Charleston's First Official "Ecopreneur"

2005
Recycler of the Year
by the SC Department of Commerce.

2006
Overall Achievement Award
by the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, the College of Charleston MESSA and the Sustainability Institute of Charleston.

2007
Small Business of the Year
awarded by the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce.

Chris Fisher likes to consider himself an "ecopreneur", founding on of Charleston's first commercial recycling businesses, Fisher Recycling, Inc. in March of 1992. Since that time, Fisher has recycled over 28 million pounds (14,000 tons) of aluminum, glass, plastic, and tin and 30 million pounds (15,000 tons) of office paper, newspaper, magazines, and cardboard.

Fisher Recycling didn't start out as such a large operation. The company found its humble beginnings with Chris Fisher picking up cans, bottles, plastics and paper from several Charleton restaurants and offices at the request of the business owners. Driving an old, beat-up pick up truck, Chris Fisher was performing a job that these restaurant owners and office managers didn't have time to accomplish - collecting and disposing the recycling.

By 1994, the Charleston business community had embraced Fisher Recycling's concept of office and restaurant recycling. Scheduled collections, in-house education and dedication to customer satisfaction grew Fisher's client base from just a few daily collections to over 30 recycling collections each day.

Not so sadly, Chris was forced to say good-bye to his signature, dented blue pick up truck and invest in what is lovingly known around Charleston as "Big Red". Big Red (named for its size and bright color) was Fisher Recycling's first "real" recycling truck, and can still be seen cruising the streets of downtown and Charleston area offices.

Fisher Recycling's signature "Big Red" has been joined by three other trucks over the past eight years. The client base has grown to over 300 cutomers. The range from downtown restaurants to offices to business parks and hotels and resorts. The company also collects "E-Scrap" or old electronics from area businesses and has had successful pilot residential project for Daniel Island for nearly three years.

In the winter of 2005, the company expanded its warehouse space by opening the "Fisher Recycling Center at Noisette". Here, members of the community can bring material to be recycled as well as take useful material away with them. The trucks begin their routes from the warehouse and recyclables are stored for market. Additionally, a four-fold increase in services was realized when Chris formed a relationship with the Noisette Company and their plan for a sustainable community on the old Naval Base in North Charleston. The community will now benefit from creative recycling of glass, wood pallet flooring, vermicomposting and e-waste refurbishing.

The new warehouse is set up similar to a classroom as an "interactive education center" where residents can come and participate in recycling in ways that are an extension of the recycling loop: they are using an reusing recycled material (all collected in Charleston!) for their own homes and businesses. For example, people can develop their own designs for a glass/concrete countertop and take it home while grabbing a bag of vermicompost for their kitchen window that will be refloored with planed hardwood pallets while keeping track of the job on their refurbished computer!

Community and industry involvement is a core belief in the Fisher philosophy. The company has always encouraged and promoted relationships within the Charleston community for its banking relations, insurance and common business necessities. It is dedicated to partnering with local businesses.

Since the days when Chris Fisher picked up his first load of cans and bottles in downtown Charleston, the company philosophy and principles have remained the same - to educate and serve the community's business recycling needs.

Community Involvment

• Member of the Mount Pleasant Business and Professional Association
• Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce
• Daniel Island Business Association
• SC Aquarium Society
• South Carolina Coastal Conservation League
• Chris has also served on the City of Charleston Appearance Committee
• Charleston Downtown Business Association Recycling and Maintenance Committee
• Active member of the Carolina Recycling Association and served on its Board of Directors.
• In 2004, Chris was appointed by Governor Mark Sanford to the Recycling Market Development Advisory Council. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Sustainability Institute in Charleston.