It was Kermit the Frog who said “It’s not easy being green.” With all due respect to my favorite Muppet, I beg to differ. In fact, it’s never been easier to be green. Kermit would be proud to know that companies around the world are finally discovering the gold in going green.

This decade, the role of quality managers has shifted to include two nontraditional areas—environmental compliance and safety. Today, more quality managers are being tasked with establishing green policies and finding ways to ensure that their workplaces remain safe as well as in compliance with state and federal environmental regulators.

Rejuvenation and Reser’s Fine Foods, two progressive companies headquartered in Oregon, are among the many companies that have found ways to go beyond the required environmental regulations and adopt environmental policies and practices that are contributing to their bottom line in tough economic times.
    
It requires leadership and innovation for a business that is highly regulated to move beyond the mindset of compliance and, instead, adopt a philosophy of sustainability and concern for the environment, says Jeff Shay, Rejuvenation’s engineering manager and environmental and safety officer.

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