Pile of Scrap Ep. 42: Packaging the Right Way with Atlantic Packaging

As someone who’s spent his entire youth and most of his adult life as an avid surfer, President of Atlantic Packaging Wes Carter has seen the damages that plastic pollution has had on our oceans firsthand. When approached about what the packaging industry is doing about it, a lightbulb finally went off. Since then, Wes is leading the charge in advocating for better ways to clean up landfills and save our oceans’ wildlife, all of which includes getting consumers and packaging manufacturers to join the conversation, get the Elon Musks and the Bill Gates of the world to believe in this initiative, and altogether address the misconceptions of plastic recycling.

Pile of Scrap Ep. 41: Sierra's Young Guns

The service technicians over at Sierra bring a new light to the term, “Young Guns” as they sit with John Sacco to talk all about how this industry has transformed them from “boys to men” seeing as their maturity levels have grown over the years. Ricardo Diaz, Angel Mariscal, and Arturo Madrigal (Jr.) together discuss the common mistakes all the way to the impressive attributes they see at their customers’ yards, the importance of having smart, young and talented individuals in the industry, and their experiences on the job.

Pile of ScrapEp. 40: Gearing Up for 2021

Coming as a sigh of relief to many, 2020 is finally over, and it’s time to start gearing up for the year ahead. Looking back on all the experiences we’ve had and memories we’ve made on Pile of Scrap, we can say that we’ve learned a few things that we can carry with us into 2021. To kickstart new beginnings, John goes over the importance of this industry, getting our voices heard and, overall, how critical it is to stay positive moving forward through the year.

Pile of ScrapEp. 39: Business Must Continue

From adapting to COVID-19 regulations to watching commodity prices rise and fall, and even transitioning to a new administration, there’s no doubt those of us in the recycling industry have had a tough year. However, as John says: business must continue. We know that in times like these, what the world needs most are leaders.

Pile of ScrapEp. 38: Family First – The Saccos of Sierra

John Sacco joins his brother, Philip Sacco, and nephew, Philip Sacco II, in Wyoming for a special Pile of Scrap episode focusing on the importance of family business and what it’s like growing up at Sierra, all while reminiscing on a few crazy stories.

Pile of Scrap Ep. 37: Good Ol’ Buddies

Working in the scrap industry is a little different than your average day job, and A&S Metals owners Stanley Silva, II (Buddy) and Stanley Silva, III (Buddy Jr.) can attest to that. Taking after generations before them, these guys are the embodiment of what hard work looks like. To discuss the history of the company and the essential aspects of recycling, John Sacco and his nephew, Philip Sacco, travel to Castroville, CA, to catch up with old friends over at A&S.

Pile of Scrap Ep. 36: Talking Music with Uncle Kracker

Unlike your typical Pile of Scrap episode, John Sacco decides to shake things up a bit by putting recycling on hold for a moment and discussing a topic everyone can resonate with: music. While enjoying a couple of steaks and sitting down with singer/songwriter Matthew Shafer, better known as Country music star Uncle Kracker, these guys waste no time in talking about how different music artists and music genres have played such a critical role in Matthew’s career all while including legendary stories involving Hank Jr. and ACDC.

Pile of Scrap Ep. 35: Walk the Yard - Scrap is Not Waste

Walking through Sierra’s scrapyard, John Sacco realizes he has a few things he needs to get off his chest. Although touching on topics all across the board, he doubles down how exactly government legislators are silencing those in the recycling industry when it comes to how recycled commodities should be labeled. John says enough is enough! It’s time to speak up and get our message out there: Scrap is not waste.

Pile of Scrap Ep. 34: Mr. Foontastic!

Surprise! John Sacco packs his bags and heads to Sterling Heights, Michigan to pay his good friend, Mikey Foon, an unexpected visit. As the fourth-generation owner of Admiral Metals, things are a bit different for Mikey than when his great-grandfather owned the place during the horse-and-buggy days. Through mastering social media, putting plans in place for a second location, and learning to cope with the toll COVID-19 has taken, Mikey still expresses his excitement for this business every day.

Pile of Scrap Ep. 33: Dave Wolf of JWR - The Jack of All Trades 

Initially establishing itself as a small welding and repair shop in 1972, JWR has evolved into a national waste and recycling equipment company offering additional services over the years, such as sandblasting, painting, truck and hoist repair, and container repair. Traveling to Johnson Creek, Wisconsin, John Sacco joins Dave Wolf, Owner of JWR, to talk about the lack of recycling in rural America, how COVID-19 has affected business, and present safety concerns.