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 terms of saving the environment and bettering the economy which, according to Robin, is sure to continue in the many years to come.

Jason Schenker is back! John Sacco invites oneof 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 scrap and global markets, how the science of economics directly impacts the 2020 Presidential election, and even the repercussions of “wish recycling.”

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 friendships in the industry.

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 journey he’s had in becoming CEO and how the generations before him have helped pave the way to the successful business it is today.

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 take action. With 2020 around the corner, there seems to be no better time than now.

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 what to put in your blue bin, the increase in corporate environmental sustainability, and the unnecessary “go paperless” phenomenon, Zeid answers it all.

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 Sacco travels to Portland, Oregon to speak with owners Fouad Daoud, his son Sean Daoud, and Hank Doane about PNW’s story, the burden of operating a facility in an environmentally conscious state such as Oregon, and their involvement with ISRI.

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 pronounced as Tesla and the Ford F-150. Announcing his appreciation, Kripke describes how economically viable and environmentally responsible ISRI has been in educating for the prevention of that aluminum going into landfills in the future.

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 show to talk on how the recycling industry and the U.S. economy has been impacted by tariffs as well as the net effect of the economy in terms of taxes on both the state and national levels.

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 scrap business, and what it was like being an officer for ISRI.