This week’s Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Adam Stenross-Russell — who single-handedly created a neighborhood recycling project, that’s rescued nine tons of scrap metal from the landfill and still counting.

“He’s just taken on this personal crusade to reuse materials, to save them from going from the landfill, to he repairs things,” said Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger. “He collects things, and he actually put a trailer out in front of his house where people drop off the things that they aren’t interested in having anymore.”

Hemminger said Stenross-Russell has diverted over 18,000 pounds of metal from the landfill so far.

“People drop all kinds of things off over there,” said Hemminger. “He and his three sons learn about how to take things apart and how to put things back together as well.”

The effort from Stenross-Russell has turned his trailer into sort of a community trading post, where people leave things and take what they need.

“We love it when community members step up and see a need in the town and they see a way to help,” said Hemminger. “I love it when people come up with these ideas and make it work themselves and get the community involved. That is true spirit of community.”

Listen to this week’s Hometown Hero segment:

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