RICHMOND – Granite and marble scraps usually hauled to a landfill have sparked a local business from a couple of new, green-thinking entrepreneurs.

Thanks to a special granite-splitting machine developed by a woman in Indiana, Granite Reworks of Richmond is turning scraps into usable granite tiles. From there, the company makes kitchen and bathroom backsplashes, fire pits, “pavers” for back patios and walkways and just about whatever else they or their customers dream up.

The companies Granite Reworks take scraps from – Millennium Stone of Illinois in Johnsburg and Custom Marble & Granite in McHenry – save big on disposal costs. And Stacy and Bret Bjorkman, siblings and owners of Granite Reworks, get free supplies to build their business, one that at its core is focused on reducing its environmental impact.