Author’s Note: This is the first in a two-part series highlighting some of KAB’s newest locally-owned business recyclers.
Alley walk — from my car to the front door of the Keep Alliance Beautiful Recycling Center. One of our well-worn white pickups gone, one in its usual place. Morning and afternoon shifts overlap by an hour. Today, G.O., the center’s supervisor, is out with Virgil picking up cardboard from a business somewhere. Soon the overhead door opens and they back in with a load. Hefting a box full of flat cardboard, G.O. asks me “Know where we’ve been?” “No.” “The new dollar store,” he says.
Turns out, Dollar Tree, Family Dollar had contacted KAB and was already on our cardboard collection list within two weeks of opening their doors on West Third Street in Alliance. Impressive. The building that now houses the latest discount store in town had long been the home of Alco. Back in the ‘80s a store there would have been more likely to use the facility’s incinerator for cardboard and the like.
Just to the east of the Alliance Plaza where Dollar Tree, Family Dollar sits is O’Reilly Auto Parts. This business opened last year and soon began recycling cardboard. Although Pizza Hut has been on the “East End” portion of the cardboard route for years, the restaurant is now across the street from O’Reilly’s and still recycles.
When a new business opens KAB may approach them or they might call us about cardboard pickup. Either way, it shows a concern for the environment and a commitment to do what they can to reduce and recycle. The locations above all have corporate considerations for cardboard collection. Two other new Box Butte County stops on our list — Brenda’s Cottage in Alliance and Village Pizza in Hemingford — do not. Both have found KAB’s service beneficial already.
At the recycling center, G.O. and Johnny come in early every morning. I have never been there soon enough to see whether our boss arrives with a coffee or not. A few weeks ago, bringing in a load of boxes, he had a large cup of dark java in hand. The hot drink came from Brenda’s Cottage. Like other coffee shops in town, Newberry’s Common Ground Coffee Cafe and Scooter’s Coffee, the business, owned by Brenda Schrum, is recycling whatever they can.
Manager Kate Lynn said Jan. 4 was the first official day for Brenda’s Cottage. She described the space in what had been a home years ago as basically a coffee house offering homemade gifts and snacks. “We’re big on recycling,” she emphasized. “It’s about the community and recycling’s good for everybody.”
The owner, three adults and “several high school girls” run the coffee shop. Asked about prior experience, Lynn said Schrum had never had a coffee shop or any storefront business, adding, “It was just something she wanted to be a part of in this town and she wanted to bring to light . . .”
Several people helped with the design and decor at Brenda’s Cottage, which is meant to, “be a comfortable homey feel,” Lynn said. She hopes people will feel welcome to enjoy time with “family or friends or anyone in between.”
Next week, I’ll talk about Village Pizza’s expanded recycling volume after opening two years ago as well as some of our other stops in the Hemingford area.