April is Earth Month, and while it’s a great time of the year for everyone to focus on going green and living a more sustainable lifestyle, Abt does it every day in our Recycling Center (and with our other Green Initiatives). We think it’s the perfect month to spotlight Ramon Mendez, the manager of our Recycling Center! Our Employee Spotlight Ramon is in a unique position here: he and his entire team spend their time behind the scenes, working to recycle many of the materials at Abt, from old appliances brought back from customer homes to Styrofoam packaging, cardboard and wood pallets.
Meet Ramon!
Ramon is our manager at the Recycling Center and has been here at Abt for six years. Before that, he was a customer. “I bought my first laptop for college here in 2011, and I know when I was much younger, my parents bought a range here, too.” That was way back when, before he started his career here. “My good friend Angel Sierra used to work at the Recycling Center and told me about working for Abt. My wife was six months pregnant with our first child at the time…I applied because I wanted to give my family a more stable life.” That’s how Ramon started here at Abt, working with our machines that melt down Styrofoam packaging. Fun fact: we sell our melted Styrofoam to processors who reuse it to create new products like insulation and art.
Helping The Environment & The Community
“I helped mentally ill people as a driver before I began here at Abt.” Ramon’s position prior to working here was very different, but he has always pushed to make a positive impact with his work. After six years of working in the Recycling Center, “I learned how to handle every machine and situation, and for the last three years I’ve been the manager.”
As a manager, Ramon works to put a smile on as many faces as possible. “Part of my job is to make sure my guys are getting the job done while having fun. I love making people laugh or just have a good time together. I love just being myself at Abt.”
When asked what some of his favorite memories are at Abt, Ramon mentioned seeing his team grow and helping the community. “I love when organizations, schools or families call us to see if we can donate cardboard boxes. They can build haunted houses, create car models, make their own sleds or something simple. We give out a range box and kids spend hours having fun using their imagination. I love it when they come back and show me what they end up doing or building.” This author can remember when her brother’s Boy Scout troop needed cardboard for a campout and got it from Abt—they were going to build a “shelter” and had so much fun creating a true castle…before it rained. The cardboard castle was not waterproof rated, and very soggy scouts spent the night in the gear trailer instead.
But Abt contributes more than just cardboard to the local community via our Recycling Center. We’ve recently started an initiative where we donate good quality and salvageable furniture to local organizations and charities in need. Ramon gets to oversee this operation as well, and he’s excited to see where it goes!
Spotlighting Sustainability
Our Employee Spotlight is looking forward to pushing the Recycling Center even further this year. “My goal for my workplace is to try and find ways that we can recycle new items or find other ways to help the environment. Also, I try to find ways to keep my guys happy at the workplace. I know what we do, and we do it every day, so I try to change it up a little by doing activities or by bringing different food in.” Sustainability is important to Ramon personally, too. “We need to keep our world clean and healthy for our kids and their future families.”
We asked Ramon what everyone can do to practice sustainability in our everyday lives, and he had a good answer. “I know it’s hard to promote sustainability on an everyday basis. But what we can do is start small. For example, try learning how to separate our garbage and learn the difference between what’s actual garbage and what can be recycled. Start teaching families how to recycle cardboard, Styrofoam and other items. Start small, and you can have a big impact.”
Finally, we asked our Employee Spotlight what he loves to do outside of work. “I love spending time with my family and friends. I love taking my six-year-old son out to parks, museums or anywhere he wants to go.”
How Can I Recycle At Abt?
Hoping to go a little greener yourself? We’re here to help. If you’re wondering how to recycle here, check out our Green Initiatives page where we list everything we can take from the community, like small appliances and electronics, Styrofoam (not food containers), TVs, and more. Check our list there, and bring in your recyclables. Check in at our Merchandise Pick-Up desk on the southeast side of the store, and they’ll help load everything into a Recycling truck we have parked outside our Mobile Installation garage. For more info, call us at 847-954-4100.
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