Carter Anderson, Save the Trash
Carter Anderson, Save the Trash — Richmond, VA
I first learned about Save The Trash at the Richmond Vegetarian Festival in 2007. I watched Carter Anderson pull up in his brightly painted bus, open the back doors, and watched bottles, cans, and treasured trash fall out on to the lawn. Carter is the kind of man that talks the talk and walks the walk. Except when he walks, he’s carrying around every bit of trash and scrap material that he spotted on the way. This man has graduated from dumpster diving and is on an academic level of sustainability and recycling that no other city has seen before. We as a city are beyond lucky to have Carter’s mind and heart, constantly thinking forward.
Save the Trash is a non-profit recycler that improves recycling opportunities, enriches education, and reduces litter by providing service to communities in the form of litter rescues, school programs, and the development of sustainable technologies.
- Miles Quillen, Ellwoods
Tell me a little bit about Save the Trash, it’s history, origins, theory, current state.
Save the Trash was first painted on the side of an old Ford van I was working out of back in 2006. I had started using the van’s sheet metal to express my interests and creatively solicit for contracting work while promoting sustainable technologies. I was working to keep construction debris out of the landfill, hauling surplus materials to schools and developing recycling service for business.
Plenty of folks were lucky enough to experience the Save the Trash Warehouse that I rented on the back side of Church Hill. It was magical. It was the industriously creative space that I now struggle to recreate. The idea was to build a place where materials could come to be sorted, reprocessed and repurposed. Filled with tools, racks of material, rope swings, and wide open spaces, inspiration flourished and people had fun. Unfortunately, the fun didn’t evolve into sustainable work. The idea was to excite folks about all the possibilities and then welcome them back during the week to further develop the network of materials and human resources that is needed to properly manage the wastes that are generated here in this city.
Save the Trash can exist as a non-profit that is totally funded by doing the right things with our wastes. We need jobs. There are plenty of willing workers that can’t find a way into the workforce. Save the Trash is looking for neighborhood caretakers, people to service their community, picking up litter, assisting businesses that want to do better, moving raw materials into a pipeline that can be transported all over town, redistributing the wealth of potential that lurks in our dumpsters, and earning a living that should be supported by neighbors.
I believe in innovation. I trust that great spirits will come alive and express their imagination in new ways that can save us. I have worked with lots of great individuals that see the dream and labor as long as they can stand, but motivation fades when the reality of earning dollars outweighs the importance of saving the planet. Doing the right thing will always be sustainable. Have faith in that and help build a new empire built on the scraps of yesterday. I have been content to do what I can to improve the scenery here in Richmond, even if it’s just picking up litter until I can find a way to become more effective.
What was your background before Save the Trash? Education? Location? Are you from Richmond or did you move here from somewhere?
I am from here. I was born at St. Mary’s and still go back there to pick up the litter. Imagine a baby leaving the hospital faced with trash on their first day here. I grew up in the West End and graduated from Tucker High School in 1992. I headed to the mountains of North Carolina to Appalachian State University. I taught skiing and developed my carpentry skills while in Boone and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Technology with a minor in general business in 1997. I moved a young family back to Richmond and worked as a construction superintendent on commercial projects for Superior Contracting. I left them to spend more time with my family and focus on my own business, Contracting Solutions. I began substitute teaching when I didn’t have any work and really enjoyed the experience. I enrolled at Virginia State University to work on a teaching degree. West Point Public schools hired me to teach industrial technology to middle school and high school students and I worked there while earning a Master’s of Education, concentrating in Industrial Technology with teaching certification. In 2006, I left teaching to do what I was trying to convince my students to do. Build a better, more sustainable future. I could see that we were missing key ingredients of an effective waste management system, that we were letting too much slip away, underused, and I set out to make a better system. I was confident that I could return to schools offering support in the form of new opportunities, new sources of revenue that could be generated off the ingenuity of our students. Their potential was being wasted building in virtual worlds, concentrating too much on information technology and not enough on real industrial technology. Mathematics and sciences are amazing representations of physical labor. It’s learning that happens by actually doing something. Physics lessons in the shop are irreplaceable, but school systems have cut funding for “risky” learning. Teachers need more resources that connect their students with the working world so that they can find motivation and see a future worth chasing. Apathy in the classrooms is rightfully there. As a nation, we’ve sold out the best of human dignity and now have little to offer a workforce in need of fulfillment. It’s time to create hope by reinvesting in local commerce, remanufacture pride that used to stabilize neighborhoods, and clean up the mess that we’ve made in our rush to consumer excesses. I’m invested in Richmond, proud of its historical place in the world, and inspired to live here for the purpose of improving our situation. I will always call Richmond home.
What keeps you in Richmond? What about this city do you love?
I love a river! A river runs through this town and connects us with civilizations on both ends of the state. Every time I cross the James, I bid hello, sing to its raging rapids, and admire its ability to wash all things clean.
I love being able to walk in the footsteps of great ancestors, patriots, and noble thinkers that explored these same hillsides. I like to heal myself in the parks by communing with nature. I have lain on the grass in Capitol Square on plenty of sunshiny days, pondering the questions of meaningful work and examining the situation we’re in. I have thought long and hard about how we could do better, while I did what I could, I picked up the litter. Through alleyways, parks, and public places, I have cleaned up my pathway, carrying as much as I could until the next, nearest trash can. I have lived all over this city, picking up wherever I go. This is my town. I’m proud of it and can’t bear the thought of visitors finding us messy. I have crisscrossed this town and visited all the nooks and crannies, found some of the greatest vantage points to survey the city. Go to the top of City Hall and look around. Get a better perspective and you too can visualize this city functioning as it could, effectively managing its resources and growing more prosperous. I shouldn’t have to leave to find peace on this earth. I will make peace with the trash right here in Richmond.
In your opinion, what is Richmond’s current state of sustainability, especially compared to a larger city like San Francisco?
Richmond is winning the battle with Mother Nature. It’s time for peace. We consume too much with no respect for the Earth or the souls that suffer the consequences of our consumer lifestyles. This town could be called Portland. If we get the name changed we could be flooded with individuals that are chasing the dream of more peaceful, sustainable existence. The West coast does seem to be much more environmentally conscious, but we can make more appropriate choices and immediately improve the quality of life here in Richmond. We won’t see as many great people heading west to go where the climate suits their clothes. There are plenty of opportunities here. We just haven’t fully developed them yet. We can adopt policy that works in other areas of the country or we can strive to do what’s best for our local commerce. We can and should be doing better. I’ve never been to San Francisco or any of those progressive western towns. They built the civilization that suits their progressive culture. They have adopted common sense policy like bag bans, bottled water reduction, and deposit programs. I could fund all the educational dreams of Save the Trash with a nickel for every bottle that’s been collected by Save the Trash in the last fours years. We will do better once we all step forward together and in the right direction.
What advancements have you seen Richmond when it comes to waste management, recycling, and sustainability in the past 10 years?
I have seen the disappointment in many business owners who have tried to recycle, but stopped for one reason or another. They have become rightfully skeptical. Plenty of people like me have committed to recycling only to find it almost impossible to maintain the kind of effectiveness and consistency that customers need. The Central Virginia Waste Management Authority was created to help localities satisfy the Commonwealth’s recycling goals. Curbside recycling is their primary initiative because it shows that we’re going through the motions. There is no mandate or real incentive for businesses to participate. Corporations like Tidewater Fibre and Waste Management have been placing large, mixed material dumpsters around town but that add an additional expense to business owners and more great big trucks in our neighborhoods. Gillies Creek Recycling has been processing construction wastes for many years now. S.B. Cox has constructed an amazing recycling facility to sift through construction debris and minimize what goes to the landfill. I feel like we need more waste management contractors to help businesses set up the appropriate collection systems to haul away the wealth of materials that are generated every day.
I have recently received assistance from the Sierra Club, Falls of the James Chapter. They are very excited about ramping up recycling here in Richmond. We are definitely building a great coalition of people that are improving recycling opportunities in town. It’s a great time to become more involved. The network has grown tremendously in the last four years and is really ready to better serve the needs of Richmond’s neighborhoods.
It’s good to be green right now. It makes sense, saves money, and creates jobs.
Come out to our green job fair, baseball game, and fun day with music at Carter Jones Park on April 11th – 411 Day! Sunday from 1-6. Help build the network of employees and employers that we need to make Earth Day happen every day.
What are some non-traditional recycling methods you incorporate into Save the Trash?
Recycling is Fun! It has to be. It’s dirty, but manageable. Sorting is the bad part. Most of the corporations that are providing recycling rely on single stream, mixed material. I think it’s more efficient to keep materials separated to prevent contamination and speed the processing. Consumers are in the best position to sort material and deliver it for reuse or recycling. It’s not that hard to keep glass away from paper and cans away from the compost, but mix them up, and you’ve got a dangerous mess. I would love to see glass sorted by color as it leaves business, ready to be turned into new products. No one wants glass. I was told that more than four years ago by several people. That sounded like opportunity to me, so I began crushing it and pouring concrete with glass as the aggregate. I started making countertop material and other polished aggregate products. The reason recycling doesn’t pay enough to sustain itself right now is that we haven’t fully developed the value of our trash. Art opens the door for increasing the value of cigarette boxes. Imagination turns a hub cap into a light fixture. Real sustainability comes once we’re able to manufacture consumer products with recycled materials, building up local commerce and rejecting imported junk. I encourage more creative exploration so that we can find those great ideas and get them to market.
Where do you see the composting movement in Richmond going? It’s current state?
Do you want to compost? Do you want to recycle your food scraps into soil to grow more food? We can help. I’ve been working with the Backyard Farmers and other garden folks to set up facilities for diverting food scrap and biomass back into soil production. We are working to design collection systems that are user-friendly, sanitary, and convenient. Compost is just one of the many commodities that can be harvested from local restaurants and businesses.
What’s your involvement in the community in terms of the education of recycling and sustainable practices?
I have been on the street, visibly saving the trash for four years. I hope everyone has seen that it’s okay to pick up litter. I’m healthier than I have ever been, strong and fit and capable of continuing to serve the Richmond community. I cherish all of the experiences that I have had working with school groups and organizations. I’m not sure I’ve ever been clear in the presentation of educational programs. Learning has happened every time I set up the Recyclebus in the park or at events.
Where do you see the future of Save the Trash in Richmond and/or beyond?
I hope to get the Recyclebus rolling again. Many folks may have seen the brightly painted bus moving around town or parked in the park. I drove the thing all over town last year, taking it to the Market Umbrella’s farmer’s markets, collecting recycling and creating art and games with recycled materials. Every locality could easily support an outreach vehicle that doubles as recycling service provider and mobile workshop. Ideally, it will have all the resources to assist with building projects and a variety of workshops that use collected materials. As a child, the Bookmobile got me excited about reading. The Recyclebus can inspire the next generation of children to invent and create, to express themselves with free materials. Last year, I did six school appearances and made smiles every where it drove in between. The master plan for the Recyclebus is to install a variety of alternative energy systems to parade the technology wherever it roams. I look forward to be able to drive again soon so I can deliver the message of recycling and sustainable technology to area schools and organizations.
The Recyclebus needs a vacation. I need to get out of town and restore my spirit this summer. I love going to music festivals and would love to take the Recyclebus. We’d take the slow road everywhere, cleaning up the byways and scenery along the way to great weekend get-togethers. There’s room for a crew. If anyone wants to travel like an Eco-gypsy, we can arrange transportation. Imagine a vehicle that’s capable of digesting the recycling from each stop and further fueling the adventure. It could never end. That’s a sustainable way of making a living off the good times.
If America were to completely re-think their stance on consumption, waste and storage of waste, what are a few tips you would give them?
Take a walk America. Step out into the waves of grain and pick up the plastic bags that blow in our fields. Grab some rubbish out of the gutter before it’s washed into the river. My children will never get cut by the glass that I have rescued. Slow down and appreciate the space that we share. Whistle at the birds and listen for their answers. Think about ways you can improve the world we share. Meditate on that while you travel through life and live as humble as a child, open to the possibilities that present themselves. Examine your neighborhood and wage peaceful protests against pain and depression. People’s bad habits have the tendency of producing excessive litter. I have collected bits and pieces of car accidents, trimmer line, twine, and all kinds of wrappings. My best days will come once citizens take more personal responsibility for the wastes that we’re faced with. Grow hope and watch smiles blossom. Take care and create a more perfect union of technology and nature. Earn your freedom and give back as long as you have something to give, even if it’s just a labor of love and some small security that can be gained from knowing you prevented some frowns.
If you could be one animal, what would you be and why?
I’m a Leo. A proud lion that’s working on a roar to shake the establishment, I will make peace with my pride.
If you had one city block, and unlimited funds, what would you do with the space?
I want to develop the old FFV cookie factory building at Boulevard and Broad, next to the Children’s Museum and in the perfect place to process most of Richmond’s recycling. I was able to tour the inside of that building. It’s amazing! It’s more than a city block, but it’s all connected so that’s my answer. It will become a creatively sustainable base camp to develop the potential that is harvested from this city. It’s big enough to house sorting, processing, and remanufacturing of recycled products. If there’s something that can be made out of recycled material, we should be doing it right here in Richmond. The world sends us containers, packaging and valuable material that we can use to restart manufacturing here in Richmond. If plastic bottles make fleece, then let’s make fleece. How about fiberglass insulation made from empty beer bottles? That’ll keep you warm on cold nights.
There are enough raw materials to provide jobs that build something, build character, build hope, and build a more sustainable existence. The cookie factory has five floors and a basement with wide open spaces and great big windows to keep an eye on the city. There’s room for dormitories for people in transition who want to earn their shelter. There will be opportunities to work, make a difference, and contribute something to the community. There will be numerous full time positions developed as we create the green industrial complex, fair trades for doing the right things with our resources, new enterprises and adventures in saving the Planet. From that location, we can direct collected materials to where they can be best utilized. We can support litter rescues and recycling operations all over the city.