We all know that "green" is the ethic of the century, and any product or service that espouses otherwise can be counted among the cultural heretics. Recent news however, reveals just how deeply that philosophy has been adopted by organized crime. In a pointedly-worded document entitled "Industrious Subversion - Circumvention of Oversight In Solid Waste and Recycling In New Jersey" (December 2011), the State of New Jersey Commission of Investigation documents the penetration of criminal elements into the recycling industry.
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- Dec. 2011 Report from the NJ Commission of Investigation |
Given the stigma of criminal involvement in the garbage industry, it takes only a small leap of imagination to understand how laxity in oversight can make for an industrious subculture. According to the report, "
...unsound, unfair, or illegal practices, methods, and activities in...this type of industry", were to be stemmed in the State through the A-901 Program established in 1983. Unfortunately, the report tells us, that the program has been struggling along "...
with inadequate tools in a system plagued by structural deficiencies." Further, in that the industry has broadened from “garbage” to include a wide variety of recycling operations, which include concrete, rock and soil, the A-901 program misses a significant portion of ‘band-width’ in the waste industry. To this end, the report recommends expanding the A-901 program to include recycling operations and operators. Ending its report on a positive note, the Commission recommends seven very specific measures - statutory reforms and regulatory modifications that would ensure the recycling industry is
operated by companies and individuals who embrace appropriate
social responsibilities.
