Blue Star Recyclers 100% Solution

A Different Business Strategy

When you walk into the door of Blue Star Recyclers, you see a line of smiling workers. Blue Star Recyclers is addressing a social, economic, and environmental problem by hiring employees who have disabilities. Its mission “is recycling electronics and other materials to create local jobs for people with autism and other disAbilities.” Since opening its doors 5 years ago, it has exponentially grown into a nearly self-sustaining non-profit that is 85% self-sufficient. Its workers dismantle outdated electronic equipment and recycle it ethically.

Social Issues

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2013 only 17.6 percent of people who have a disability were employed, drastically less than people without disabilities. Further, the statistics show that many employed people with disabilities are self-employed. A large population is not even included in this statistic, which counts only people who looked for work in the past month. People with autism spectrum disorder often have great difficulty finding work. But many people with disabilities want to work, and are capable of working.

Many of the employees that Blue Star hires once lived in a residential living setting or were involved in day homes. As these people joined the staff at Blue Star and spent their days at work, some amazing results unexpectedly happened. One young man stopped having seizures, and two men who were previously nonverbal began talking! At work, these people with disabilities get to show the world what they can do. Their “labels” change to be “employees,” “people,” and “friends.” The value these jobs bring to these workers is immeasurable.

And they also bring great value to the job. While some assume that persons with autism would not make good employees, Blue Star is showing that they are often more productive employees than persons without disabilities. Since opening its doors, Blue Star has had a 0% employee turnover, 0% absenteeism, 97% on-the-clock engagement, and no accidents or incidents between co-workers. These guys (autism disproportionately affects males) are a team, and take that seriously. With their daily celebration of their board of goals (visually set for the employees to see), each employee consistently has a goal-achievement number of more than 100%. Their limits are as yet unknown!

Economic Issues

Many of the employees at Blue Star receive Social Security Disability Income (SSDI). For every dollar that a person on SSDI earns at a job, the benefit amount for the month is lessened by 50 cents. Many employees grow off SSDI altogether. Each employee at Blue Star saves the taxpayers of Colorado $15,000.00 a year. With its current 17 employees, Blue Star Recyclers saves the State of Colorado over half a million dollars every year. That number is about to jump significantly, as Blue Star will be opening its new plant in the Denver area at the end of this year.

With 50,000 people with autism alone becoming adults each year, jobs are a serious necessity for persons with disabilities. Other companies are achieving similar results with similar models. For example, Walgreen’s number one distribution center in America is focused on hiring adults with disabilities. Even casinos are following suit, as many people with autism have natural talents in math, and are honest to a fault. More employers are realizing they need these attributes in their employees.

Environmental Issues

When we place many of our used electronics into a landfill, we are depositing heavy metals into our soils, contaminating our land and water. As of July 1, 2013, Colorado officially banned the disposal of televisions, computer monitors, printers, tablets, DVD players, video game consoles and more. Senate Bill 12-133, “The Recycling Jobs Act,” hopes to eliminate all “e-waste.”

We all need to protect our land by recycling used electronics. Blue Star is an ethically responsible choice, as it uses recycling processes that meet the highest industry standards, and has received numerous awards for its hard work and efforts. Additionally, Blue Star created the Vocational Electronics Recycling Network (VERN) to share its proven model. Only 20% of E-waste is recycled and 80% of people with disabilities are unemployed—this equals Blue Star Recyclers’ 100% solution.

Conclusion

In addition to protecting our soil in Colorado, Blue Star Recyclers is doing its best for persons with autism and other disabilities, and the community they live in. Dr. Laurie Sperry, a professor in the Autism Certificate Program at Regis University may have hit the nail on the head when she said that Blue Star Recyclers’ model works because it treats employees who have disabilities like men and women first, recycling workers second, and persons with disabilities last. Blue Star has a great concept and an amazing outcome! To participate in recycling events or to find their drop-off locations, click here.

Blue Star Recyclers100 Talamine CourtColorado Springs, CO 80907719.597.6119 Toll free 855.302.2583