As with last years event i2recycle coordinated the solid waste and recycling for the more than 30 vendors and approximatley 3000 guests. This year the event produced 1680 lbs of Single Stream recycling, 500 lbs of Cardboard and 1000 lbs of Food and Solid waste.  That means that 69% of all the waste produced was diverted from the landfill.  Another great example of effort equals progress.

For more details check out http://www.hiltonheadwineandfood.com/

Volunteers worked through the weekend and into the night to organize and palletize the toys, which are headed to, amongst others, Toys for Tots and Deep Well. The mother and daughter team of Donna Bair and Kim Bennett orchestrated the big job with the help of many smiling faces.  “This is what Christmas is supposed to be about”, said Kim.  Wiping away streaks of tears and a bit of elbow grease, her mother Donna beamed in pride as she took a moment to watch both her children work; as Kim’s brother, Kevin Kelly, was also knee deep in toys.     

“I2 Recycle is so proud to be at the forefront of this wonderful effort. We’d like it if we could help to bring a toy to every needing child in our area”, said Mike Bennett, CEO of I2.

Behind him worked a small army of weekender elves, moving tons of Nerf Toys and Baby Dolls, while Tickle Me Elmo’s giggled and hundreds of board games were being stacked neatly: awaiting Santa’s local step in, Chris and Lisa Kennedy who were happily tasked with delivering the toys this week.

“What a Great day!” the couple echoed in unison. “What a special feeling to be apart of the giving today”, Chris finished for them.

The toys will begin the final leg of their journey to the most important people in this story, the children. And by week’s end I2 Recycle confirmed that every single one of the thousands of toys will find a home with a child of The Lowcountry by Christmas morning this year.

In this, too often, cold world, let us all stop for at least one moment and feel the warmth of the spirit of giving.  On behalf of its’ many supporters: including Experience Green, Coligny Plaza, Sea Pines Center, and Tony Wartko of The Sea Pines Resort and all the Elves we couldn’t name here today: I2 Recycle wishes you and yours joy for the Holidays.

For more information please call I2 Recycle at 785-4222 or send an email via there website at I2recycle.com.

If you live around the Hilton Head area, you probably thought i2 Recycle was the only group out there focused on environmentally sustainable solutions for our daily lives. Fortunately for the planet, there are other organizations that share our same goals – even in our own backyard. We feel privileged to be associated with the non-profit organization Experience Green.

Their mission is to, “build sustainable communities that benefit the planet, its people and prosperity.” Experience Green does this by holding educational workshops throughout the community that promote engagement in sustainable business solutions and information for families to improve their standard of living, save money, and care for the environment. The workshops focus on instilling environmental stewardship, social accountability, and economic prosperity for businesses and families.

Please take a second to visit their website – experiencegreen.org – and see when you can attend an upcoming workshop.

Searching for more ways to recycle? There are multitudes of different ways you can support your local community on its path towards environmental sustainability. One unique way to do this is through cork recycling.

With the help of Hilton Head Signs and ReCork, we are delighted to offer cork drop-off to four local restaurants. If you collect or have a stash of natural corks feel free to drop them off at the following locations: Floras Italian Cafe (Located in South Island Square); Rollers Wine and Spirits (Located in Coligny Plaza); CQ’s Restaurant; (Located in Seapines near Harbour Town); and Lowcountry Backyard Restaurant (Located in The Village Exchange Shopping Center).

Once you drop off your corks, ReCork grinds them down and then uses them to create soles for shoes and sandals. This is a wonderful program, as it extends the useful life of natural corks through recycling and reuse. So please visit one of the local restaurants we service and take advantage of an awesome way to help the environment.

During South Carolina’s only PGA Tour event, i2 Recycle was in attendance and recycling for the Sea Pines Resort during the RBC Heritage tournament. While the golfers were competing on one of the best courses in America, we were busy managing the recycling and waste needs of the Sea Pines Resort. As you can see in the report of our work, we recycled a total of 15.32 tons of waste! From cardboard, aluminum, and food waste, we were able to provide an environmentally friendly system that helped make the festivities the Sea Pines Resort offered during the tournament enjoyable and also sustainable. Congratulations to Carl Pettersson for winning the tournament, and thank you to The Sea Pines Resort and everyone else involved for making this year’s Heritage Classic a memorable one.

Click on the image below to view.