The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

Business

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  • Chris Feeney (left) and Josh Peters (right), from Keepin' Enid Green, offer residential recycling pickup services to Enid Residents for $10 a month. (Staff Photo by BONNIE VCULEK)

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Discussion

July 23, 2011

Waste not, want not

By Joe Malan, Staff Writer Enid News and Eagle

ENID — There’s a new option out there for Enid residents looking to recycle materials rather than throw them in the garbage.

Keepin’ Enid Green, a new recycling business on the east side of Enid, was started three months ago by Chris Feeney and Josh Peters.

The two started the business to improve awareness and accessibility of recycling options in Enid.

For $10 a month, Keepin’ Enid Green will come to a residence and gather recyclables from an 18-gallon green bin provided to that residence.

The company collects all recyclables, including paper, cardboard, tin, steel and aluminum cans, different kinds of packaging and disposal cups. A full list of acceptable items is available at their website, keepinenidgreen.com.

Feeney said he hopes the business is able to make recycling accessible to more people in Enid and other parts of the county.

“We’re not able to provide monetary incentives, but (we’re hoping) recycling will make you feel good,” he said.

Additionally, the recycling program allows residents of Northern Oklahoma Resource Center and other residential living centers to get paid to process the material that is received by Keepin’ Enid Green and turn that material over to vendors.

The money that is received from vendors is used to pay the workers who process the recyclables.

“There are more than 200 individuals who (are employed by) the recycling operation,” said Martin Whipple, who operates Enid Residential Recycling Center.

But starting a new business, especially a recycling business, isn’t without challenges.

Feeney said there have been some financial challenges during the five or so months Keepin’ Enid Green has been in business.

“The cost of fuel is through the roof,” he said. “In order to operate, we continue to take a loss.”

The other major challenge is trying to get the community to accept recycling as a large-scale alternative to the landfill.

Involved in that challenge are three separate issues: Convenience, incentives and purpose.

Feeney said some people don’t understand the purpose of recycling and aren’t educated in its usefulness. To others, recycling is not convenient, or there is no personal incentive for them to begin recycling.

However, Keepin’ Enid Green so far has developed a small customer base of about 75 people. Feeney and Peters are hoping to branch out even more from there.

“If we could supply some of the (smaller communities around Enid) with our service, that would be awesome,” Peters said.

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