Pile of Scrap

Are you sick and tired of the countless regulations being put on your yard that are implemented by elected officials who know nothing about the industry? John Sacco is, which is why he’s decided to tell us what we need to do to get our voices heard so that we can properly inform the public and control the message about what it is we do.

Sierra’s Recycle Everything Balers (REBs) are known for getting the job done both quickly and efficiently. However, achieving such high standards wouldn’t be possible without the help of a combined 60 years of experience in the business. John Sacco packs up and heads to Jesup, Georgia, home to Sierra’s manufacturing plant, to meet with General Manager Emory Olds and Head Technician of Sierra’s Two...

Pile of Scrap host and former Chairman of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) John Sacco travels to Washington, D.C. to sit down with old colleague and ISRI President Robin Wiener to gain some insight into the industry and inform listeners of the positive influences that ISRI has had across the board. ISRI has made monumental impacts for its members and the industry as a whole in te...

Jason Schenker is back! John Sacco invites one of the most accurate financial forecasters and futurists in the world to kick back, relax, and enjoy some homemade pizza and steak at his home in Bakersfield, California. But first, Jason sits down to answer a few of the many questions that have been asked about the state of our economy including the important effects the Wuhan Coronavirus has on scra...

As a home away from home, Indiana has held a special place in host John Sacco’s heart thanks to the Lewis family. Holding a 30-year-long friendship with Mike Lewis, President of Lewis Salvage Co., the two friends were able to talk about the growth of Lewis Salvage, what the future holds for Mike’s son, Cary, leading the company into the next generation, and the importance of maintaining close frie...

The recycling industry is notorious for family-owned businesses and United Metals Recycling is no different. Starting from the time Brett Ekart was watching cartoons in his grandpa’s office all the way to graduating with his MBA, he always knew scrap was in his blood. As the third generation Ekart to own United Metals, based in Boise, Idaho, Brett joins Pile of Scrap to talk about the incredible j...

As the year comes to a close, John Sacco sits down for Pile of Scrap’s final episode of 2019 to talk the importance of spreading the word on what is and what isn’t recyclable. Whether you’re a legislator on Capitol Hill, a big-brand retailer like Amazon, or just grabbing groceries at your local market, John says it’s time to start changing the dynamic on the education of the recycling industry and...

Ever wonder what to do with that empty paper cup after finishing your morning coffee? Pile of Scrap host John Sacco travels to St. Louis, Missouri to ask paper recycling master, Leonard Zeid, just that. As Executive Vice President of Midland Davis Corp. and President of Paper Stock Industries (PSI), a national chapter of ISRI, there’s no doubt he knows the business. Everything from determining wha...

Servicing throughout the Oregon and Washington regions since 2013, PNW Metal Recycling (PNW) is a conjoined family-owned business with years of experience in the industry. Whilst maintaining their reputation for the utmost level integrity, this company works every day to stay efficient in their region and becoming the lowest cost producer of the commodities they produce. In this episode, John Sacc...

Toledo, Ohio-based Kripke Enterprises Inc. (KEI) has become one of the most notable non-ferrous scrap brokerage firms to serve North America. Having been known as the “go-to guy for aluminum,” President of KEI Matt Kripke joins Pile of Scrap host John Sacco to explain the rapid growth of the aluminum industry that has been overall prominent in autos and electric vehicles with examples as pronounce...

When it comes to getting down to the hard questions of understanding the impacts of the economy and the future it holds, Jason Schenker breaks it down for us. John Sacco invites Mr. Schenker, President of Prestige Economics and one of the most accurate financial forecasters and futurists in the world, on the podcast to discuss how the recycling industry and the U.S. economy has been impacted by ta...

With SA Recycling being one of the largest and most successful privately-owned scrap recycling companies in the United States, SA President and CEO George Adams knows the ins and outs of what makes this industry tick. In Part 2 of “Scrap Legends: SA Recycling” George sits down with John Sacco to discuss the difficulties in finding laborers, the effects the trade wars with China have had on the scr...

As one of the largest and most successful privately-owned scrap recycling companies in the United States, it has taken years of patience, perseverance, and hard work for SA Recycling to officially claim its name to fame. George Adams, SA President and CEO, sits down with John Sacco to talk further about his time in law school, the attempt to accommodate California’s strict regulation laws, and the...

Throughout generations of his family being involved in the industry, current ISRI Chairman Brian Shine, knew scrap was in his blood from the very beginning. From incorporating the values that he had learned from his family business in addition to the experience he’d acquired through his involvement in the industry, he leads the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) to its continued succes...

From following closely in his father’s footsteps, Matthew Goldman, CEO of Pasco Iron and Metal based in Land O’ Lakes, Florida, is unsurpassed when it comes to knowing the do’s and don’ts of the scrap business. By juggling all the responsibilities of building his company from the ground up, he is a true one man show. John Sacco joins Matthew and his father, Mark Goldman, in discussing Matthew taki...

From fashion to recycling, Edward Kangeter, CEO of CASS, Inc. based in Oakland, CA dives into the "ugliness" of the scrap industry and swaps memorable stories with John. As recyclers, they explain how one can clean up their operations, and help the world understand the importance of a scrap yard. Although, Ed forbids to use the word "scrap" he also describes his aluminum scrap operation. Processin...

How do we resolve the plastic pollution? Jason Young, CEO of the Allan Company based in Southern California, discusses a possible solution with John Sacco. However, the solution involves more than just putting “recyclables” in the blue bin. It requires packaging manufactures to think past the initial shelf life or their products. These issues lead to what we call the Blue Bin Myth: what can and ca...

Sierra Recycling & Demolition is your traditional scrap processor: dealing in scrap metal, cardboard, and field service work for agriculture and oil. Sierra R&D General Manager, Ryan Mallard, and Operations Manager, Daniel Zamora, talk to John Sacco about the company’s safety goals, government regulations, and spending money to make money.