What’s the path to a career in recycling? Sean Daoud, Treasurer of PNW Metal Recycling Inc. in Portland, Oregon, talks with Earth911 about how he got involved in recycling, what his job involves, and the work environment. If you want to help to save the world for a living, this episode is for you.
Daoud was born into a recycling family, starting out in the scrap yard running equipment after high school. After completing internships and sales and his degree in human resources, he returned to the family business, where his responsibilities now include planning the company’s future. The work involves constant communication and traditional business networking, as well as an eye for innovation and efficiency that can be introduced to improve profits.
Daoud is an active member of the Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), where he is vice president of the Pacific Northwest Chapter. Participating in ISRI has proven an effective tool for building recycling industry connections and expertise. Sean shares the advice that recent grads seeking to work in the industry should network and use every opportunity to learn.
We also talk about the growing role of communications and sorting technology, which has accelerated the pace of change in the industry. Recycling workers are now connected from the yard to the office and across customer relationships by technology. It is a dynamic industry like any other, with materials flowing across boundaries and through many regulatory regimes around the world, all of which recycling executives must master to succeed.
Daoud has good advice for listeners who want to work in the recycling industry. Whether you start in the yard or back office, there are great futures ahead in recycling for those who network and learn.
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This post was originally published on November 8, 2019.