Member Spotlight

Richard S. Burns & Co.

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Established in 1981, Richard S. Burns & Co. is not only the oldest recycling facility in Philadelphia, but one of the oldest in the country.  They process 500-800 tons of construction and demolition (C&D) material daily for recycling and are constantly innovating ways to recover more material that comes through their facility.

Why did you become a member?

Richard S. Burns has been in business for over six decades. This does not happen without constant learning, evolving, and adapting. With Circular, we feel we can join like-minded people to improve the City of Philadelphia. Change happens when everyone buys in; we are thrilled to build relationships with companies that support local, sustainable business in the city and beyond.

What does a circular economy mean to your organization?

At our core, we at Burns are recyclers. We are a family business, and our vision has always been to build a future for the generations that come next. Our work is focused on efficiency. We are constantly striving to create a cleaner end product so that as much material that we take in gets repurposed or reused.

How is your organization practicing circularity?

The TOMMYcarts were created as an efficient, clean and safe way for collection and processing of construction and demolition debris. The life cycle of the material we collect is extended by not having to double and triple handle the materials on job sites. Our sorting process ensures that the materials are clean and safe for future use.

How can others advance the circular economy?

We need to shift our way of thinking. We need to develop products and materials that stay in use much longer. And…use more TOMMYcarts!