Recycling rewards - Richmond Steel Recycling Limited

Guaranteed destruction isn't a term one normally links to green values, but that's exactly what happens at Richmond Steel Recycling Limited. The 37-year-old company, located on Mitchel Island with yards in Prince George and Fort St. John, turns everything from automobiles to household appliances into mountains of shredded steel that are purchased by melt shops, thus reducing landfill waste and the mining of resources.

Along the way, RSR's 71-strong staff have been known to flatten luxury sports cars at the manufacturers' request (because they incurred minor damage during shipping), the odd stunt vehicle from television shows (because they were not licensed for private use) and illegal guns and weapons (on behalf of local police and the RCMP). "It's a reflection of our strict operating standards that law enforcement and agencies like Canada Customs rely on us, and we apply the same standards for our regular customers: the auto wreckers, organizations such as BC Hydro - virtually any legitimate comapny or individual with items that have reached the end of their useful life, "says RSR buyer John Rai.