Business

Business for a Better World: SCARCE

Posted November 10, 2022 12:00 am

SCARCE

800 S. Rohlwing Road, Unit D, Addison, IL 60101

(630) 545-9710

www.scarce.org

Industry: Not for profit, environmental education & resource rescue.

Annual revenue: $862,800

Number of employees: 7 full time, 3 part time.

An interview with Bev Jaszczurowski, COO of SCARCE in Addison.

Q: Describe your company.

A: SCARCE is an award-winning environmental education and resource rescue nonprofit celebrating its 32nd year. Our organization educates people of all ages at schools, businesses, municipalities, religious organizations, scouts and community groups on how easy it can be to make simple and sometimes big changes that can help take care of our Earth.

Our educational programs and community events reach about 30,000 people annually. We also rescue usable books and school supplies to try and get them reused by schools or other nonprofits. Our Reuse Center serves about 1.6 million people each year while saving over 1 million pounds of books and supplies from the landfill.

SCARCE stands for School and Community Assistance for Recycling and Composting Education.

Q: Do you plan to hire any additional staff or make any significant capital investments in your company in the next year?

A: Yes, we plan to hire at least one part-time and one full-time person to help us meet our growing demands. We do not have any significant planned capital investments at the moment. We moved in 2020 from 7,000 square feet to almost 19,000 square feet. That was a huge step and improvement for us.

Q: What will your company's main challenges be in the next year?

A: The ever-increasing demand for our programs by businesses, schools, municipalities and other organizations as they strive to reduce their impact on the environment and prove their sustainable efforts and initiatives will be a challenge for our small team.

Q: What's the hottest trend in your industry?

A: Most companies and organizations are trying to show their customers and members that they have green initiatives - that they have some sustainable aspects to their organizations. Many consumers are actively seeking green vendors, businesses and companies or organizations to support who are participating in sustainable practices. We are very busy helping businesses and organizations figure out what they can do to be greener and make environmentally conscious decisions.

Q: Does climate change affect how your company does business?

A: Impacts from climate change and the concern about climate change are often the reason an organization asks for our help. The overall growing concern is why we work hard to create strong partnerships with municipalities, businesses and schools.

Q: What does your company do to reduce the effects of climate change?

A: Everything we do is to reduce the effects of climate change. Every educational program we offer is about saving, rescuing, preserving our resources and preventing pollution to slow down the effects of climate change.

Q: Is your company minority-owned? Woman-owned? If so, what are the challenges of being a minority- or woman-owned company?

A: As a not-for-profit, SCARCE is not owned by anyone. However, we are woman founded and woman run for 32 years. Our history and expertise in the field is respected.

Q: What does your company do regarding DE&I (diversity, equity & inclusion)?

A: We serve organizations and people from all walks of life in our educational programming as well as in our Reuse Center. In addition, we are a resource for adults with physical or cognitive challenges to volunteer and be active in their community. We are an equal opportunity employer.

Q: Does your company donate time or money to any philanthropic causes? If so, what causes?

A: We serve over 300 organizations, both locally and across the globe. We help them get the some of the resources they need to serve their populations. In addition, the SCARCE team has volunteered with organizations in need during the holidays to assist in providing food for hundreds of families.

Q: Does your company do anything else to make your community better?

A: Everything we do is to make our local and global communities better - more environmentally friendly, more sustainable and healthier. Literacy is very important to us as educators. We work with food pantries to provide books to their clients. Literacy and education are important to building strong and healthy communities.

Q: What do you do to make your business a good place to work for your employees?

A: We put families first. SCARCE is a small organization doing big work. We provide a supportive, flexible work environment, where compassion for others is modeled from the top down. Our SCARCE family is made up of amazing volunteers, board members and staff.

Q: Do you have a business mantra?

A: Our mantra is "Little things add up." One of our favorite examples of why this is important is our Pickup 5 Initiative. If once a year on a walk, one person would pick up 5 pieces of litter, that would be a nice and easy little thing. But if every person in DuPage County (all 924,885 people) would pick up five pieces of litter on one walk a year, that would really add up. That would be an amazing 4,624,425 pieces of litter. Little things add up.

Q: What is one interesting fact about your company that most people may not know?

A: SCARCE is unique. We receive calls from all over the country with questions regarding environmental issues, reuse and recycling. We have found that we are one of a kind.

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