Will the Recession Kill Green Business?

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We are arguably in the midst of the biggest boom the green-business movement has ever seen, with all those who have been paving the way for more than two decades saying that we are truly at the turning point. So what will happen now that we are mired the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression?

The recycling industry has already been hit hard. With low gas prices, the cost of plastic has taken a nose dive, and manufacturers are not ordering recycled plastic at the record levels they were a few months ago when prices at the pump hovered around $4. Also, and perhaps most importantly, consumers are steering clear of anything with premium prices (almost the exact definition of most green products).

So what should green business leaders do? Together, we cannot let a recession kill the amazing momentum that has taken the movement mainstream. This blog is not here to present solutions, but to identify issues, raise questions, and ask for your thoughts on what we can do. With that, I invite you to share your perspectives.

Tom Szaky

Tom Szaky is the founder of TerraCycle, a New Jersey based company that makes fertilizer using worms and produces retail products from recycled goods. The firm was started while he was a student at Princeton University. Tom was named "The No. 1 CEO Under Thirty" by Inc. magazine in its July 2006 issue.