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I frequently get notices from Triad companies and entrepreneurs of their efforts to incorporate more sustainable or environmentally responsible business practices. I seldom have time to formally write about them, but  it occurred to me that some of my readers would like to know this information as a way of keeping track of the sustainability/green movement here. So I've decided to summarize these efforts in an occasional blog post.

The first one follows: 

* The Cleveland County plant of Lexington-based Cunningham Brick Co. recently became the first brick plant in the United States to earn a third-party certification of the pre-consumer recycle waste contents of its products. The National Research Brick Center at Clemson University is the only organization in the country to do this certification and the university maintains that 90 percent of brick makers in North America are members of the center. Cunningham's products contain 7 percent to 85 percent certified recycle content.

* UNIFI of Greensboro announced today that it has expanded its REPREVE recycled fabric line to include fiber made from 100 percent post-consumer PET bottles.

* Furnitureland South, of Jamestown, officially opened a green furniture gallery in High Point on Saturday. The opening of the "Eco-Link" followed the company's decision to join the Sustainable Furnishings Council. Many of the manufacturers showcased in the Eco-Link are members of the SFC.

"The Eco-Link links us to the earth and to our vendors who are embracing sustainable manufacturing processes," said Jason Harris, Executive Vice President of Furnitureland South, according to a press release. “This is a first step for our organization to publicly recognize that our earth needs a movement of people to save it for future generations. Our industry can have a huge impact on a problem that is not going away. We just want to do our part."

* Carol and Bill Rawleigh, of Julian, have started a business building and selling The Garden Hive, an easy to manage honeybee hive, for both urban and country gardeners. Find out more about The Garden Hive here.

Update: One entrepreneur who aims to make the Triad greener is 17-year-old Ryan Tury, a rising senior at Northwest Guilford High School. With the help of his stepfather, Randy Orloff, Tury is installing rain barrels as a summer job. Ryan is in the photo standing by a rain barrel that his family installed several years ago. You can reach Ryan at 545-3155 or greenguy@ymail.com if you are interested.