Mining the URBAN ORE A 37-year Saga In 15 Minutes! For the Berkeley Zero Waste Commission March 26, 2018
The Bad Old Days Berkeley had an open dump filling the Bay.
1976 = City mandate requiring salvaging at dump through the Solid Waste Commission’s Solid Waste Plan
We incorporated in 1981.
We expanded by renting a sales yard in town.
TS 3 1983 = the dump Dump closed and the City opened a transfer station. Urban Ore moved its operation to 2 nd and Gilman.
Today the Landfill Is Cesar Chavez Park
The City incubated our business as a community service. We paid no rent until we earned $11,000 a month. Then we paid 10% of the amount over $11,000.
2 Home TS 3 Sweet Home Dump 1
Salvage & Recycling
Receiving - Building Materials and General Store
We Pick Up
General Store = 30,000 sq. ft. Warehouse
Building Materials = 2.5 Acres Outside
What we can’t sell, we recycle.
We have grown.
The Numbers
COMMUNITY & CITY BENEFITS • Salvage 700+ tons annually from Transfer Station • Identify and report hazmat at Transfer Station • Provide affordable goods to the local community • Payments out to the community for their used goods • Paying local taxes
Community Benefit 2017 • Purchases for resale $ 63,040 • Sales taxes collected $223,112 • Property taxes $103,981 • Payroll taxes, fed & state $ 96,629 • Taxes, licenses, fees $ 6,861 TOTAL $493,623
ADVOCACY & ACTIVISM We have helped to: • Defeat 6 incinerators (locally) • Pass 3 citizens initiatives – Banning incineration in Berkeley – Set a 50% recycling goal for Berkeley – Establishing StopWaste! • Consult on Zero Waste business strategies and transfer station design
HIGHEST & BEST USE = PRESERVING VALUE
The Future (?)
Thank You! Max Wechsler Assistant Acting Operations Manager MAX.W@URBANORE.COM 510-841-7823 EXT. 303
Recommend
More recommend
