The Dumpster Depot

Dumpster Depot was founded nine years ago in Aiken, S.C., by Norman Dunagan, to provide waste removal services for commercial and construction businesses in the CSRA. Inspired by packaging recycling at his previous employer, Frito-Lay, Dunagan set his goal to re-purpose as much waste as possible and reduce landfill dumping. The ultimate objective is to achieve Zero Waste. Dumpster Depot is the only waste removal business in the CSRA to divert more than 50% of the collected waste from landfills. Two million pounds of waste are recycled per year; the equivalent of 6600 containers (3-4 tons each) are not dumped into a landfill. Customers are saving a total of $462,000 in hauling and landfill tipping fees per year. The environmental impact is substantial, recycling materials to make carpeting, cardboard, food packaging, water bottles, plastic wrap, etc. Repurposing creates jobs in a jobless economy. In the future, scrap will be considered a valuable resource as is metal today. In ...