Monmouth’s Sustainability Club hosted an event centered on recycling on Friday, April 1. The event was supported by Mazza Recycling Services, a waste and recycling management company located in Tinton Falls, NJ. There were two guest speakers representing Mazza Recycling, both of whom gave separate presentations, one based on careers in sustainability and the other highlighting the company’s unique recycling process.
Randall Abate, J.D., Advisor to the Sustainability Club, Professor for the Department of Political Science and Sociology, and Director of the Institute of Global Understanding, gave some opening remarks prior to the presentations. “We are delighted to have Alexis Martin and Brynn Mosello on behalf of Mazza Recycling,” he said. “Alexis, a Monmouth graduate, is now the Human Resources Coordinator and Brynn is the Director of Sustainability and Communications.” Abate addressed the guests by saying, “We are so happy to have the two of you give us a taste of life with Mazza, as well as highlight how Mazza’s mission connects to our Sustainability Club’s efforts.”
Martin gave the first presentation, introducing her background of graduating Monmouth and beginning her career in Human Resources with Mazza Recycling about two years ago. She said, “My eyes were opened to the plethora of opportunity that there is in the recycling and waste management industry.” She noted that her presentations are largely geared towards college students and soon-to-be graduates with interests in sustainability and recycling education.
Throughout her presentation, Martin mentioned specific roles students and recent graduates who are interested in sustainability and environmental protection may apply for, such as internships and, more specifically, an environmental health and compliance coordinator. Martin emphasized, “For those not yet ready for full-time employment, we offer a lot of flexibility for students in particular. We want to be a place where students can come in and bring their ideas and concepts to life with the resources we have available to us.” To apply, students are directed to Mazza’s website for more information on specific roles.
After Martin’s presentation, Mosello took the stage to discuss where exactly people’s recycling ends up and how Mazza is a part of this solution. Mosello pointed out the evolution of the recycling industry and how new technology advancements and passing of laws and policies have made the conversation about recycling more positive.
“We went from being a largely transfer station and scrap-metal business to a full-service recycling facility where we recycle wood, tires, scrap metal, and concrete. However, recently we have opened up our material recovery facility, which is where we recycle our single stream recycles,” explained Mosello. Single-stream recyclables are the familiar materials people tend to use in their day-to-day lives, such as plastic, paper, cardboard, metal cans, glass bottles, etc.
As her presentation continued, Mosello identified the various classifications of materials, how people should sort their waste based on said classifications, and why it all relates to sustainability. She underscored the benefits of recycling such as slowing climate change, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and contributing to the circular economy. She concluded, “A lot of people in our community could benefit from this information since it helps us put sustainability into practice throughout the rest of our lives. Our mission is to pass that on to future generations.”
