There’s a good article from Businessweek, highlighting Casella Waste (CWST) and the recycling boom that’s fueled by environmental concerns and the commodity boom.  A bale of aluminum is currently fetching $900/bale so an increasing number of companies are looking to cash in.

“The possibilities have venture capitalists and buyout firms scrambling to invest in a melange of quirky startups that might have provoked belly laughs from these same financiers five years ago. The broad category of “waste and recycling,” which includes everything from materials recovery to sewage biotechnology, drew a record $622 million of investment in 2007, compared with $245 million a year earlier and just $20 million in 2001, according to Cleantech Group, a green investing consultancy.”