By Kelsie Gray

July 18, 2011

Dream Green

April Freeman and Casi McClure dared to look at Paducah through green colored glasses, and it recently paid off. Together, these two young women joined forces to propose the formation of Dream Green—a curbside recycling program—and thanks to EntrePaducah’s inaugural Business Plan Competition, April and Casi now have the $2500 first prize to fund their start-up. As of August 1st, Dream Green will take to the streets, picking up recyclable glass, plastics, paper, tin, aluminum, cardboard, e-scrap (computers and computer-related items), appliances, and other approved items from residents who pay a monthly fee for the service. We sat down with April and Casi to find out more about how they took their recycling plan from a dream to reality with the help of EntrePaducah.

Casi McClure

How did you all meet each other? What made you say, “Hey! Let’s start a recycling business together!”?
We have actually known each other since we were kids. Casi was one of my sister’s best friends growing up. We both had lived away from Paducah for a long time. Casi had moved back to Paducah from Nashville, and I had been in Nashville for about 9 years before I was in Florida and Jamaica. There were several companies in Nashville that we were familiar with that offered recycling pick-up. So, one night we were out with another friend, Laura Sumnlers, and she mentioned that Paducah didn’t offer that service and thought that it would be a good idea. We both looked at each other and said, “That is something that definitely needs to be done.” Unfortunately, Laura, a single mother, has a phenomenal full-time job that she couldn’t risk leaving, but we were both in a position where we could pursue it and take the risk.

Did you conceive of Dream Green before the EntrePaducah competition, or was the birth of Dream Green inspired by EntrePaducah? How did you all find out about EntrePaducah and the business
competition?
From there, we bounced the idea off our friend, Tara Kolb. Tara and I have been best friends since 1st grade when, as she tells it, “the teacher made her play with me.” The first words out of her mouth were, “You need to go see Terry Reeves and Brandi at EntrePaducah.” This was our first positive sign, as Tara normally would have immediately asked me a question about how we thought this idea would pan out. Just having moved back to Paducah, I wasn’t familiar with the service. I said, “What’s EntrePaducah?” and she told me about the services they offer to entrepreneurs. I think my reply was something like, “How much is it? We don’t have the money to pay someone to help us.” She said there was no charge! I couldn’t believe it; I think I must have asked her ten times, “Are you sure there isn’t a charge?” Finally, in an effort to shut me up, she just handed me their phone number. I called Terry and made an appointment to meet with him the next week.

April Freeman

Casi and I were nervous and didn’t know what to expect when we went to meet Terry, but Terry was amazing. He loved the idea and encouraged us to write a business plan for the competition. By writing the business plan, we were able to think through every process of the business. Our idea went from a very idealistic dream to a very detailed workable plan. We have no doubt that Dream Green would not exist without EntrePaducah. Whenever we needed guidance or we were met with obstacles, Terry and Brandi were pillars of ideas, support, and encouragement for us. Both of our backgrounds are in sales and marketing; neither one of us has ever been involved in the operational side of a business. Luckily, EntrePaducah sponsored free classes for entrepreneurs taught by Chris Wooldridge, now the District Director for the Small Business Development Centers, which covered everything we would need to know. It was a great learning process and also a great forum to meet other entrepreneurs in the area.

We have recommended EntrePaducah to several of our friends who have business ideas, because their services are truly invaluable to entrepreneurs, and we applaud the city and county governments for
sponsoring such a service for its residents.

How much interest has the curbside recycling program generated? How are sign-ups going?
The interest and support that we have seen from the community is truly overwhelming. Sign-ups are going very well. We are seeing quite a few people sign up who have never recycled before now. We appreciate every customer who signs up, but we get really excited when we see someone sign up that is new to recycling.

What are your long-term hopes for Dream Green? Where do you want to see it go?
Our long term hope for Dream Green is to continue to increase the number of recyclers in our area through education and awareness. We have many long term goals. One is being able to have a large enough customer base to be able to donate the money we receive from aluminum (the only item we receive money for) to local charities. Basically, we want people to envision Dream Green as more than a business, but one that enhances the community and one that is actively involved in it on several levels.

What’s the biggest challenge you picture yourselves facing as you embark on this adventure?
Casi driving the truck! Just kidding. I know she would say, “April handling glass!” Or we both might say, “The smell of sorting through a month’s worth of someone’s recyclable items!” In all seriousness though, we face quite a few challenges. There are all the basic risks and challenges that come along with starting a new company, but I would say our biggest challenge is explaining why we charge a fee. Some people think we are making money from selling all of the items. We are not. We are taking all of our items to GPS Recycle Now, except aluminum, which we will sell to help us with our gas costs (which won’t go very far.) Therefore, our only source of income is the fee, and unfortunately, we can’t work for free. Some people might compare us to their trash service, but their trash service isn’t sorting through their garbage! Our service is just one of convenience much like a housekeeper, car wash, or lawn care service.

What are some reasons people DON’T recycle, and what would you say to those people to make it seem less intimidating/ pointless/“hippie”-esque/etc.?
People don’t recycle for many reasons. Definitely the three you just mentioned, but time and convenience are also huge factors that determine recycling behaviors. Some people view recycling as a hassle; they don’t know what to recycle or how to sort it, or they don’t want to take the time to take it to the center. And, some people just don’t want to put the messy items in their cars. That’s what we are here for—to take the hassle out of recycling, to make it easy and convenient.

As for recycling being pointless, or “hippie”-esque, those are just misguided views some people possess. You cannot deny both the environmental and economic benefits of recycling. Perhaps more of the environmental benefits have been portrayed in the media, but there are many economic benefits as well. Using recycled materials versus raw materials saves companies millions of dollars in operating costs which, in turn, keeps consumer product prices low. Companies are finding new ways to use the recyclable materials all the time. For instance, there is a manufacturing plant in the US that uses plastic water bottles to make polyester fibers that make t-shirts, carpets, etc. Right now, this company is importing 70% of its plastic water bottles to make these products because not enough people in the US are recycling. I think most people would agree that if something could be used again, you should use it again, not throw it away.

In addition to recycling, what are some things people can do at home to reduce the amount of waste they produce?
I’m glad you asked that question because “reducing” is the first step in being environmentally responsible. The most recognizable sign for recycling is the three arrow logo. The first arrow is “reduce,” the second is “reuse,” and the last arrow in the process is “recycle.” People can buy items in bulk to reduce the amount of packaging waste they bring home. They can avoid using paper towels and disposable wipes by using cotton or Microfiber cloths. They can use water filters at home instead of plastic water bottles, rechargeable batteries as opposed to traditional batteries, etc. There are many things they can reuse or repurpose as well. For example, I know someone who used egg cartons to separate beads for bracelets she would make and sell. There are so many different things people can do, but the first step is just awareness that they don’t have to throw it away.

What’s the most exciting part of starting up this operation?
The most exciting part of starting this operation is the excitement we get from the customers themselves who tell us they have wanted a service like ours for a long time. Equally as exciting is helping new recyclers get involved in a process that benefits the greater good.

Thank you, Casi and April! I know I—and many other iList readers—are definitely excited about this new step forward in making Paducah greener, more sustainable community. I’ll look for you at my curb on August 1st!

For more information on what Dream Green is all about, and to sign up for their services, you can visit dg-recycling.com or call 270.442.2088.