Martin Cooper

When I was growing up, I was often asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I’m certain that those who asked meant well, but I was not qualified then to answer that question intelligently, and I’m not sure I can answer it intelligently now. If “growing up” means that I’ve finished my education, that I know everything I need to know, that I will no longer be curious, and that I will not ever need to change my mind because I have all the answers, then I plan never to grow up.

My friend Barry Sweet is a junk man. He’s a third-generation junk man, and he’s proud of it. He should be because Barry is in the sustainability business in a time when society is in a sustainability crisis. Our oceans are loaded with plastic, garbage dumps are becoming scarce, and we haven’t figured out how