CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Innovation Barn is a building on Seigle Avenue that was once a city of Charlotte horse barn over 100 years ago. Now, after years of planning and a $5 million renovation, it's a one-of-a-kind concept dedicated toward a sustainable future.
"If you can keep stuff out of the landfill, you can turn it into innovations, which turns into jobs," executive director Amy Aussieker said. "So when you tell city leaders you can take trash and make jobs, they're like, 'Oh, we're in. Sign us up.'"
The Innovation Barn has a glass crusher that takes recycled glass and turns it into sand for repurposing. They also take certain types of plastics and turn those into products like bricks and benches, according to Aussieker.
Traditional businesses take raw materials and turn them into products that eventually wind up in landfills. By design, of course. That's known as "linear economy." In the "circular economy," the goal is zero waste, with everything being reused, either by the business itself or by others. The goal of the Innovation Barn is no waste.
The circular economy concept was even used in the renovation process for the building. Doors there are made from construction waste taken from other sites. The concrete they used had high recycled content. Everything in the building is about recycling or repurposing.
Even some local senior citizens are getting involved. Aldersgate residents Ted and Gaye Smith spend over 40 hours a month collecting, cleaning and driving their retirement community's plastic to the Innovation Barn. They average close to 1,500 items every trip.
"We do it daily," Gaye Smith said. "It has to be done every day so we clean it out. We have to do something to protect the Earth."
The Innovation Barn is encouraging all businesses and Charlotte residents to become involved, saying it's all about a "positive society-wide" benefit. Public tours of the facility are offered twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays.
The Innovation Barn is located at 932 Seigle Avenue in Charlotte. Click here for more information, including how you can reserve a tour of the Innovation Barn.
Contact Larry Sprinkle at lsprinkle@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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