Cass began creating jobs for people with significant barriers to employment during the recession of 2007. We created a program called Green Industries as a means to link employment with sustainability and to use sales to pay the workers. Green Industries is located on Cass’s campus in Detroit. Its employees produce:
- Mud mats and keychains stamped with the classic Old English D, created from the rubber of illegally dumped tires found on abandoned lots throughout the City
- Coaster sets utilizing repurposed wood from demolished houses and glass scraps
Jobs are also created by recycling a variety of materials, like:
- Metal – copper, steel, aluminum, silver, tin, etc.
- Paper — as part of a document destruction operation
- Cardboard
- X-rays
Employees sort and/or shred materials that are later sold to various recycling companies. The proceeds fund the program and its employees.
In 2020, Cass also started a Clean-Out service for people leaving their homes or offices. It’s called Trading Spaces. For a reasonable fee, a Cass team arrives to load up anything and everything not wanted by the homeowner or business owner. The items are sorted at the World Building. Roughly 80% of the materials are reused or recycled. For more information on Trading Spaces, contact ccumcac@aol.com.
