Editor's Focus

The adjective "green" is often applied beyond the description of the color itself. Two of the most common associations are with environmental causes and with U.S. currency.

Most compilers of "what’s hot and what’s not" lists would place environmental causes on the hot side of the ledger right now. After a couple of decades of sinking toward the bottom of political and corporate agendas, real and professed concern for the environment has been revived.

Designers of buildings and the suppliers and contractors who serve them have quickly become familiar with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), in just one example of the green designation sparking widespread interest in doing right by the environment.

The building industry is not alone in its revived interest in the environment. Whether prompted by staving off global warming, conserving natural resources, slowing urban sprawl or protecting endangered species, governments and corporations are increasingly cognizant of their environmental scorecard and how they are perceived by the public.

Perhaps much more so than with the environmental movement of the 1970s, the other connotation of green is aligning with the eco-connotation. A common observation is that the corporate world, venture capitalists, philanthropists and entrepreneurs are almost uniformly ahead in their reactions to the new green movement than are many legislative bodies and government agencies.

Some environmentalists may have concerns about corporate co-opting of environmental goals, or even of "greenwashing" efforts—passing nods by corporations or trade groups undertaken more for public relations purposes than to effect genuine change.

But following the money is ultimately the most important barometer of how and if a society is changing. Diplomats can sign a treaty on global warming, but in developed nations, enforcement will be difficult without public support, widespread innovation and significant investments.

All three of these things, it can be argued, are starting to align.

The flow of capital is responding, whether going toward fuel-efficient cars, energy-efficient buildings or, ideally for readers of this publication, increased recycling efforts.

Many companies are seeing renewed interest in young people joining the recycling workforce. For family businesses, this could mean retaining the next generation (see this month’s cover story on United Milwaukee Scrap). Or for recycling companies that had not previously considered it, this could be a good time to recruit on college campuses.

After some lean years earlier this decade, recyclers appear to be in the enviable position of being on the winning side of both green equations. Recyclers should consider acting now to build up a workforce to stay in the game.