REFILL AND RECYCLE...Maggie Papp received the new Cascades Award

The Morning Sun

Maggie Papp, Pittsburg, doesn’t waste anything, and that made her the first winner of a new national award.

Papp, who operates the Rapid Refill at 2597 S. Broadway, Meadowbrook Mall Annex, received the new Cascades Award which recognizes an operator for outstanding community and environmental leadership.

The award was named after the Oregon mountain range which is home to the originator of the Rapid Refill concept of refilling and remanufacturing printer ink and toner cartridges to recycle them, extend their life and keep them out of landfills longer.

During the award presentation at Ballys in Las Vegas, Papp was cited for recycling 6.5 tons of ink and toner cartridges in the past year alone and donating around $3,500 to local charities.

“It speaks to the incredible strength of Maggie’s message to the Pittsburg community that she is able to make such a huge impact,” said Jason Block, Rapid Refill chief operating officer. “Maggie is inspirational.”

That was said back in July. Now Papp says she’s shipped out seven tons of recycled ink and toner cartridges and given $4,000 to charity.

“There’s nothing I get that goes to waste,” Papp said. “It’s all reused and recycled.”

She occasionally carries around a plastic bag of black ground-up stuff so she can show people what happens to any toners she gets that can’t be used.

“They are ground up five times and used to fill potholes in roads,” Papp explained. “They put it under the asphalt, and the heat generated causes this stuff to melt and adhere to the asphalt. They’re also experimenting with possible other uses.”

Not everything is ground up.

“Some of those parts, the screws and rods, are made from high grade aluminum, which is melted down and recycled,” Papp said.

Her Cascades Award included a donation of $2,500 to the community or environmental group of her choice, and she decided it should go to her good friends at New Hope Services, a division of Medicalodges, Inc., which is a home- and community-based agency that provides community supports to individuals with developmental disabilities who are striving to live an independent life of their choice.

Papp and New Hope have been working together for a while.

“We’ve been accepting donations of used toners and cartridges, and I told Maggie that we had a room full of them,” said John Lair, New Hope program director and volunteer Special Olympics coach.

“I didn’t think he actually meant he had room that was full of them,” Papp said. “Then I came out to New Hope and there they were, from floor to ceiling.”

“She didn’t run away, so I figured we had a good partnership,” Lair said.

That extends to helping Papp when it comes to lifting and stacking boxes.

“I don’t have to do a thing,” she said.

“Our athletes love to help out,” Lair said. “All I have to do is say, ‘It’s recycle day,’ and they’re ready to go help Maggie.”

Anyone wishing to donate inkjet cartridges and toners to benefit New Hope Special Olympics may drop them off at 2614 N. Joplin.

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