Pros
First and foremost, it feels good working for a company with a positive mission. Recycling is a complex industry and having an insider's perspective can be challenging sometimes, especially if you're working for a large hauler. SMI is different. It's not a hauling company that owns landfills-for-profit. It's an actual recycler whose business model is dependent on diverting glass from landfills for reuse into new products. Pretty cool, right? My job consists of gaining new supply lines and maintaining current accounts. I have the autonomy to make my own schedule and work on my own time. My managers support me and encourage my growth and success. I have not met a single colleague that I thought I couldn't turn to for help or who didn't have my best interest at heart. Information is not hoarded, it's shared for the sake of team and the company's success. And I'm able to apply skills I learned in college and other positions to various, interesting, and worthwhile projects.
Cons
Like any company and role, working at SMI has its challenges. The internal tracking systems are outdated and clunky, which makes it hard sometimes to know where to find pertinent data. And many of the country's MRFs with a glass line, large municipalities, and large glass scrap producers already partner with us. Finding whales often is not going to happen. But, connecting with lots of smaller enterprises and helping them build real recycling programs is very rewarding.