Support Close the Loop, LLC

September is officially Support Small Green Businesses Month here at Greener Assets. This interview is part of that series. You can find more information about his series here.

Today’s featured business is Close the Loop, LLC. Check out their website and this interview with owner Rita Lacey:

Greener Assets: How did your business first get started?

Rita: I worked in the corporate world for 15 years, left to have my daughter & started the business when she entered school 8 years ago. I wanted to “buy recycled”, but couldn’t find a place to go that had much more than recycled paper available…so I started my business Close the Loop, LLC in 2000 just offering recycled products.

Here’s some more background:

Close the Loop , LLC works with US manufacturers who produce high quality & unique recycled products. We are working to increase consumer confidence, awareness and demand for recycled content products and help grow markets. Finding new uses for old materials – help educate consumers to view our waste as a valuable resource, not as trash. Close the Loop has recycled 7 MILLION pounds of tires for new & beneficial uses (rubber mulch for playgrounds, landscaping, equestrian, military use, etc), and over 100,000 lbs of recycled plastic. We offer educational programs in the schools to teach the children to care about the environment through our magic of recycling program. Author of bi-monthly free E-newsletter, The Loop. Website: www.closetheloop.com

GA: Why did you make the decision to go green?

R: Eco-friendly business can help create jobs, meet customers needs by reducing facility operation and maintenance costs by using more durable and long-lasting materials, while leaving the world a BETTER place for the generations to come.

Close the Loop does not charge the manufacturer anything to do the web design, catalog & brochure creation, sales, marketing & distribution. We do not get paid unless the product sells…then we earn a commission on the sale. If we feel a product has potential in the marketplace, we usually will give it a chance online for at least a year at no cost to the producer.

Close the Loop was built on the principals of the 3 P’s: people, planet, profit – We can help create & keep US manufacturing jobs, solve environmental problems & do well by doing good!

GA: Tell us a little about your products/services:

R: Close the Loop , LLC offers a wide variety of recycled products and green building materials such as rubber tiles and timbers for playgrounds and equestrian facilities, plastic post and rail fencing, and mulches made from rubber, cocoa shell, and tumbled garden glass.

GA: What are your most popular sellers?

R: Rubber products & plastic fencing.

GA: Where do you see your business going in the future?

I am looking to have a retail store and grow the business & offer more in-house educational programs for children & adults, along with recycled craft projects & getting the community involved in “Give & Takes” (aka – promoting freecycling) & litter cleanups. Hope to increase recycling rates & producer responsibility.

Thanks, Rita and Close the Loop, LLC!