ReMA to Recognize Recycling Industry Leader Jay Robinovitz with 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award
(March 11, 2026 – Washington, D.C.) – The Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) announced today that it will recognize Jay Robinovitz with its 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award at ReMA2026 – The Show in Las Vegas. Robinovitz will be honored for his years of leadership and innovation in the recycled materials industry.
“Jay embodies the very best of our industry,” said ReMA President Robin Wiener. “From his foundational work in his family’s business to his various leadership positions, Jay’s career has been defined by deep-seated advocacy for the recycled materials industry and the people who power it. I am delighted Jay has been chosen as the 2026 ReMA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.”
Robinovitz, whose three core tenets are safety, quality, and customer service, has served the recycled materials industry for more than 50 years. He started at his family’s recycling operation, called R&R Industries Inc., in Springfield, MA. Robinovitz worked as a General Manager at Aerospace Metals, Inc. in Hartford, Connecticut, as well as Schnitzer Steel Industries where he held various senior management positions including Vice President of Business Development and Major Capital Investments, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Auto Parts Division, and Vice President of Northwest Operations. He completed his career at Alter Trading, a Goldstein Group Company, where he started in 2009 as Senior Vice President and Chief Officer of Operations. Robinovitz was promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer in 2012; and on January 1, 2018, became President and Chief Executive Officer. On April 30, 2024, he retired from Alter Trading and now serves as a member of the Alter Trading Board of Directors.
“I am humbled and honored to receive this award,” Robinovitz said. “To be mentioned in the same breath as so many iconic industry leaders is both surreal and deeply meaningful. I stand here incredibly grateful for all of the mentors, partners, and teammates who made this possible.”
In addition to his leadership roles within recycling operations, Robinovitz has worked to change regulations surrounding plastics and environmental requirements as well as material theft. He is a champion of global environmentally sustainable recycling practices.
Robinovitz started in the industry before the formation of ReMA, when the two major U.S. recycling associations of the time were the Institute of Scrap Iron and Steel (ISIS) and the National Association of Recycling Industries (NARI).
“For decades, Jay has led with integrity, resilience, and a deep commitment to doing things the right way,” said ReMA Chair Colin Kelly. “His contributions have shaped several organizations, most recently Alter Trading, and strengthened our industry in ways that will endure long beyond today. What makes this recognition especially meaningful to me is that I have had the privilege of witnessing that leadership up close — not just as a colleague, but as a friend. And I can say with confidence: the character behind the accomplishments is even greater than the résumé.”
Robinovitz enjoys spending time with his family, including his wife Judi, his son Jared and daughter-in-law Samantha, daughter Jaime and son-in-law Steven, and his two grandchildren, Layla and Mason.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented annually by ReMA’s Chair to bestow recognition and honor upon an individual(s) in the recycled materials industry whose name and deeds are synonymous with integrity and the pursuit of excellence, and who has made significant contributions over their lifetime to the recycled materials industry and the organization. Robinovitz will be recognized during the ReMA2026 awards presentation on April 15, 2026.
Members of the press are invited to attend ReMA2026 free-of-charge by contacting [email protected].
To learn more about the recycled materials industry, visit www.recycledmaterials.org.
###
For more information contact: Rachel Bookman, [email protected].
The Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) represents more than 1,700 companies in the U.S. and 40 countries around the globe. Based in Washington, D.C., ReMA provides advocacy, education, safety and compliance training, and promotes public awareness of the vital role recycled materials play in the U.S. economy, global trade, the environment and sustainable development.