With classes transitioning to online, trips being cancelled, and working from home becoming the new norm, it’s safe to say that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our lives in the most unexpected way. John Sacco’s daughter, Giovanna, joins Pile of Scrap to discuss how her life was changed once she first heard of the European travel ban while in the U.K. for a semester abroad. Between having been a possible victim of the virus to being in complete isolation for 14 days, Giovanna gives you a firsthand look of her COVID-19 experience.

Ranked as the 5th deadliest industry, the recycling industry requires pertinent safety knowledge to keep in mind when on the job. John Sacco speaks with Felipe Guerra, Director of Safety at Sierra, to set the record straight on Sierra’s notorious safety program, the strict truck driver training, and how to create an easy inspection in order to get past those pesky auditors and agencies.

In addition to being CEO of BENLEE, the #1 roll off trailer manufacturer in North America, some may also consider Greg Brown a celebrity for his weekly reports in economics, scrap metal, and recycling. Greg sits down with John Sacco to tell us his perspective on the affects the novel Coronavirus has had on China, the struggle in finding a workforce, and even the time his life was saved by a gun jam during a robbery.

*This episode was recorded on February 29, 2020.

As we get more and more emerged into the Coronavirus pandemic, there are many questions being asked within the scrap industry. John Sacco invites medical professional Dr. Vip Dev and the biggest names in scrap such as Brett Ekart from United Metals Recycling, Sean Daoud from PNW Metal Recycling, Matt Kripke from Kripke Enterprises, Andrew Lincoln from Lincoln Recycling, and Nathan Frankel from Advanced Steel Recovery to give us the inside scoop on the availability of virus testing and how the scrap industry remains in operation through the slowing of production and business closures.

Basic necessities have been wiped from the shelves since the outbreak of the Coronavirus has stirred up panic in our communities. Toilet paper, water, and even certain meats – gone. John Sacco sits down with us to discuss the absurdity the World has been going through the past few days and how improving communication between production companies and consumers can positively affect these circumstances.

With the ISRI convention being officially cancelled and having a daughter overseas spending the semester abroad after an announcement of a European travel ban, John Sacco is starting to feel the panic of the Coronavirus. Having uncertainty about what this virus means for our economy and others in the industry, John advises us to remain calm.

If there’s one thing the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) is known for, it’s their conventions. Chuck Carr, mastermind behind the industry’s biggest event of the year, talks with John Sacco about the significant benefits ISRI’s conventions can bring to your business. Although networking is number one on that list, the keynote speakers and the educational programs make it a guarantee that this event won’t disappoint.