A Brief History of Our Company

Early in that era known to us all as “the seventies” Chuck Wick, a successful Spokane businessman, sold his insurance business and searched for new opportunity. Don Fiorelli owned and operated Waste Paper Services, a commercial collection service for old cardboard and other waste paper. Waste Paper Services was outgrowing its current location on Ide Avenue. The two men joined forces and created Spokane Recycling Products, Inc. in 1972.

Our Founding Fathers

After a long search, property for the new processing plant was located at 3407 E. Main Ave. The company is still operating at this site today. Most importantly, the new property provided access to the railroad, the preferred shipping method at that time. The main building was erected and included the scale house, office and a warehouse/shipping area with rail and truck docks. A state-of-the-art twin ram baler was purchased from Logemann Brothers Co. out of Milwaukee, WI to handle the processing of materials. This was the first machine of its type placed West of the Mississippi River. The purchase of the baler showed the ingenuity and commitment to recycling which would become Spokane Recycling’s trademark. Chuck, Don and two other employees began receiving and processing cardboard and other waste paper. Waste Paper Services continued to operate as a commercial collection service bringing in much of the material. Spare time was spent drumming up new accounts for the supply of material.

During 1975 the company started buying aluminum cans from the public for $0.15 a pound. “Recycling” in Spokane was gaining popularity as the local tipping fees began to rise. In the late seventies, the company was again outgrowing its facility and expansion became a priority. In 1980, after several years of dickering, Chuck and Don were able to purchase the property immediately west of their plant from the U.P. Railroad. The newly acquired property included a larger warehouse which was badly needed at the time. The expanded facilities allowed the company to start handling glass bottles and jars, adding to the list of materials processed. During the late 1980’s, Spokane Recycling started accepting and marketing PET and HDPE plastic bottles. This was a popular move with the recycling public and helped to increase the door trade of the company.

In 1990 the City of Spokane initiated a curbside collection program for residential areas. Spokane Recycling contracted with the City of Spokane and other local haulers to receive, process and market curbside materials collected by the haulers. In order to have adequate production capacity an addition to the West Warehouse was built and a second twin ram baler was installed. Curbside material included steel cans, which was another new addition to the company’s growing list of items recycled.

The company’s philosophy from the beginning has been to provide consistent tonnage of the highest quality material to its customers. This philosophy coupled with Chuck and Don’s ingenuity, plus an ongoing commitment to recycling, enabled the company to grow dramatically over the years. By 1993, Spokane Recycling had become the leading recycler of paper and plastic in the Inland Northwest.

1994 brought the end of an era to Spokane Recycling. Chuck Wick and Don Fiorielli decided that it was time to enjoy their golden years. The company was sold to John Drew of Portland, OR and the current managerial staff was put into place.