Dennis Carter's earliest memories of recycling are when he'd accompany his grandmother to a center that paid for collected household items such as glass and cans, followed by a trip to the candy store to spend the earnings. This sweet experience proved formative in his life and career.
He started Anything with a Plug Recycling in 2012 "to help people dispose of unused, broken, or unwanted electronics in an environmentally safe way." The business began with picking up items at people's homes, such as free items posted on Craig's List. Gradually, he built a network: "Word of mouth has been huge for my business." He added events like the one that will be held at Carrboro Plaza about three years ago. He now has clients all over North Carolina including major businesses and individuals, commercial properties and medical offices.
He collects, "literally, everything you can think of" (see the full list here). Commonly offloaded items include electronics of all kinds but also plastic containers that can't be recycled curbside. He breaks electronic items down into component parts and sells them along with other bulk waste (e.g., plastic clamshells) to two vendors in the Raleigh area. Those vendors then sell the components to companies that will use them in new products and crush the bulk waste so it can be used to make new things. According to the website, his company "recycles everything locally in an environmentally sound manner. Almost nothing goes to the landfill." How much does he pick up at an event? He'll fill his 16ft. truck.
He believes that North Carolina takes pride in keeping recyclables in the state. For example, textile companies here make fabrics out of recycled plastic. "A lot stays here," he said.
Mr. Carter notes that people generally do not know much about recycling and he wishes municipalities would do more to educate people. "Once you leave something, you don't think about it anymore." But "people need to understand and see what is the end of life of recyclables. Most people have no idea. If people knew more about where this stuff goes and what's done with it, they would understand the whole system better."
In addition to filling a market need, he provides this service to help people. "With the way the world is today, we need to care about each other. We seem to have lost that. I try to capture it back."
You can meet Dennis, support his work keeping stuff out of landfills, and offload old or broken electronics and small kitchen appliances on Saturday, August 16, between 9 and 11 am at Carrboro Plaza. You'll see his big cobalt-blue truck that says, "Anything With a Plug Recycling."
*Updated to clarify a quote about the end of life of recyclables and his truck color, which is blue.