ABC Recycling: A Family Business for Sustainable Development Case Study

As they crossed the Atlantic Ocean more than a century ago, the Yochlowitz and Goldstick families may not have fully envisioned the magnitude of their hopes and efforts in enterprise. Yet, their labours were decades ahead of their time. As an enterprise, ABC Recycling’s overarching purpose lies in achieving environmental sustainability and creating a safer world. As a family enterprise, their motto is telling: “We strengthen the lives of our people, community and partners.” What better reason to be in business. Giving back to the community is rooted in the family’s tradition of tzedakah which, in Judaism, refers to a spiritual and charitable obligation to do what is right, regardless of one’s financial standing. Today, ABC boasts nine locations throughout BC and Alberta, and a rich network of international client partnerships. Specialists in scrap metals, brokerage, demolition and train derailments, ABC Recycling has emerged not only as Western Canada’s largest scrap metal recycling company, but as a values-driven family enterprise with a sharp eye on the long term and an ethical view to improving our world.