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2008 01 18

Random Rippling

Converted from paper version of the Broad Ripple Gazette (v05n02)

Local merchants working to make village recycling a reality - by Ashley Plummer

posted: Jan. 18, 2008

The MSN (Microsoft Network) website, via the help of www.treehugger.com (less we just ignore the name) did a study late last year to reveal five US cities that needed aid in the process known as "going green".

The first city (not necessarily the worst city-there were no actual rankings) to appear on the list was our beloved Indianapolis-they claimed that the city had no green movement to speak of, not enough community gardens and no comprehensive recycling program.

Reactions to the article ranged from confused to concerned citizens. Some could not understand what Indianapolis was or had been doing wrong.

One comment cited former Mayor Bart Peterson's program "Indy Greenprint" as an environmental initiative (which may or may not continue running its course through the Ballard administration), while another pointed out one of the main issues for the ranking-the city's current lack of a dependable recycling system.

While the idea of recycling everything that goes through a business-more specifically, a restaurant-in the city of Indianapolis may seem not only daunting but costly to many merchants, a small group of concerned citizens from the Broad Ripple area have banded together with other city groups, including Keep Indianapolis Beautiful Inc. (Kibi) and the city hall to hopefully make recycling a reality for the businesses on Broad Ripple Square.

Headed up by Brenda Rising-Moore (co-owner of Union Jack), Gino Pizzi (owner of Ambrosia), Tom Campbell (co-owner of Union Jack) and Conrad Cortellini (LEED certified Architect and a leader in Green Broad Ripple), the group has put together what may be the first recycling program in Indianapolis to include restaurants, retail and service business owners.

"We are very excited to include everyone in the project," Rising-Moore said. "We are hoping to become a model for all of Broad Ripple."

Broad Ripple Square, which is where the endeavor will take place, consists of all the buildings on the square block surrounded by Westfield Blvd. to the north, Winthop Ave. to the east, Broad Ripple Avenue to the south and Guilford Ave. to the west. The square has a total of eight restaurants and bars.

"The people heading up this Broad Ripple recycling merchant group are very sympathetic and responsible people," Cortellini said. "Being restaurant owners, they see that a large amount of material dumped in the area can be recycled, and are taking the initiative to do so."

If everything goes as planned for the group, sometime in mid-2008, merchants on Broad Ripple Square should have an outlet for recycling corrugated cardboard, plastic, aluminum, steel cans, office paper, envelopes and glass-which turns out to be one of the most difficult materials to recycle.

"When we originally got the idea to attempt this project in the area, we were skeptical of trying to recycle glass," Rising-Moore said.

She continued by explaining the glue making this project become a reality is a company called Strategic Materials.

"There are 16 Strategic Materials companies in the United States, and Indianapolis is home to one of them," she said. "It was through a meeting with Dean Schmuhl (of Strategic Materials), Lisa Laughlin with the city and Tammy Stevens of Kibi at the plant that I was informed Strategic Materials are the big glass recyclers in town."

Rising-Moore complemented Schmuhl and Strategic Materials as the main proponents of the Broad Ripple recycling initiative-they will not only be supplying Broad Ripple Square with two large bins for recycling, but they have also made it possible for merchants to recycle glass without having to separate colors-which will save large amounts of time and money for those taking part in recycling.

Current garbage bins in various parts of Broad Ripple. The current recycling initiative hopes to eventually get rid of most of these to make room for recycling containers.

Local merchants working to make village recycling a reality - by Ashley Plummer

"Dean explained that we will not have to separate glass because he has found a source that he can sell it to without the need to do so," Rising-Moore said. "As long as the bottles and jars are clear (meaning not pottery or plates), it won't matter what glass we recycle."

Rising-Moore described the two containers that Strategic Materials will be providing the merchants with as larger than a parking spot and "big, white and ugly." To take care of the outer appearance of the containers, she has already contacted Sandy Reiberg, the magnet director at Broad Ripple High School (BRHS) for future help in decorating and/or painting the containers.

"We are hoping the kids can come up with something clever that not only decorates the bins but also lists their instructions for use," she said. "Another wonderful thing is that so many people have come out of the woodwork already to help with this project. When Tammy Stevens of Kibi overheard me talking to Dean about the appearance of the containers, she was quick to offer us 16 gallons of outdoor paint in all colors to paint the bins with."

Everyone currently involved in the project said that they have been working towards something like this for many years but the funding was never there.

"We talked about this about 10 years ago but it was just too expensive," Pizzi said. "Now that we have Dean working with us at no charge, we are able to actually make something happen.

"Historically, Broad Ripple merchants have been competitors, but this is something that we can all bind together to work for as a diversified group."

As expected, when other area business owners not on Broad Ripple Square heard about the possibility of bringing such a positive means of recycling to the area, they too were excited.

"I have around three people or more a week asking me if we recycle and I always have to tell them no because we don't have a program for it in the area," Brian Hacker, general manager of Broad Ripple Bagel and Deli, said. "We would love it if we were able to recycle here as well."

Cortellini chimed in on the fact that it would be wonderful (and hopefully easy) to get the entire Village involved in working not just towards recycling, but also in making Broad Ripple an all-round "greener" area.

"We are not doing very well as a city and we are not doing very well as a community because it's not on the radar screen," he said. "It seems like doing the least complicated and the most obvious things are a great place to start."

"We think big because no one taught us to think small," Rising-Moore added. "I had my own epiphany just last summer. This restaurant (Union Jack) used to be owned by my brother. It was just a matter of three months and I was sitting at the bar and I heard two bottles crash and hit the bin. I looked at my partner and said, 'It kind of makes me ashamed to be a restaurant owner, with all the matter and trash we generate.'"

Pizzi's described his epiphany in fewer words: "All those wine bottles. . . "

The group has already sent out a waste material audit form to members of the block as their first step. The bins will hopefully be delivered as soon as the space situation is taken care of.

The group also asked that the historic downtown restaurant and bar the Slippery Noodle be mentioned in this article. As far as they knew, the Slippery Noodle is the only restaurant in the entire city that does full recycling.

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