Thurston is Recycler of the Year

COEUR d'ALENE - Karen Thurston, founder and director of Community Green Cross, Inc., recently received the Recycler of the Year 2009 award presented by Roger Saterfiel, director of the Kootenai County Solid Waste Department.

The award recognized the success of the textile recycling program started by Thurston in 2005, first as a pilot program with the county. The program has evolved to include 16 nonprofit thrift store recycling partners in the north Idaho region.

"Since the program's inception, local thrift store partners have recycled more than 1.4 million pounds or about 700 tons of clothing, shoes, purses, belts, books, and other household textiles, netting more than $30,000 in donations from Community Green Cross to the participating thrift stores and other local nonprofit groups in North Idaho," according to a press release.

Additional benefits have included savings by the same thrift stores of at least $30,000 in disposal costs at the county transfer stations, and labor savings at the county to process the materials. Thurston estimates local community benefits are close to $100,000 when cost savings are considered.