The story of today’s MI environment is raccoon recycling.
Pontiac — because they first met in church — and, as they laughed and admitted, were immediately “hooked” — could say that Damany Head and Chanel Wetherspoon’s union was a match made in heaven.
Pontiac Essential Recycling Damany Head and Shanell Weatherspoon.
So it’s no surprise that their love of the environment and running the minority-owned recycling company they co-founded continues to fuel their romance.
But the dynamic duo who created Essential Recycling at Pontiac are helping the state of Michigan by educating the construction and craft industries on the value of returning non-metallic materials to the supply chain for reuse in new products. We are not content to expand recycling opportunities in the Southeast commercial sector.
They are also improving the lives of black youth in Metro Detroit by introducing graduating high school seniors to potential careers in the recycling industry.
‘Recycling is essential’
Essential Recycling contracts with HVAC distributors, contractors, demolition companies and property management companies to collect refrigerants, scrap metal, cardboard, wood pallets and other materials for recycling in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. To do.
“We’ve clearly defined our niche in the industry based on our belief that recycling is essential to building better communities,” said a graduate of Ohio Northern University with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Head, who worked as an engineer at General Motors, said. Pontiac before he and Wetherspoons founded his company in 2008.
“Small business owners, especially in the HVAC market, don’t always have enough workforce to handle the back end of their business,” says Head.
“We provide them with a unique solution for recycling materials, which saves them and their employees a significant amount of time, improves the environment and gives back to their communities, and puts them in landfills. I try not to go,” Head added. Board of Directors of the Pontiac Regional Chamber of Commerce.
New life for old HVAC units
The Essential Recycling crew began collecting recyclable materials from heating, ventilation and air conditioning contractors and distributors in 2009.
Many HVAC parts are recyclable. Recyclable components include coils, motors, sheet metal, compressors, cardboard boxes, wood and plastic pallets, furnaces, copper tubes, brass fittings and metal ducts.
It is illegal to leave old residential or commercial HVAC systems in the trash as they contain chemicals that can harm the environment. For example, the remaining refrigerant can evaporate and deplete the ozone layer. When installing a new system, a responsible heating and air-conditioning contractor not only removes old equipment, but moves it out of your home or workplace.
All HVAC system materials must be sorted and sorted before being placed into individual bins for recycling and/or transport to a recycling center. This is a laborious chore and represents unproductive time and energy by her skilled HVAC installers who could spend more time serving more customers.
After earning a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University, a master’s degree from the University of Michigan-Flint, and working at General Motors from 2000-2019, why green HVAC companies are reaching out for essential recycling. Here’s an explanation from Mr. Wetherspoon, who took on more. responsibility in the family business.
“Our goal is to recycle or dispose of these items with the planet in mind,” says Weatherspoon, who became the first of the couple’s three children in 2008 while living in Pontiac. added that she was “awakened” to environmentalism when she was pregnant with her child. .
“I looked around my community and didn’t see many people recycling, so it made me think about what we can do to save the planet for our children. “Damany and I got to talking about our obligations to the planet, which ignited our passion for recycling and sustainability.”
Metro Detroit, Michigan’s most densely populated area, is home to approximately 2 million single-family homes and condos. With the HVAC sector expected to grow an estimated 6% over the next few years, Essential Recycling is poised to support an industry lacking a strong and diverse workforce pipeline.
“Damany and Chanel are rising stars in the world of recycling,” said Matt Flechter, a recycling market development specialist for the Michigan Department of the Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE). Make your way to new products made in Michigan.
“They bring the knowledge, experience and perspective needed to help Michigan reach new heights,” said Flechter.
“They also know that a more diverse workforce is helping create employment opportunities from air conditioning waste that was once buried in the ground, but now their jobs are making Michigan It creates value for the state economy.”
Promoting diversity in recycling-oriented human resources
Achieving diversity in the waste and recycling industry is no easy task.
most accurate available data An Equal Employment Opportunity Commission study covering the broader “Waste Management and Remediation Services” category found that 81% of all employees are male and nearly 74% of executives or senior management are white males It is estimated that This compares with 52% and 59%, respectively, across the U.S. private sector workforce. Based on EEOC data.
The founders of Essential Recycling haven’t forgotten the lack of diversity.
They are affiliated with the Pontiac United Education Coalition of Oakland County, Michigan. Pontiac, Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit, the Pontiac Chamber of Commerce, and the Pontiac Talent Development Coalition are working with Metro Detroit high schools to offer paid internships in recycling to help adults find employment in the burgeoning recycling sector. We provide training and soft skills development for .
“Recycling creates jobs by putting materials once thought of as waste into the economy. It is important that we continue to expand these jobs in all communities for all Michigan residents. .”
“Chanel and Damaney are positive about the lives of the students they lead by showing that they and the state of Michigan can thrive by working proactively to reduce waste, conserve resources and protect the climate. It’s making a big difference,” Lawrence said.
The Essential Recycling initiative is supported by a $135,000 EGLE grant. Our commitment to promoting recycling education aligns with EGLE’s national award-winning goals. Know Before You Throw A recycling awareness campaign featuring recycling raccoons.
“As a black-owned company living and operating in legacy cities like Pontiac, we seek to demonstrate the potential of participating in accelerating growth industries such as recycling,” Head said.
“Over the past decade, we have invested significant time, money and resources in training and serving people of color,” he added. “Investments in environmental justice around recycling have long been missing, and people of color have not received fair funding or technical assistance to build successful, scalable businesses to serve legacy cities. .”
hope for the future
Dante Thomas, a 21-year-old Pontiac native who graduated from West Bloomfield High School in 2019, credits Head with a new trailblazer in essential recycling by inspiring him to consider a career in recycling.
“Damany has been a very good role model for me and has helped me learn some key life skills,” says HVAC companies, medical facilities, and apartment complexes, starting in 2020.
“It’s funny, I was one of those kids who grew up throwing everything away, even though we had trash cans at school and at home,” Thomas said. “But once you get the hang of it, recycling is easy and you’re helping the planet. I plan to stay with Essential for a while.”
The Talent Development Coalition has approximately 65 high school students from the greater Detroit area looking to enter skilled occupations. According to program his coordinator Carlton Jones, many have expressed interest in the recycling industry thanks to his role as a mentor and business head.
“Damany and Essential Recycling have helped us in our efforts to help people understand the employment needs of the recycling industry,” says Jones.
“Most people, young people as well as adults, do not understand the opportunities that exist in the recycling profession,” he said. “Once we start educating them and they hear all the exciting possibilities from Damany, the light bulbs turn on and you can see them say:
