ReMA’s Partnership with South Carolina Association of School Administrators Highlights Industry Career Opportunities
On Tuesday, September 30, the South Carolina Association of Administrators (SCASA) hosted a roundtable for the Career and Technical Education Directors and presented awards to the winners of the first-ever South Carolina Recycling Poster Contest, a statewide initiative designed to inspire students to explore the power of recycling and its role in building a sustainable future.
ReMA members Morgan Crapps, director of public affairs and government relations at Redwood Materials, Summer Reid, a buyer at Commercial Metals, and Matt Venuto, an industrial recycling program manager at CRC Scrap, participated on SCASA’s panel Recycling Sector Discussion on the Impact and Opportunities for South Carolina Industries and South Carolina School Districts.
“It was a great event, and we got a lot of good comments from attendees who did not know a lot about the recycled materials industry,” said Quincie Moore, executive director of SCASA. “Our goal was to bring awareness of the industry and demonstrate opportunities between recycling operations, the schools, and our members.”
Our goal was to bring awareness of the industry and demonstrate opportunities between recycling operations, the schools, and our members
SCASA invited the students who won the South Carolina Recycling Poster Contest to attend the roundtable as well as their teachers, principals, superintendents, and parents.
In partnership with ReMA and the national nonprofit JASON Learning, the 2024–25 contest challenged South Carolina students in grades K-12 to create a poster advertisement centered on the three guiding principles of recycling: Sustainable, Resilient, and Essential, reflecting ReMA’s refreshed branding and mission. Students submitted entries individually or in teams of two and were encouraged to incorporate real-world examples learned through research to demonstrate how recycling is transforming communities and creating opportunity.
“This contest both introduced students to South Carolina’s thriving recycling industry and provided an opportunity for students to earn statewide recognition while developing crucial research skills,” Moore said. “It is exactly the kind of authentic learning experience that prepares our students for success, and it is aligned to our Profile of the South Carolina Graduate.”
In total, 57 posters were submitted by 68 students across 13 school districts, representing a strong launch for this inaugural year. The submissions were divided by grade bands and judged in two rounds—first by ReMA, and JASON Learning staff, and then by experts in the recycled materials industry who assessed each finalist for industry accuracy and creativity.
According to Moore, South Carolina students will participate in the JASON Learning/ReMA National Youth Recycling Video and Poster Contest. SCASA will select its own winners for the South Carolina contest as the theme around battery recycling is a pertinent topic for South Carolina.
“We have several makers of vehicles in South Carolina and there is a big EV presence as well,” Moore said. “There are BMW, Volvo, Volkswagen, and Scout Motors, which is a large battery maker. So, there are a lot of opportunities for careers in this fields.”
South Carolina is a national leader in the recycled materials industry, home to more than 300 recycling companies that support 42,700 jobs and generate $13.6 billion in annual economic impact. Recycling plays a vital role in the state’s manufacturing, logistics, and environmental services sectors and is recognized as a key driver of middle-skill job growth and innovation.
As the industry continues to expand, there is a growing need to build awareness and understanding of recycling among students, educators, and communities.
“The economic development coming into the state of South Carolina is phenomenal, and our members who are school leaders have an opportunity to bring awareness and even provide training to help supply the workforce pipeline,” Moore said.
One of Moore’s biggest takeaways from the panel was being able to expose the career and technical directors to the type of training and internships recyclers could provide to employees and students and demonstrate the full scope of the recycled materials industry.
“We are planning to send attendees a map of South Carolina that includes the location of all the recycling centers and companies,” Moore said. “I think there is a willingness for these recycling centers to work with our schools because they want to strengthen and grow the industry by encouraging young people to learn more about what they do and potential career paths in this field.”
Images Courtesy of SCASA.