Eco-Libris: “My Green Bookshelf” with Ron Gonen of RecycleBank : Ecopreneurist

Eco-Libris: “My Green Bookshelf” with Ron Gonen of RecycleBank

Published on June 10th, 2008

Posted in eco-entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs

Editor’s note: Our friends at Eco-Libris rolled out a new feature on their blog last week. “My Green Bookshelf” focuses on green VIPs and their relationship with books: their reading habits, their libraries, etc. For the first installment, EL blogger Raz Godelnik talked to ecopreneur Ron Gonen, co-founder and CEO of Philadelphia’s RecycleBank. This post was originally published on Wednesday, June 4, 2008.

I don’t know about you, but when I read about green celebrities, CEOs of green companies, and other green figures, I’m always curious - what do these people read? What’s their favorite green book? How many green books they have on their bookshelf? So I decided that it’s time to try and get some answers.

Hence we begin today a new series - ‘My Green Bookshelf’. In this series we will take a look at the reading habits of interesting people from the green world with special focus on their green reading. As a small token of appreciation to our guests in the series, Eco-Libris will plant 50 new trees on behalf of each and every participant with its planting partners!

Our first guest in the series is Ron Gonen, the co-founder and CEO of RecycleBank.

RecycleBank is a Philadelphia based company that has revolutionized municipal recycling in America, by initiating a brilliant recycling program that rewards people for recycling at home. RecycleBank, which was founded in 2004, currently provides service in more than 35 municipalities in the states of Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Vermont.

Prior to RecycleBank, Ron Gonen was a Senior Consultant at Deloitte Consulting. Ron was a co-recipient of Deloitte Consulting’s National Impact Award in 2002 for his development and management of a consulting unit that provides pro bono consulting services to non-profit and charitable organizations. Ron holds an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Ron is not only a successful CEO of a great green company, but also an avid reader. He has agreed to share with us his reading habits and below you’ll find his replies to our questions.

When do you find the time to read?

Before I get to sleep and on planes.

How many books do you have in your library at home?

A lot. I was a voracious reader back when I had time to read.

What’s your favorite green book?

let my people go surfing by Yvon Chouinard.

Do you borrow books from friends? Do you lend yours to others after you read them?

Yes.

Are you registered to a library?

No.

If you had to go to a deserted island, what 3 books would you take with you?

1. Exodus by Leon Uris