Recent Temple University graduate Jeanpaul Gonzalez was excited for ReMA2025 – The Show. Though it was his first ReMA convention it was by no means his first ReMA event. He had attended several networking events hosted by the organization. “I knew that if I wanted to break into the industry I had to network and…
When people ask Dave Smith, the service manager at the Michigan State University (MSU) Recycling Center, what he likes most about his job he’s quick to say that it’s working with the student employees. “There is a great energy that students bring to the materials recovery facility (MRF),” Smith said. “There’s an inquisitiveness and a…
For the last two semesters, Manitoba Corp. has had a new intern working with the company thanks to the Recycled Materials Association’s (ReMA) Pathways Program. Changtong Wu, a student at the University of Michigan has been working remotely for the Buffalo, NY-based company, helping lead Manitoba’s ESG efforts to improve its rankings on a site…
Though Josephine Tarrazi’s internship with the Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) started in Fall 2024, she’s been aware of the recycled materials industry since 2022 when she was a senior in high school. “My teacher gave our class a poster assignment about recycling and sustainability and the relationship between recycling and climate change,” Tarrazi said. “My…
On Wednesday, Sept. 4, CW Metals held a celebratory lunch to recognize three months of success, six new hires, and a positive shift in company culture after joining the Recycled Materials Association’s (ReMA) Inclusion Cohort pilot. Attendees included CW Metals employees, community partners they worked with in hiring, as well as the consulting team from…
The REMADE Institute has announced it has been awarded $380,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop Circular Economy workforce training for the nation’s rapidly growing electronics recycled material and remanufacturing industries. REMADE℠ will lead the workforce project and partner on it with ReMA, the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), and the Remanufacturing…
ReMA’s Board of Directors was challenged earlier this year by ReMA President Robin Wiener and Senior Vice President Advocacy, Sustainability and Safety Cheryl Coleman to help ReMA grow its youth outreach effort by reaching the ambitious goal of 30 new JASON Learning school sponsorships in 2024. To date, members have committed to eight new JASON…
The ReMA-JASON Learning partnership promotes career opportunities in the recycled materials industry and expands knowledge and awareness of recycled materials’ impact and outputs. Mary Hlepas, VP of Purchasing for Imperial Group/Aluminum-Minerva, former ReMA Northern Ohio Chapter president, and current scholarship chair, has led the chapter to collectively sponsor a school with JASON Learning — Springfield…
Educating the next generation on the work of the recycled materials industry does not have to wait until they are ready to become a part of the workforce. ReMA member Sahd Metal Recycling was recently recognized for their efforts to engage students in the classroom on recycling education and career opportunities by the Lancaster STEM…
Note: This is the second article in an ISRI News series highlighting the member benefits of ISRI’s Workforce Development program and resources. Designed specifically for the recycled materials industry by ISRI leadership, the upcoming Industry Compensation & Benefits Survey is an all-encompassing resource of real-time industry wages and benefits data. ISRI recognizes that industry professionals…
Note: This is the first article in an ISRI News series highlighting the member benefits of ISRI’s Workforce Development resources. Recycled materials industry professionals have unique opportunities, issues and challenges in the workforce development arena. To assist ISRI members with human resources (HR) needs, the Workforce Development Program was created as a comprehensive, online clearinghouse…
Blue Star Recyclers, in Denver, Colorado, was founded in 2009 with a mission to ethically recycle electronics and other materials to create local jobs for people with autism and other disabilities; a population facing around 80% unemployment/underemployment. It’s estimated that each year 50 million tons of electronic waste is produced and less than 20 percent…