Pile of Scrap

Are you still using words like “scrap,” “junk,” or “waste” in your messaging? C’mon, get with the times… It’s 2023! For the first episode of the new year, John Sacco sits down to give us some insight into how the recycling industry touches our daily lives. Diving deep into the truths of specific recyclable metals and how they’re truly the first step into the manufacturing process, John advises we...

The recycling industry has always had struggles with finding manual labor workers. But nowadays, as we’re living in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic, finding those willing to work outside their homes has hit an all-time low. Lizette Patterson, Founder and CEO of Cazador Consulting Group in Bakersfield, CA, joins the podcast with John Sacco to discuss some of the big questions circling the workf...

At the ScrapExpo event in Louisville, Kentucky, John Sacco is joined by President and CEO of Alter Trading Jay Robinovitz to discuss all the nuts and bolts of running a facility. The two talk topics across the board such as managing your business’s expenses, investing in spare parts, and preparing for environmental concerns later down the road. Jay and John are then joined by United Metals owner B...

Having over 30 years working with Recycling Today Media Group, Executive President Jim Keefe gives us sharp insight into what it’s like working as a content publisher for the recycling industry. At the ISRI Summer Meetings in D.C, John and Jim talk about the enormous evolution in technology that this generation has seen since the original forms of recycling back in the biblical era. Jim also menti...

Ready to step up and lead the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), new ISRI Chairman Brian Henesey is prepared to get the ball rolling to change this industry. Brian and John Sacco sit down at the ISRI Summer Meetings in D.C. to discuss what it’s going to take to educate our youth and legislators about recycling, enlist community reinforcement, and create an innovative approach to acqui...

Brothers Joel and Craig Litman of Texas Recycling in Dallas, Texas, join John Sacco to chat about the supply of material made from virgin pulp and recycled fiber and the importance of companies following through with their word on creating more recyclable packaging. Over the years, the brothers have adapted to modern-day business operations but say they keep their late father Stan's "old school bu...

Mikey and Elliott Foon of Admiral Metals join the podcast with their father, Steven, to talk over some of the hottest topics in the industry right now. As recycling slowly makes its way out from the top-numbered deadliest of industries, the Foon brothers agree that we have nothing to thank other than initiating safety first daily. The Foons also discuss their duties at their yard, the importance o...

The Adams brothers of SA Recycling joined the podcast to talk about what makes their company tick. With a whopping 125 yards across the nation, it’s no surprise these guys know their way around the metal recycling business. As CEO of SA, George Adams is one of the most known faces in the recycling industry today, and his love for expansion has been a significant factor in what keeps the company gr...

Much has transpired since the last time we sat down with our favorite economist, Jason Schenker. Jason gives us an update on how the world affairs, such as the Russia/Ukraine war and the COVID-19 shut down in China, specifically affect the recycling and metal industries. With price shift and supply as a primary concern, in addition to inflation hitting labor, operational, and equipment costs, Jaso...

At ISRI’s 2022 National Convention, John sits down with Von Fahrenbruch, owner of F&F Iron & Metals in Norton, Kansas. Having known each other for over 20 years through trade shows, John admits Von is the prime example of how to treat people and how to operate a facility. With Kansas as a major producer of agriculture and oil, Von tells us that processing metals from feedlots and farms and the oil...

Stan Silva II and his son Stan Silva III (Little Bud) return to the podcast for a second time at the ISRI 2022 National Convention to talk to us about operations at the A&S Metals facility. Although he says it’s not as fun as driving a truck, Little Bud has acquired more presence in the yard and taken over some day-to-day duties. With that said, Stan says he’s almost ready to hand over the family...

As their father slowly begins to let his sons take over the company, David and Michael Krentzman say they're more than ready to step up to the plate and follow the six generations of Krentzmans before them. The brothers join the podcast to discuss what it's like operating in rural Pennsylvania, the separation of duties they each have, and how they're continuously working to build core strength for...

Although growing up in the industry and becoming a multi-generational yard owner is impressive, starting as a first-generation recycling facility deserves a whole new level of appreciation. Brothers John and Nicholas Cohen, owners of NJC Scrap Metal Recycling in Hempstead and Bay Shore, NY, join Pile of Scrap at the 2022 ISRI National Convention to discuss where they see themselves in five years,...

To recognize the importance that the next generation has on the state of our environment in the years to come, ISRI partners with Jason Learning and invites K-12 students across the nation to participate in The JASON Project to create a video and poster promoting the recycling industry. This year at the 2022 ISRI National Convention, Josephine Tarazzi, Mark Monteleone, Ani Nishanian, and Namira Me...

During a busy Day 3 of the 2022 ISRI National Convention, President of the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) Tom Bird sits down with John Sacco to share insight on recycling from a global perspective. Tom shares how policymakers in the UK have been working against recyclers much like they have in the US, how the Russia/Ukraine conflict has created division and disrupted material trading, and...

The recycling industry fights many battles day-in and day-out, but ISRI Chairman Gary Champlin says that the COVID-19 pandemic was more of a war than a battle for recyclers everywhere. Having been elected at the peak of shutdown and experiencing two years of sole virtual communication, Gary couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come at the in-person 2022 ISRI National Convention. Champlin joins t...

Back and better than ever, the 2022 National ISRI Convention is, once again, a face-to-face event in Las Vegas, Nevada! As we all prepare for the biggest show in the recycling industry, ISRI President Robin Wiener discusses the victories ISRI has had over the past two years since the COVID-19 pandemic began and doubles down on what needs to change going forward. Although the organization is doing...

With how fast the economy changes, we’ve invited Jason Schenker, one of the most accurate financial forecasters and futurists in the world, back again for his third time on the podcast. Being so close-knit with the recycling industry, Jason gives us the full rundown on the labor market, what’s going on in the metal commodity sector, and issues such as shortages in manufacturing equipment. Jason al...

Looking back at 2021, John Sacco does a solo podcast to address today's most significant issues facing the recycling industry. With the government as our biggest competitor trying to label our commodities as waste and recyclers not making enough noise about it, we've begun to lose our voice. As John says, 2022 is the year we start standing up and advocating more for this industry, doing more for o...

The word “sustainability” has been a buzzword in the recycling industry lately. With many different interpretations of what the term means, Cheryl Coleman, ISRI’s Vice President of Sustainability, joins John Sacco on the podcast to clarify some confusion. The two discuss the importance of recycling profitably, how the packaging industry is a critical factor in furthering that push, and how ISRI ha...

John Sacco goes for a walk with a good friend and ISRI’s 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award winner David Borsuk. These two discuss topics across the board, including the negative connotation of the word “scrap,” environmental justice, the responsibility this industry has to our communities, and how legislators don’t understand a recycler’s role in the supply chain. Even while retired, David’s continu...

As the Co-Chair of ISRI’s Membership Committee and the Chair of the Investment Subcommittee, it’s clear that Neil Byce has a passion for this trade association. John and Neil meet up for a walk-and-talk episode in Washington, DC, to discuss how ISRI has supported their companies to grow into their success by providing education, networking, and advocacy. The two also touch on how recyclers' motiva...

John is boots-on-the-ground in Washington, DC for ISRI’s Summer Board and Committee Meetings! John meets up with Andrew Lincoln, Vice President of Lincoln Recycling and member of ISRI’s Executive Committee, for a walk-and-talk episode. They discuss how ISRI is proactive in growing this industry and the importance of maintaining relationships with lobbyists and government officials, educating and p...

As we commemorate Memorial Day, we acknowledge the brutal reality that each American service member faces. Jason Geis, Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Portrait of a Warrior Gallery - Kern County and a veteran himself, gives John Sacco a heart-wrenching and surreal tour of the gallery to celebrate the twenty-seven men from Kern County who sacrificed their lives in combat post 9/11. By work...

Experts in recovering resources through recycling since 1994, Balcones Resources leads the charge for a cleaner recycling stream in Austin, Dallas, and Little Rock, Texas. CEO Kerry Getter and Vice President of Strategy, Richie Getter, discuss the multitude of changes needed to create a greener environment, including educating the public, increasing curbside programs, and adequately recycling smal...