NOMINATION FORM
Award Category: Outstanding Business/Industry Recycling Award
Nominee Contact Information:
Nominee, Project, Program: Central South Carolina Habitat for Humanity ReStore
Title: ReStore Earth
Organization: Central South Carolina Habitat for Humanity ReStore
Mailing Address: 483 Sunset Blvd
City: West Columbia
Phone: (803) 936-0088 x1103
State: South Carolina
Zip: 29169
Fax: (803) 936-0104
Email: cfisher@habitatcsc.org
Person submitting nomination (if different than nominee)
Name: Emily Fernald
Phone: (803) 936-0088 x1105
Email: restoredevelopment@habitatcsc.org
Press Contacts
(In the event that the nominee is chosen to receive an award, a press release will be sent to the contacts listed
below)
Name: WIS
Contact 1
Contact 2
Name: ABC Columbia
Contact 3
Name: Habitat for Humanity
Contact
Person: Brad Neuhoff
Mailing
Address: 1111 Bull Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Phone: (803) 758-1018
Contact
Person: Crysty Vaughan
Mailing
Address: 5807 Shakespeare Rd
Columbia, 29223-7209
Phone: (803) 754-7525 x471
Contact
Person: Steven Kramer
Mailing
Address: 209 South Sumter Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Phone: (803) 252-3570
Fax: (803) 758-1155
Fax: 803-691-4015
Fax: (803) 252-7525
Email: BNeuhoff@wistv.com
Email: N/A
Email: skramer@habitatcsc.org
Deadline for submittals is 5:00 p.m. on January 28, 2011.
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Outstanding Business/Industry Recycling Award
Recognizes a business that has implemented an outstanding waste reduction/recycling program within its organization
and as a part of its business. Both a large business and small business award will be given.
Selection Criteria

Focus on waste reduction/recycling issues
o Multitude of ways to recycle with the ReStore: ink cartridges, aluminum, metal, plastic, electronics,
batteries, cell phones, books, paper, cardboard, and furniture
o http://www.cscrestore.org/restore-community/recycle-with-restore

Commitment to sustainable practices
o Member of SC Smart Business Recycling Program:
http://www.scdhec.gov/environment/lwm/recycle/smart_business/
o Lexington County Green Business Charter Member:
http://www.lex-co.com/greenbusinessmembers.html
o Being environmentally conscious is one of the ReStore’s core principles: “being good stewards of
valuable natural resources, recycling and reusing useful materials”

Green Purchasing and/or buy-recycled component, if applicable
o The ReStore operates solely off donations from the community and other area businesses:
http://www.cscrestore.org/about-us/our-mission
o Habitat for Humanity recycles excess building material through the D.O.G. House Project. The houses
are then sold in the ReStore and some will be donated to local animal shelters as well:
http://www.cscrestore.org/component/content/article/9-frontpage/217-dog-houses

Promotion and education component
o Holds two electronic recycling events once in the fall and once in spring
o Recently acquired new PSA from Wake County, NC ReStore:
http://www.cscrestore.org/component/content/article/9-frontpage/148-restore-psa
o Positions “Drop Spots” at area churches and schools for the community to drop off furniture and other
household items- once the box truck is full the items are taken to the ReStore:
http://www.cscrestore.org/volunteer/programs/furniture-dropspot
o Attends local recycling events: Recycle for Charities, South Carolina Home Improvement Show,
Lexington/Richland County Green Energy Expo, Green is Good for Business Expo, Lexington County
Green Business Seminar, and the ReStore Director was a speaker at the Southeast Construction and
Demolition Recycling Conference
o Partners with local schools to sponsor book drives for the ReStore’s “Books 2 Bricks” program.
Coordinator speaks to local schools regarding the importance of recycling and how book donations can
be used toward building homes (selling 20,000 books
fund one Habitat home)
http://www.cscrestore.org/restore-community/programs/books-2-bricks

Environmental leadership as part of their business and recycling in-house
o Paper and plastic recycling is specifically for employees and Habitat homeowners i.e. every trash bag
full of cans = one hour of sweat equity (350/550 hrs are needed to complete the program)
o Donate items that can’t be resold to other agencies i.e. Goodwill has a donation box behind the store
o All store display material is donated/recycled from other organizations
o The ReStore Harvest Team goes to homes and businesses that are being remodeled or closing and
takes anything from countertops to doors that the donor no longer wants, to be resold in the store

Benefits to the environment
o The ReStore has kept 2,331.74 tons of donated materials out of the landfill, 628.51 tons in 2010 alone
o In 2010 the ReStore recycled 71.96 tons of metal and 2,309 lbs of cans
o A funder of Green Building efforts through Habitat for Humanity

Small business - <50 employees
o The Central South Carolina Habitat for Humanity ReStore is a small nonprofit with five full-time
employees and three part-time; the ReStore relies heavily on community volunteers.
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The Central South Carolina Habitat for Humanity ReStore is itself completely recycled; the ReStore’s location was
previously a Bi-Lo. The box truck and vans used for donation pick-ups were all pre-owned. All the display materials
within the store were donated. The computers, phones, desks, chairs, filing cabinets, and other administrative
equipment that employees utilize were all previously used. Everything sold in the store has been donated from area
businesses, community members, and employees themselves, the items are resold at 30-70% off the retail price with
all proceeds going directly into building homes through Habitat.
The ReStore runs on the philosophy that every item has a purpose and can be recycled somehow, there is no reason
an item should be thrown into a landfill. These are some examples of how the ReStore and ReStore customers adhere
to this philosophy:
 Depreciated doors were repainted by employees and volunteers in Clemson, Gamecock and other artistic
designs and resold as table tops
 The ReStore has a couple local artists that come in and buy window shudders, tiles and other building
materials to use for their artwork
 A large donation of vinyl records was given to the ReStore and a few employees used the excess album covers
as office wallpaper
 Since the ReStore does not resell textbooks, but some are donated, a volunteer used them to create “book
chairs” for the Books 2 Bricks area in the store
 A deteriorating birdhouse was donated, a volunteer repainted it, carpeted the bottom and now the birdhouse
is used to hold the volunteer badges and paperwork
While the ReStore recycles most materials, there are some things that the store cannot resell. In an effort to keep
these items from turning into landfill waste, the ReStore partners with other local businesses and nonprofits who will
recycle what the store cannot:
Agency
Recyclable Item
Service Fee?
Habitat for Humanity
Deconstruction Project
Sonoco Recycling
Old appliances, scrap lumber, furniture, i.e. any salvageable materials
that can be resold
Paper, cardboard, plastic bottles
Free: Drop Off
Commercial Metals Company
Metal
Free: Pickup
Mid-Carolina
Aluminum cans
Free: Drop Off
SC Dept. of Corrections
Free: Pickup
Interstate Batteries
Books (those that are unusable because of ware and tare or conflict
with being a Christian-based nonprofit)
Batteries
US Recycling
Ink cartridges
Free: Pickup
TerraCycle
Cell phones, candy wrappers, potato chip bags, coffee bags, cookie
wrappers, Capri Sun pouches, and more…
Clothes, books, house wares
Free: Delivery
Goodwill
Free: Pickup
Free: Pickup
Free: Pickup
The ReStore has taken on the responsibility of being an environmental leader within the community through the
ReStore Earth initiative; and will continue to develop unique, innovative and mindful strategies for green progress.
Since the ReStore’s inception in 2006, the store has funded 11 Habitat for Humanity homes. Those funds were
produced through the reselling of donated furniture, household appliances, building supplies, and through the
ReStore’s own in-house recycling.
The ReStore is committed to making a difference within the community. Through an effective recycling initiative we
can work together to eradicate landfills, aid the environment, beautify the Earth, and bring the community together,
all for the larger cause of eliminating poverty housing.
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Two Selected Images
Home Improvement Show at the Colonial Life Center, Columbia, SC
Electronics Recycling Event at the ReStore with Lexington County Waste Management
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