Company Profile
In the spring of 2008, URRC and Spartanburg Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Inc. partnered together to launch iRecycle, an innovative recycling program in Spartanburg County schools. URRC provides recycling bins and other promotional supplies to get the students involved in recycling and Coca-Cola then collects these recyclable items after delivering their products to the schools. A prototype program was started in Spartanburg School District 5, holding a naming contest for the program. Christina Jackson from Florence Chapel Middle School won, choosing the name iRecycle. The program has been a tremendous success, operating in schools, businesses and throughout the community, with plans to continue expanding!
- URRC and Coca-Cola are very excited to announce the first ever iRecycle scholarship. This was awarded to a Byrnes High School student Komal Patel who was very involved in recycling at her school. Komal received a scholarship to Spartanburg Community College and participated in their dual enrollment program during her senior year.
- Our goal, with the help of the iRecycle Run, will be to give a scholarship to all participating High Schools after one year of participation.
About URRC, Coca-Cola, & NURRC
Headquartered in Spartanburg, SC, URRC was founded in 1992. The company originally provided services to the polyester or PET, silver film recovery market. In 1994, it developed and patented the UnPet process for chemically super cleaning PET (polyethylene terephthalate) chip for food grade packaging. In 1996 it entered into a development agreement with the Coca-Cola Company to perfect the process for bottle-to-bottle recycling. In 2000 the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) issued its letter of non-objection to clear the way for commercial food grade applications.
As part of Coca-Cola's long-term initiative to have 100 percent of its plastic bottles recycled or reused, URRC signed an agreement with Coca-Cola in 2007 to form a joint venture, NURRC. Coca-Cola invested $60 million to build a new facility, forming the largest bottle-to bottle recycling plant in the world. The new plant expanded URRC's existing operations from 10 million pounds of recycled chip to 100 million pounds per year. In addition to the financial and energy-saving benefits of recycling plastic, the Spartanburg plant is expected to eliminate the production of one million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions over the next ten years.
The iRecycle Fund is a is a 501c3 non-profit organization.
All gifts are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Essential Elements of a Successful Recycling Program
- A capable and enthusiastic program coordinator.
- A secure market for the PET recyclables. (How much will you have).
- A simple and reliable collection system. (Recycle bins and transportation).
- An effective education and awareness program.
- A qualified, reliable, full-service outside reclamation company (a recycler or waste hauler).
Recycling Collection
Collection Containers:
- Collection containers will be provided by URRC.
- Each school will review their respective need of containers and coordinate through Wayne Brackett (Coca-Cola) or Brandy Gutierrez (URRC).
Bin Features:
- Attractive and lightweight (weighs less than 6 lbs.)
- Made of 100% recycled plastic.
- Easy and quick to assemble; easy to disassemble for storage.
- Transparent green so you can see when full; helps eliminate contamination.
- Capacity approximately 6 cu. ft. (44 gallons)
- Size: 21" diameter and 30" deep inside (not including space under the lid); 35" tall with lid.
Collection Procedure
Location:
- Each school will determine an outside collection location.
Schedule:
- A representative from Spartanburg Coca-Cola will collect all recyclables from each school on a regular basis.
- Pick up scheduling will be coordinated with drink vending deliveries.
- The Coca-Cola representative will “back haul†the material and take to URRC.
- All material from each school will be recorded as instructed by URRC, so that each school will receive proper credit for their efforts.
| Locations | Bottles Collected |
| Byrnes High School | 166,103 |
| BMW Performance Center | 111,321 |
| Cannons Campground Elementary | 105,489 |
| NURRC | 89,415 |
| CryoVac Simpsonville | 85,081 |
| Riverside High School | 55,620 |
| CryoVac | 55,005 |
| Bausch & Lomb | 44,892 |
| Clinton High School | 44,406 |
| CeSA Soccer Fields | 42,320 |
| Riverside High School Football | 36,810 |
| Knights Apparel | 36,108 |
| CR Brands | 38,106 |
| Pauline Glenn Springs | 32,886 |
| Spartanburg Coca-Cola | 27,213 |
| AFL Communications | 22,230 |
| Gable Middle School | 19,764 |
| McCracken Jr High | 18,468 |
| Byrnes Freshman | 19,224 |
| Spartanburg Day School | 16,974 |
| Greenville High School | 16,866 |
| Jesse Boyd Elementary | 15,984 |
| Chesnee High School | 14,742 |
| Mary H. Wright Elementary | 14,058 |
| Vineyard of Angels | 13,986 |
| Spartanburg High School | 14,634 |
| St. Pauls Catholic School | 13,602 |
| Pine Street Elementary | 13,237 |
| Oakbrook Preparatory School | 13,569 |
| Landrum High School | 12,528 |
| Chapman Cultural Center | 12,006 |
| Chesnee Middle School | 11,916 |
| Laurens Middle School | 10,989 |
| Chapman High School | 10,302 |
| Woodruff Middle School | 10,566 |
| Beech Springs Intermediate | 9,785 |
| Roebuck Elementary | 14,256 |
| Laurens High School | 9,342 |
| Spartanburg Athletic Club | 9,117 |
| Middle Tyger YMCA | 8,964 |
| JTEK | 7,751 |
| DR Hill Middle School | 7,414 |
| Westside Club | 7,416 |
| Boiling Springs Freshman | 7,902 |
| Polydeck | 5,769 |
| Reidville Elementary | 5,704 |
| Carver Jr. High | 5,508 |
| Madden Adult Learning | 5,454 |
| Hickory Tavern Middle | 5,346 |
| Wellford Elementary | 5,725 |
| Wabtec | 5,121 |
| Lost Acres | 4,831 |
| Dorman High School | 4,986 |
| Laurens Elementary | 4,608 |
| Charles Lea Center | 4,572 |
| Eaton Corporation | 3,978 |
| Park Hills Elementary | 3,906 |
| ComFab | 3,870 |
| Workability | 3,834 |
| Swofford Career Center | 3,762 |
| Berry Shoals Intermediate | 3,676 |
| District 4 Office | 3,618 |
| Woodland Heights Elementary | 3,798 |
| Sirrine Stadium | 3,600 |
| District 5 Office | 3,517 |
| Hampton Inn | 3,474 |
| EP Todd Elementary | 3,762 |
| Disney | 3,294 |
| Girl Scouts | 3,150 |
| Houston Elementary | 3,870 |
| Spartanburg Charter School | 3,546 |
| Florence Chapel Middle School | 3,010 |
| Pacolet Middle School | 2,942 |
| Sherman Chiropractic College | 2,718 |
| Spartanburg Community College | 2,412 |
| RD Anderson | 2,664 |
| S&ME | 2,250 |
| Upstste Family Resource | 2,052 |
| Spartanburg Federal Courthouse | 2,042 |
| First Baptist Spartanburg | 1,854 |
| Michelin | 1,746 |
| Hickory Tavern Elementary | 1,692 |
| Woodruff Primary | 2,664 |
| Grey Court Owings Elementary | 1,494 |
| Spartanburg Methodist College | 1,440 |
| Best Buy Spartanburg | 1,332 |
| Pine St YMCA | 1,296 |
| Hatcher Gardens | 1,257 |
| Boiling Springs Elementary | 1,242 |
| Sanders Middle School | 1,134 |
| Campobello Gramling School | 1,658 |
| Chartwell Food Service | 1,080 |
| Ford Elementary | 1,026 |
| Grenville Eastside YMCA | 972 |
| Lyman Elementary | 868 |
| Hollywild Animal Park | 828 |
| Boiling Springs Intermediate | 815 |
| N. Spartanburg Fire Department | 811 |
| Limestone College | 810 |
| Grey Court Owings Middle | 756 |
| Wofford Golf Tournament | 738 |
| Rohman LP | 720 |
| Abner Creek Elementary | 704 |
| River Ridge Elementary | 620 |
| Inman Intermediate | 564 |
| Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium | 513 |
| EB Morse Elementary | 450 |
| Arcadia Elementary | 432 |
| St Paul UMC Preschool | 252 |
| Chapman Elementary | 216 |
| DHEC | 216 |
| Hendrix Elementary | 216 |
| Lone Oak Elementary | 180 |
| iRecycle Run | 162 |
| Cowpens Battlefield | 90 |
| FairForest Elementary | 288 |
| Total | 1,516,251 |
