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8 Worcester Business Journal | April 30, 2018 | wbjournal.com Devens' business recycling program has expanded throughout New England and is about to go mobile The Great Exchange PHOTO/GRANT WELKER BY GRANT WELKER Worcester Business Journal News Editor H ome to plenty of large in- dustrial and commercial companies, Devens is a major creator of trash for North Worcester County. It's Dona Neely's job to make sure as much of that bubble wrap, rolls of labels, clocks, chairs and other supplies as possi- ble is kept out of landfills. Certain objects are ripe for dis- count-seeking companies or nonprofits, like chairs, cabinets, wall clocks, shipping boxes or safety glasses. Others are geared toward schools with materials easily doubling as arts-and-cras projects, like orange plastic trays, small blue caps or all types of ribbon, yarn or stamps. e program known today as e Great Exchange started a decade ago when Neely arranged for a one-time event meant to help Devens companies avoid throwing out unwanted items. It took some adjustment for businesses to see Neely's vision. "I went to the businesses and said, 'Please bring me your trash,'" she said with a laugh. "I think they were more entertained than anything else." What started as a one-time business service event strictly for Devens now encompasses nearly three dozen commu- nities throughout New England. A new Massachusetts Department of Environ- mental Protection grant for $59,500 will help e Great Exchange grow further. at will cover costs for a new cargo van so Neely or others don't need to use their own vehicles to transport materials and for a part-time employee to help with operations. "We'll just keep getting bigger and better," Neely said. 400 tons saved e Great Exchange is part of the De- vens Eco-Efficiency Center, a nonprofit at the military base-turned-commerce center also holding educational forums, technical assistance and other opportuni- ties to help Devens's companies be more environmentally friendly. at first Great Exchange event was supposed to last just two hours but was finally halted aer three when buyers and sellers kept continuing on. e event was held in a meeting room where the Devens Enterprise Commission, the legislative body for Devens, is based. It later outgrew that and went into a larger conference room at the adjacent hotel. Today, e Great Exchange is planned to include five or six events this year – which Neely said have been likened to Black Friday for the rush of shoppers looking for bargains – and has grown to fill the entire 2,500-square-foot basement "I went to businesses and said, 'Please bring me your trash.'" Dona Neely, executive director, Devens Eco-Efficiency Program Tracy Pierce, the program administrator of the Devens Eco-Efficiency Program, and Dona Neely, the executive director, in the basement where donated supplies from companies are kept.