One Company's Trash...

For years, North American Refractories of South Shore, Kentucky paid to dump its brick pieces in the county landfill. At a $22.50 per ton landfill fee, plus hauling, disposal costs add up.

Fifteen miles away in Lloyd, the county road department purchases gravel and slag for repairs on the county's 400 miles of paved road.

Now, thanks to Greenup County solid waste coordinator Lonnie Adkins and the Kentucky Industrial Materials Exchange (KIME), these neighbors have discovered they can help each other save money.

This formerly useless brick is now serving county residents as road bedding. When roads wash out after flooding, the brick is used as a filler. North American saves disposal costs, the road department saves the cost of slag, and the landfill saves
space.

Adkins learned about KIME from a solid waste workshop for county waste coordinators hosted by the Kentucky Division of Solid Waste. After hearing of KIME, Lonnie contacted local manufacturers to spread the word.

North American, a company with a strong environmental commitment, signed on right away. To date, the refractory has given over 150 tons of the brick to the county. And the savings will continue.

If you'd like to know more about the Kentucky Industrial Materials Exchange, call us at (502) 852-0965 or (800) 334-8635 ext. 0965.

-Patricia Longfellow