There's a new kid in town. Haulin' Glass is offering a service that I've wanted since I moved from the DC area to Berkeley Springs: recycling pickup. When I first moved here in 2000, there wasn't any recycling at all. However, within a few years, we were able to gather up our recyclables and haul them to our closest school on a Saturday every month. Then a couple of years ago, the Charles Biggs recycling center opened on 522S, and we're able to bring them there anytime they're opened. That was a bit more convenient, but still, the recycling has a tendency to pile up on the weekends when we're not able to get there when they're open. I recently discovered Haulin Glass on Facebook and, much to my delight, read that they were offering pickup service! I subscribed, and got in touch with Ashley Jones and got to ask her a few questions.
How has response been so far? We've been receiving really great feedback from residents and the community in general. Most of it is along the lines of "it's about time!" We gave a presentation to the town council and they are totally on board, Morgan Sanitation supports the idea, various publications and media avenues (such as yours) have offered free publicity. It's just been really great knowing that so many Berkeley Springians are happy to have this service and are as passionate as we are about doing some good.
What made you decide to offer this service? Just like many of our customers, our recyclables kept piling up and eventually took over the basement. Who knew it would be such a hassle to get them to the center? One day I (Ashley) called Adam and said, let's just start picking up recycling, there has got to be more people like us out there! Within a few weeks we sorted out details, advertised, and hoped people would respond. Thankfully they did.
Have you had a business like this before? Never. This was entirely new to us. I knew a bit about starting a business but that's where our experience ended. Needless to say it's been quite the learning experience, but a surprisingly smooth one.
Where are you from? Adam is from a little southern West Virginia town called Fraziers Bottom. Although I haven't always lived in Berkeley Springs, I've been here for most of my life and claim it as my hometown.
What's your background? I knew this question would get asked. One facebook friend sent us a message that simply said "who are you?" I'll admit I wanted that stuff to stay in the background, but realized it's good for people to be able to know the people behind the business. I - Ashley Jones - have been in Berkeley Springs most of my life and graduated from BSHS in 2006. Although I moved around a bit, I ended up attending Shepherd and graduating with a business degree in December 2010 and decided to stay in Berkeley. I currently take care of Haulin' Glass and work for Mountain View Solar & Wind here in Berkeley Springs. My boyfriend, Adam Keeling moved here in 2006 when he was offered the job of kindergarten teacher at Pleasant View Elementary School, where he continues to work today. He's the face of the company and does all of the collecting. He's a super friendly guy so if you see him emptying your bins feel free to start a conversation, I promise you'll be entertained. We have no kids, just a little dog named Belle.
Anything else you want to tell the people?: I really want to stress that our goal is to encourage recycling by making it easier. It's amazing to see how much trash can be saved from the landfill and reused in an unbelievable amount of ways. Although we do have a few guidelines, we want to work with anyone who is willing to work with us. Need different sized bins than what we offer? We'll work around that. Do you really want to recycle but can't afford our prices? Let us know. Wish we would do this instead of that? Tell us about it. We're absolutely open to suggestions, because you probably know as much about this business as we do, and may have some better ideas. We're aware that the relationship between collector and customer is a negative one, if you will. What makes things easier for the customer makes it harder for the collector and vice verse, so we're constantly looking for ways to find the best balance between the two.
I think it's great that these young people have found it in their guts and heart to start this business. You can get in touch with them via their website or give them a call at 304-258-6351 for more information.
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