Biz Aid
In the Southern Michigan town of Coldwater, Samantha Buterbaugh and her small team of employees and volunteers sort and recycle a comprehensive array of materials. From bottles, cans, cardboard, plastic containers, to even electronics and plastic film, Biz Aid is a crucial resource for local residents and businesses, serving as a drop-off hub for waste diversion.
We last spoke with Sam in March 2020, and since then, she has continued to expand the Biz Aid drop-off center, taking on even larger recycling initiatives. One key way to grow the facility is by accepting new materials, and one of the most recent additions is plastic film. Found in items like plastic grocery bags and packaging materials, plastic film isn’t accepted in curbside recycling because it can jam sorting machinery. However, drop-off centers like Biz Aid allow people and businesses to bring in pre-sorted materials, making plastic film recycling possible. Recently, Sam processed and compacted several thousand pounds of plastic film from a clean energy construction project. These compressed bales were then sold to manufacturers and processors to be transformed into new products.
When she’s not running Biz Aid, Sam dedicates her time to helping local schools reduce waste. As a volunteer coordinator for the Green Schools program in Branch and Hillsdale counties, she leads efforts to collect food scraps for a local composting program while teaching students about organics recycling. She knows firsthand that changing adults’ recycling habits can be challenging, as they’re often set in their ways. By educating children early, she helps instill strong recycling and composting habits that can last a lifetime.
What’s next for Biz Aid? Sam is eager to put her newly acquired box truck to use, allowing her to collect materials from small businesses and multi-family housing units. She also hopes to see increased investment in recycling education from state and local governments, helping to support her efforts and inspire more people across South Michigan to embrace recycling.
