Engaging with the Next Generation of Recyclers: How ReMA Members Can Impact Their Local Communities

Engaging with your local community doesn't need to be complicated. Take it from ReMA member Saren Weinstein Schapiro, a second-generation leader at M&M Recycling. This past month she and the team at M&M Recycling wrapped up an outreach program with a local school that not only helped young students develop their entrepreneurial skills but also highlighted the importance of the recycled materials industry to the next generation.

"Our industry is not well known," Saren said. "Many people know about paper and plastics recycling, but they may know less about metals recycling. Getting involved in a program for students in your community highlights the positive impact of the industry and exposes students to new opportunities they may not have known about."

Saren launched the program for the seventh graders at her daughter's school after learning from the principal that the school was interested in starting an entrepreneurial program for students.

"First there was a series of classes where I came in to talk about different aspects of building a business, from teamwork to strategic thinking and connected it back to the recycled materials industry," she said. "Students divided up into teams and came up with a business name for their companies. One of my favorites was 'The Scrapengers.'"

The students also took a field trip to M&M Recycling to see the industry in action before they began to strategize about what materials to collect.

"Then the class began the second part of the project, which was to collect recyclable materials and determine which items were more valuable than others," Saren said. "It was a lot of strategic work and teamwork. M&M Recycling provided a dumpster for the school so students could add their items. I also visited their classrooms two to three times throughout the semester to answer questions, help with their strategy, or update them on market changes."

For the final step, students returned to M&M Recycling to sell their materials. Throughout the process they not only learned entrepreneurial skills, teamwork, strategy, and about the commodities market, but they also had the chance to make some money and have fun in the process.

"I think this program worked really well," Saren reflected. "A lot of the kids were interested and there are just so many ways to be part of the recycled materials industry. I think this project opened a new world for them to imagine what they could do in the future."

For fellow recyclers who are interested in getting involved in a program like this but may not know where to start, Saren recommends turning to ReMA for resources and help. Programs include ReMA's Pathways Program, which offers paid fellowship and internship opportunities for current and recent graduates, the ReMA-JASON Learning partnership, which offers ReMA members the opportunity to sponsor a local school in their area, participatedin Recycling Jobs Day, which supports members in bringing students who are about to enter the workforce into their facilities for tours, and more.

"If you want to start a program like this at your local school, I think it's important to reach out to ReMA for resources, come up with an idea and a plan for what you want the program to look like and the time commitment you can make," Saren advised. "Then present your plan clearly to a local school and be sure to share the value it would bring to the school and to the students."

She added that her entrepreneurial class is just one of the ways M&M engages with its local community. The company also does a lot of outreach work with community colleges and trade schools for older students who are graduating high school or are currently in college so they can learn more about the recycled materials industry.

"We also do a lot of internal community outreach," she said. "We know there are a lot of opportunities in this industry but many people working in the yard don't know they exist. So, we look for employees who not only demonstrate our core values but also want to be developed and mentored and help them step into larger leadership roles in the company."

Any members who are interested in learning more about opportunities for community engagement are encouraged to reach out to ReMA's Youth Outreach and Workforce Development Team. The team is led by , Vice President of Sustainability and Materials Systems, and , Program Coordinator for Youth Outreach and Workforce Development.

Photos Courtesy of M&M Recycling.