SILT, Colo.—The ongoing Great Recession has had some curious effects on businesses on the Western Slope—some awful and some inspirational.
One of the latter is the story of Green Zone Recycling in Silt, a startup company that has been in business for about a month but has big hopes for the future.
The business, which recycles everything metal from refrigerators to old bicycles, electric motors to rusting grills in the back yard, not only picks up the stuff that vexes the average homeowner looking to tidy things up, but pays the homeowner, too—if they bring the stuff to their home base in the Silt Trade Center.
Green Zone Recycling is the brainchild of Michael, Carrie and Cody Lyon of Silt, whose former family-owned construction businesses, Lyon Construction and Basalt Construction, hit hard times when the national and international economies went into a tailspin in 2008.
“That market has really gotten tight,” said Michael Lyon, referring to the business of building condos, townhomes, hotels and single-family homes, as well as the lucrative government jobs that once were readily available.
With governments short of funds, and hot competition from big construction firms who may have ignored the local market once upon a time, the Lyon family had to find a new niche.
“I’ve been so busy for so long, I just haven’t had the chance to look up, to look around,” said Michael.
But with the help of Carrie and Cody, finding a new direction was just a matter of time and inspiration.
“We found another need,” said Carrie, one that should generate a modest profit for the business and at the same time provide a needed service to the community.
“Cash is short, so what do (people) have that they could cash out?” Michael asked rhetorically, noting that at one time he had worked with a friend to haul trash from a gas well pad.
He was talking with an official from Rocky Mountain Recycling, discussing the kinds of recyclables that often are not thought of, when the lightbulb went off—metal goods that are too bulky, heavy and hard to work with for typical recycling operations.
They accept all ferrous and nonferrous metals, including cars and trucks, fork lifts and other big items, aluminum cans and even old, rusting farm implements.
“It’s all recyclable,” Michael enthused.
And what is best, from the family’s viewpoint, is that it truly is a family affair.
Michael and his father, Kelly, take care of collections and move the stuff to a recycling plant in Denver, while Carrie handles the office and asset management duties and Cody, 17, runs the forklift and does whatever else is needed.
“It’s been fun, because it’s something we can do as a family,” Michael remarked, adding, “We’ve only hit the tip of the iceberg” as far as demand for their service.
Michael said he is currently shipping about 20 tons per week, in a single trip.
“I want to get where I’m doing that three times a week, by this winter,” he said.
He contends that his service is cheaper than taking metals to the landfill, and is good for the environment in that it helps to extend the life of a landfill.
“We win, you win, the landfill wins,” he said with a smile.
Currently Green Zone operates from Parachute to Aspen, and there are plans to extend into Eagle County soon.
