Righteous Recycling

Every other Monday, I wheel a 64-gallon jumbled mess of milk jugs, shredded paper, and refried bean cans to the curb — then righteously rub my hands together, knowing I’ve done my part to save the planet. An A+ performance. I know the contents of my bin will magically be reborn as cardboard boxes, maintenance-free park benches, and rebar to build new cities. But after trailing my bin to a recycling facility, I learn that my performance is, at best, a D. I’m with Bill Keegan, president of Dem-Con Companies, a third-generation family-owned waste and recycling management firm serving Minneapolis-St. Paul since the 1960s. We’re joined by Jennifer Potter, community outreach coordinator.

Dem-Con welcomes thousands of visitors every year. The company has an interactive trailer it hauls to schools and festivals, along with virtual reality glasses that allow kids and adults to virtually step into the recycling process. Its goals are to help build a culture that recycles naturally and automatically, and to trigger a feeling of unease when people don’t recycle.

Behind the Scenes

Keegan, Potter, and I don