Organizations partner for reuse initiative benefiting Pittsburgh schools

The Green Mission Inc. (TGMI), a waste diversion company located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, announced Jan. 7 that it recently partnered with Pittsburgh-based Construction Junction, a nonprofit organization promoting conservation through the reuse of building materials, and the Pennsylvania Resources Council (PRC), the state's oldest grassroots environmental organization, to coordinate the clean-out and donation of office furniture and other items following Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney's Pittsburgh recent office move.

Howard J. Wein, of counsel with the law firm of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, is the immediate past president of Construction Junction as well as former president and current board member of the PRC, facilitated the idea to ensure good use of the firm's old office furniture. Buchanan donated approximately 65 percent of the furniture it was not moving to its new location.

Mayur Dankhara, COO of TGMI, Jennie Lumpkin, director of new business at TGMI, and their team were able to quickly find a home for most furnishings at several Pittsburgh school districts. Additionally, Stacy Albin, environmental program coordinator with the PRC, worked with Pittsburgh’s Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens to donate about 50 plants. Mike Gable, executive director of Construction Junction, was able to accept a portion of the property and TGMI was able to place a large amount of reusable metal cabinets with the Baldwin-Whitehall School District in the suburbs of Pittsburgh.

"The Baldwin-Whitehall School District is thankful to both Buchanan Ingersoll and The Green Mission Inc. for the donation of office furniture. This furniture will be utilized by 11 different school districts in southwestern Pennsylvania," Mark Cherpak, business manager of Baldwin-Whitehall School District, says.

"We were thrilled that Baldwin-Whitehall School District, along with 11 others, was able to accept over 2,000 pieces of furniture and over 200 metal filing cabinets for use within their facilities. The ability to divert waste and decrease landfill usage reduces environmental waste. It's a win-win for all involved and allows the district to use scarce funding for more important purposes," Jessica Marschall, president and CEO of TGMI, says.

"As with all waste diversion projects, our goal is to provide the means by which individuals and businesses move toward a paradigm of reuse as the primary mode of asset acquisition before purchasing new," Marschall added.