Denver entrepreneur Damon Carson does all he can to prevent junk from ending up in landfills. As the founder and CEO of Repurposed Materials, Inc., Carson has created a market for huge used items.
Among the junk that Carson's customers have transformed into productive uses:
- Street-sweeper brushes were repurposed as back scratchers for large animals (The Bronx Zoo in NYC purchased several for the rhinoceros)
- NFL banners were repurposed as sun-shade screens by landscapers and plant nurseries
- Purina animal shelving was repurposed as flooring or “rig matting” for the oil and gas industry
- Vail ski lift cable was repurposed as architectural handrail for homes and office buildings.
Colorado Matters spoke with Carson in 2011, soon after he started the company. In 2013, the business passed the million-dollar mark. Carson says it's on target to hit $1.6 million dollars this year.
