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The opening was attended by Pinecrest Vice Mayor Shannon del Prado, Palmetto Bay Mayor Karyn Cunningham, Mark McKay, Chief Of Veterans Services of Vietnam Veterans Association, and Melissa Cancio, Executive Director of Chamber South.
The event coincided with Earth Day week, with M&M Thrift Management hosting a ribbon cutting at the donation center located at Pinecrest Place Shopping Center at 7930 SW 104th Street. The event helped further raise awareness about the critical need for recycling clothes and home goods, in an effort to divert waste from up-to-capacity landfills and mitigate ground and surface water pollution.
Second Cycle collects donations on behalf of the VVA, which raises funds to address crucial issues affecting the veterans. Some of the nonprofit’s efforts include advocating for improved access to quality healthcare, pursuing full accountability for America’s POWs and MIAs, assisting the next generation of veterans, and contributing to community service initiatives. Through initiatives like Second Cycle’s drop-off locations, M&M raised over $1M in 2023 for the VVA in Florida. At the event, Mark McKay, Chief Of Veterans Services at VVA, highlighted the impact Second Cycle donations have in helping improve the quality of life of all veterans and their families. Second Cycle’s donation pick-up services currently generate over $4 million a year for charities across the US.
EVP of M&M Thrift Management Justin Saracena said Florida is one of the key markets to expand the company’s recycling efforts because of the rapid population growth. M&M is currently looking for additional locations in South Florida to open state-of-the-art drop-off donation centers.
“The launch of our location in Miami-Dade marks a significant step in offering one of the fastest-growing communities a sustainable solution for residents and cities to recycle and repurpose their belongings, ” Justin Saracena said. “Miami-Dade has warmly welcomed us to the community, knowing that donations support the VVA and give residents sustainable solutions to help protect the environment.”
At the event, Pinecrest Vice Mayor Shannon del Prado and Palmetto Bay Mayor Karyn Cunningham highlighted their cities’ efforts to grow their sustainability initiatives and how their municipalities want to be part of the solution to reduce waste heading to landfills.
Through initiatives like Second Cycle’s drop-off locations, M&M effectively recycles and repurposes over 1,000 tons of donated clothing and household products weekly. This translates to approximately keeping 35,000 automobiles out of landfills each year by weight. Second Cycle’s drop-off center accepts clothing, shoes, jewelry, accessories, small household items, toys, and more. The location is open from 9 am to 5 pm seven days a week.
