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Construction site trash saved from landfills with creative repurposing

A new partnership is turning miles and miles of construction trash into treasure. Many have seen countless building sites enclosed by large windscreens which are thrown away when the project ends.

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Company works to turn construction waste into useable products
RALEIGH, N.C. — A new partnership is turning miles and miles of construction trash into treasure. Many have seen countless building sites enclosed by large windscreens which are thrown away when the project ends.

Other than advertising and hiding messy construction sites, these windscreens attached have a purpose, says Tiffany King, a senior project manager with Samet corporation. She said, "It provides security for the job site, protection from noise pollution."

When projects end, the material ends up in landfills; miles and miles of it. "This project for example has almost exactly 1 mile of fabric overall surrounding the perimeter," said King, referring to a current building site on Corporate Center Drive in west Raleigh.

"I was told, well we can’t re-use it, we can’t recycle it and we throw it away," explained Ilina Ewen, Samet Corps. director for corporate responsibility.

She was convinced there had to be some way to re-use and re-purpose the material. That’s when she connected with Emily Neville, CEO and founder of "Reborn Closet", created when she was just a sophomore at NC State University. Since then, she has helped many businesses with the same challenge.

"We’ve come up with set products like tote bags, pillows and pillow cases,T-shirt quilts," said Neville. She partners with a manufacturing company in Asheboro, N.C. to give new life to old material.

Now, they’re doing the same with miles of the mesh screen barriers surrounding construction sites. "And turned it into something new I call Trashion," said Ewen. "And you can see it’s durable, like I have a bag here that came from another one of our sites."

Beach bags, grocery bags and even duffel bags can be cut and sewn. While serving their initial purpose on constructions sites, they collect a lot of dirt. However, Ewen said all they need is a good power wash to make them look like new.

She keeps a favorite bag for many purposes. "It’s not something that’s going to hold onto an odor." Ewen sees the results as inspiration for others to practice more sustainable living. "To encourage everyone watching, think creatively; What can you do in your own life and your own company," said Ewen.

She says each bag and other products made with the mesh are unique. For now she says, the products are given away to clients and sold to employees.

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