Few people in recycling carry as much institutional memory as Jerry Powell. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, he came up through hands-on operations before realizing the industry’s biggest need was trustworthy information and connection. He went on to found Resource Recycling, Inc., the company behind Resource Recycling, Plastics Recycling Update and E-Scrap News.
Powell’s pivot from operator to editor began in the early 1980s from a one-room office in Old Sacramento, where he and his wife launched Resource Recycling magazine. What started as a scrappy print periodical quickly grew into a hub for policy, market and operational intelligence at a time when US recycling was scaling up.
As new streams emerged, Powell broadened the enterprise, adding plastics and electronics titles and building national convenings that helped knit the sector together. Resource Recycling, Inc., went on to produce the E-Scrap Conference as well as other marquee gatherings that became annual waypoints for operators, OEMs and policymakers.
Powell sold the company to the Association of Plastic Recyclers in 2019 and shifted into retirement and advisory work, but his imprint remains. This October, the E-Scrap Conference program culminates with a closing plenary titled “Legends of Recycling,” a fitting stage for reflections on the field’s formative decades and the lessons that still matter.
And now, we present an unparalleled insight into the recycling rockstar Jerry Powell.
What’s your default karaoke song?
I’m going to pass on that. If a karaoke bar wanted to clear the place at closing time, they’d hand me the mic. If I had to pick something under duress, maybe ‘Born to Run.’ But the last time I actually did karaoke was about 15 years ago.
What song or band makes you crank up the volume in the car?
I’m a jazz nut and most of what I love is instrumental. But if we’re talking volume, The E Street Band will do it. That sound comes on and it gets loud.
What’s your guilty-pleasure TV show??
Premier League soccer. That probably says something about my viewing habits, but it’s what I put on when I want to relax … I was a big Tottenham supporter, then they let go of players I really liked, Harry [Kane] among them. I still stick with Spurs, just not quite as deep as before. I like Liverpool too. Mo Salah is a remarkable player and person, so if I’m channel-surfing and there’s a Liverpool match, I’ll drop in.
When was the last time you took public transport and where was it to?
Last week. I caught the bus to Providence Park to see the Timbers. A route a few doors down picks me up and drops me right at the stadium inside the security area. I ride the bus a lot, and especially to Timbers games … We were in the Timbers Army for years, standing the whole time, until my feet couldn’t take it anymore. Still love being there.
Who would you most hate to be stuck in an elevator with?
A closed-minded trade association executive. Some folks can listen and some can’t, and if they can’t, you can’t have a real conversation. Over time some learned to stop dominating and start listening to people they thought they opposed. That always made for better debates.
Which piece of business advice do you think is overrated?
‘Growth is good.’ People would say, you’ve got three periodicals and three shows, don’t you want to buy more? For what? If I were publicly traded, three-month growth would be everything, and that’s a ridiculous way to plan. Quarterly numbers aren’t a strategy.
What’s your most irrational superstition or habit?
I can’t stand soft jazz. If a Kenny G track comes on, I get up and walk out. Irrational maybe, but true.
Aliens land and ask you to explain capitalism in one sentence — what do you say?
Business owned by individuals or groups with a desire for profit.
If you weren’t in the recycling industry, what different job would you secretly love to do?
Musician. I played in college. I was on a rare instrument [vibraphone] there were maybe five of us in all of Portland and I had some good tuition. One day I sold my kit to pay for school, around age 19, and I never went back. I’ve always wanted to.
Who was your childhood hero?
Hank Aaron. Milwaukee Braves, 1958. All my friends loved the Yankees, so I went the other way. I love baseball and still follow the Brewers. I used to go to a lot of games and even spring training, but not so much now. These days we learn soccer. Our son played, my wife and I travel to Europe a couple times a year and we always try to find a match. I even saw [Lionel] Messi at Camp Nou in Barcelona. I’m excited for the World Cup here.
What’s the most recent book you gave up on, and why?
Robert Caro’s Master of the Senate about Lyndon Johnson. It’s over 1,000 pages and a great read. I paused it before a Portugal trip because I didn’t want to lug a half-finished book. I’m reading it in spurts.
When did you last do something for the very first time?
Last week we tried Kurdish food in Portland. Lettuce wraps with spicy meats and sides, very good. We’re going back.
What’s pinned to your fridge door?
Nothing. When you don’t have kids at home anymore you don’t need to pin things up. Our son works in Congress, so he’s not around.
Strangest thing on your desk right now?
Just a laptop. Nothing else. I don’t need anything else. So, here’s a bit of retirement advice: don’t quit in one day. Go from 50 hours to 20, take on a little and taper.
Watch a clip of Scott Snowden’s interview with Jerry Powell.
