Meet Christopher Carrera, Recipient of the 2026 Peter J. Avagliano Award

The Recycling Education & Research Foundation (RERF) has announced that Christopher Carrera is the recipient of the 2026 Peter J. Avagliano Award, honoring outstanding early to mid-career professionals in the recycled materials industry. The award was presented during the ReMA 2026 Convention in Las Vegas.

RERF's Peter J. Avagliano Award was established by Mr. Avagliano's family in his memory. Each year it recognizes a recycled materials operation employee who best exemplifies Avagliano's legacy, including a demonstrated commitment to the industry, leadership potential, helping others, and being a kind and considerate team member.

Carrera is a Mill and Downstream Supervisor at Monterrey Metal Recycling Solutions in San Antonio, Texas. He began his career a decade ago as a third-shift sorter and worked his way up into a leadership position overseeing downstream and shredder operations across multiple shifts. Carrera brings safety, team development, efficiency, and reliability to his role and inspires those attributes in his crew.

ReMA News had the chance to chat with Carrera about how he joined the industry, how he felt receiving the Avagliano award, and his leadership style.

How did you feel when you learned you had been named the recipient of the 2026 Avagliano Award?

It was a real surprise. Jordan Vexler, my CEO, called me into her office and started off the conversation by asking me how things were going and some small chit-chat and then she just dropped it on me. She said I had won this award, and I would be going to Vegas for the ReMA Convention and I was just speechless. I learned about the story behind the award and more about Peter J. Avagliano and it's a real honor for me. It reflects the hard work, teamwork, and commitment to the recycled materials industry that I've been fortunate to be a part of, as well as the dedication of the people who I've worked with along the way.

How did you join the industry?

I started at Monterrey Metal Recycling Solutions about 12 years ago as a third-shift sorter, sorting out metals on a moving conveyer like copper and brass and other precious metals. Then I grew into a heavy equipment operator position and then I moved into a leadership position where I was leading a 2^nd shift and eventually a 3^rd shift and now I oversee the downstream and shredder operations across multiple shifts.

Can you tell me about your leadership style?

I think I'm straightforward in my leadership style. I'm a true believer in leading by example. If we have a job to do, then we need to do it safely. If there are any issues, then they need to be reported and corrected. Being consistent in keeping operations running is a must in this industry. I always give out the plans and goals for the month or quarter. For example, if we need to produce a certain number of shipments for a specific material and how we can best meet those goals. There's a lot that goes into building a team and growing a workforce can be challenging, but it's also incredibly rewarding. No two days are alike in this business, and it's great to see how the industry has changed and evolved since I started, especially when it comes to technological improvements.