More and more often, you see “junkyards” transforming into “recycling centers” or “auto recyclers.” One reason is the effort to be more environmentally conscientious. Scrap processors are already some of the most efficient recycling companies but if you look like a “junkyard” it’s hard to claim being “green.”

Also, there is a stigma associated with scrapyards similar to pawn shops – operating in or near the gray area of the law. Many recycling operations are doing everything in their power to remove as much of the criminal element from their business relationships.as possible. Cleaning up and looking more like a recycling center instead of a junkyard is helpful in that process. Dealing above board on all transactions as well as working closely with law enforcement has been another important step.

Another reason involves growth opportunities. City and county government entities are much more likely to work with a reputable business to help them grow and being a recycling center helps with that, as was evidenced recently by Speedway Auto Parts of Joliet, Illinois.

So, next time you go to recycle something, take a closer look and see if you don’t see a different operation than your dad’s “junkyard.”

We all understand that business is tough and the economy will bring more business bankruptcies and closures. It’s simply part of everyday life. One thing to consider if it comes to that for your firm is the way you go about closing the facility. The common courtesies of life apply to business as well as personal relationships.

To be open for the first two shifts of the day and have the third shift show up to find a notice saying the shift is canceled and the plant is closed is not a kindly gesture. On top of that, not even answering the phone or providing a statement of any sort leaves so many questions unanswered.

Such action creates the feeling that something is or was amiss in the company – for surely providing no answers means there is something to hide. That kind of thinking is all too prevalent from the public with this type of closure. They might think that perhaps the owner is in legal trouble and is trying to escape the clutches of the law. You are also setting yourself up for future failure if people remember the way you handled things before. And with the internet, that is all too likely now.

Here are a couple of suggestions which would turn the situation less ugly. First, take the time and make the effort to call all the employees and inform them of the closure so they don’t make the commute only to find their drive in vain. Better yet, bring the employees in on the situation way beforehand, letting them know of the possible closure on a particular date if a way isn’t found to keep it open. Enlist their help. You’d be surprised at what employees will do to keep from losing their jobs if they know they have a chance.

Next, supply a simple notice to the press that things have been really tough and the firm can no longer stay open and you wish you had more to say but that’s all there is. And then have a live person to at least let callers know there is no further comment. It’s better than an answering machine to which everybody knows you have no plans for response. Better yet is to be open with the press – grant interviews and tell your story. People are a lot more forgiving and understanding when you use frankness and candor. Too many people today are quick to remember the past and make that the focus of their thoughts about you, even if you have changed for the better. So, giving them at least some positiveness to recall later serves both them now and you later.

This might make you wonder if Congress will get upset at losing their status as the main producer of manure. If this technology catches on, we might see farmers and ranchers getting in the business of “producing” manure in order to ensure they have enough to feed their anaerobic digestors. Who would have thought 50 years ago that farmers would also be in the power industry?

No matter what way you try to sell “going green” to businesses, in the end it has to come down to making economic sense. Many environmentalists seem to think we can get people to be greener because it is the right thing to do and if that isn’t your motivation, then there is something wrong.

Take for instance the recent kerfluffle over the climate change bill in the US. Some environmental groups are calling it “Let’s Make A Deal” since it has so much compromise in it. The end product isn’t even near as stringent as they would like. However, they are not looking at it at all from a business standpoint. Businesses still need to make money and there will always be some give and take in negotiations. In this case, isn’t it better to have some progress and hope for more in time?

So let’s say you used to sell shoelaces to a shoe company. They told you just exactly how they wanted the laces made including out of a very strong material and very long. Many years later, as your company continues to make shoelaces, the fact surfaces that those laces you sold to the now defunct shoe company are the perfect length and strength for committing suicide. Now, loved-ones of people who have committed suicide are upset that someone could make a shoelace so perfect for committing suicide. You just made them how they were ordered and had no clue of the harmful nature of the laces but now you are being sued.

Does this scenario make sense to you? Yet it is eerily similar to a government lawsuit being brought against some scrap recycling companies that sold mercury to the Port Refinery many years ago. The Port Refinery was closed so now let’s sue those who sold the substance even though they sold it completely legally. What’s next? Is somebody going to sue the descendants of George Washington because they missed out on cherries that could have grown had he not chopped down the legendary cherry tree?

But such is the way with our runaway government. They seem bound and determined to squeeze out any possible cent from US businesses, even if it costs them more to do so than what they collect. Do you want to know why more companies are not finding ways to recycle electronics? Nobody wants to pay the price years from now when somebody determines the process used was in some way dangerous. So now companies send the electronics overseas – which might also get you into trouble.