does not support our community of Duluth directly.
There are differing viewpoints on having these green boxes in Duluth. I respect the efforts of the Co-op to support local sustainability and recently became a member, but I personally do not feel that this green box is a positive part of that effort and would like to see it removed. I think that Duluth is being taken advantage of for money by Triangle Recycling and doing more harm than good to build local awareness and strength in our own community by truly recycling locally.
Lots of buzz about town on this and would appreciate your feedback so I'm aware of the Co-op stance on this.
Thank you!
(name withheld)
Thank you for contacting us. Below is the response from Thomas Wright of Triangle Recycling (www.trianglerecycling.com) to the posting on the Perfect Duluth Day web site.Triangle Recycling Response:
One of the Co-op's Board members is also on the Board at the Damiano Center and advises that Damiano has not experienced a change in contributions since the arrival of the Green Boxes but that contributions of men's clothing, especially suits, continues to be in short supply. Another Co-op Board member reported that, to his knowledge, Goodwill only accepts items suitable for resale and dumps rather than recycles other items.
I've experienced prompt and consistently good customer service working with Triangle and believe that the drop-off box system serves a lot of people who can't or don't choose to drive to other outlets but that want to responsibly recycle. I agree that, if a Duluth-based organization offered the same service including recycling items not suitable for resale, that would be the ideal service we could offer our community.
Sharon Murphy
General Manager
Whole Foods Co-op
610 East 4th Street
Duluth, MN 55805
Hi Sharon thank you for the opportunity to respondLetter written by the Executive Director (Judy Moening) of the central Minnesota UCP May 26th 2011:
In response to a customer request I would like to try and set the record straight.
The past month or so some unfortunate misinformation has been stated about Triangle Recycling, our service and our agreement with the UCP. The misinformation has in large part come from others in the recycling industries that are just looking to push the blame on us for in-house problems with their own programs. Much like sour grapes.
Triangle Recycling has for many years now been working in the areas of recycling unwanted clothing and textiles. We pride ourselves on being very open and straight forward in our operations and with our recycling partners.
We are a Minnesota for profit company that recycles clothing and sells it on the world market to buyers who then use it in the best way they can. Some cloth is resold in thrift stores. Some cloth is remade into other items. Some cloth is used in different industries for cleaning. If you have ever used a box of rags to wipe down a woodworking stain project you have used recycled cloth.
Some of our detractors say that we are trying to mislead the public and are not local. We are a Minnesota company out of Anoka. We work in St. Cloud, Brainerd, Duluth, Mpls/St Paul metro areas all with Minnesota jobs and lives. The UCP service people all over the state of Minnesota from International Falls to Pipestone and in between. Many of our detractors are part of national groups that not only work local but supports the national organizations too. Does that mean they are not local?? The recycling business in steel, aluminum, iron & clothing etc. is all on a world market. That old car you sold was crushed and may have been sent to china. The clothing is used all over the United States and the world depending on who wants to buy it.
As part of our business ethics we feel a responsibility to support others who cannot help themselves and that's part of the reason for our working agreement with the central Minnesota United Cerebral Palsy. We take 5% of our gross profit and donate it to support the programs and people they serve. Over the past 3 years we have donated over $25,000 to this cause.
To some 5% does not seem like much to give but in business that's a huge amount. Your local grocery store makes about 2% net profit on a loaf of bread that's .06 on a $3.00 product. How many loafs of bread would we need to sell to donate that $25,000 to the UCP????
On a local Duluth web page I saw someone talking about Triangle Recycling only giving 5%. That does not mean 95% in the bank. After taxes, the uncertain fuel cost, trucks, warehouse, building truck & machinery repairs, computers, office needs, shipping cost, the recycling boxes themselves, drivers to place and empty the recycling boxes, office staff, sales staff, property insurance, health insurance, unemployment insurance, liability insurance. All that comes before any profit for the company. Even a not for profit has many of the same expenses and when they talk about keeping all of the money for the charity they are blowing smoke. How much do they pay in expenses and labor cost.
The fact is if we did not approach the UCP and work out this agreement they would not just do it themselves they would do without. And the people they serve are the ones who would hurt the most. Triangle Recycling works to improve our service, help the UCP, maintain our Minnesota jobs and still hold our head up and say who we are and what we do. A Minnesota company with Minnesota jobs helping local Minnesota people in need offering a service the public wants and needs.
I have also been told that some of our business recycling partners have said they misunderstood the service I will send along with this letter a copy of letters that we send out to all business telling about our service, a copy of our service agreement everyone signs, a copy of a letter written by the director of the UCP talking about our agreement. We try to make sure we are understood but that unfortunately is not the case every time.
Wright Enterprises
Triangle Recycling
Thomas Wright President Wright Enterprises
Gerry Bauer President Triangle Recycling
United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) serves people with all types of disabilities in Minnesota. In 2007, UCP of Central Minnesota entered into a contract with Triangle Recycling to provide recycling clothing containers in convenient locations for the general public to drop off unwanted clothing and shoes. Triangle Recycling does all of the work and contributes at least 5% of their gross proceeds to UCP to help us continue to provide programs and services to people with disabilities in Minnesota. The donations from Triangle Recycling have totaled thousands of dollars to help us enrich the quality of life for persons with cerebral palsy and other disabilities.
United Cerebral Palsy has two offices in Minnesota, one in St. Paul and one in St. Cloud. Through these locations, we serve the entire state of Minnesota. Our programs include Information and Referral services, Public Education, Financial Assistance to purchase specialized equipment, a computer recycling program for people with disabilities and an assistive technology loan and demonstration program. We host workshops for families and professionals and collaborate with many other disability agencies. Triangle has been very generous with UCP and by providing this convenient recycling service; they are helping people with disabilities in the Duluth and entire state of Minnesota. They are doing all the work, providing the insurance, licensing, drivers, and the details of conducting this business, and UCP and the people we serve are benefitting from their generosity. There are many nonprofit organizations who have clothing containers such as Epilepsy, Lupus, Disabled Veterans, and others, and all are trying to keep their programs and services viable. The containers are not misleading. They clearly state that "a portion of the proceeds benefit United Cerebral Palsy". We are fortunate to have an ethical company such as Triangle Recycling helping us to raise much-needed dollars to help us continue to serve those in need.