In this week’s episode I chat to Jessica Alexanderson, known to many in the industry as “Scuba Jess”. Jess started out in shipping with Evergreen, where she was responsible for helping scrappies ship their recycled metal around the world. In her free time, Jess cleans up the ocean on her diving expeditions.

Jess has always been passionate about the environment and when the opportunity presented itself, she transitioned into educating the net generation of recyclers. She partnered with Brad Rudover of Detroit Scrap and educator Shaziya Manji Jaffer to publish their first kids book, The Girl Who Recycled A Million Cans.

They have since published a second book, A Recycling Adventure To The Scrapyard, and are about to publish their third kids book on recycling, Recycled Lava.

Just this week Jess launched an NGO, The Recycling Society, to help students learn how recycling works, raise funds for their schools, and take real action to create lasting impact in their schools and communities.

Jess’ mission is one that every single scrappy can get behind, and if you don’t know about all the great work she is already doing, I hope that after listening to this episode that you buy in hook, line and sinker!

If you ever see Jess at an industry event, you absolutely have to meet her in person. She is a ray of sunshine and brings exactly the energy and enthusiasm we need to inspire the next generation!

In this episode, we talk about:

👉 Teaching the next generation

👉 The 2 million cans contest

👉 ⁠heavy metal elementary

👉 ⁠The recycling society

👉 ⁠Recycled Lava

👉 ⁠And more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

26 years in the metal recycling game and still learning and growing...

I learnt from the best and worked my way up from yard labourer to Executive Director of Trading and Operations for the largest metal recycler in sub-Saharan Africa. Responsible for 4,500 employees, 85 sites, and the overall profitability of a multi-billion dollar operation.

I brought my breadth and depth of knowledge to bear and co-founded the fastest growing, most-loved, and most awarded metal recycling company in New Zealand. No small feat in a country where people are outnumbered 4:1 by sheep (spoiler alert: sheep don’t produce much metal waste).

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I took all of my experience as an operator and trader and leveraged that to build THE killer scrap app, Buddy. That’s right - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 9 rugby coach. YPO member. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Chief dog walker. Committed Stoic. Undefeated dance-off champion.

COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stukagan/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this week’s episode I chat to Tyler Adams, COO of SA Recycling. Tyler was born scrappy and has emerged into one of the most forward-thinking leaders in our industry today. He started boots on the ground, degree in hand, and was given permission to fail. The way he thinks about leadership, culture, finance, and operations is steeped in intergenerational wisdom, deep personal experience, and a willingness to challenge the status quo.

In this episode, we talk about:

👉 Building in diversity and optionality

👉 Understanding your margins

👉 Where data meets gut feel

👉 Believing in your team

👉 Uncovering talent

👉 And much more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

26 years in the metal recycling game and still learning and growing...

I learnt from the best and worked my way up from yard labourer to Executive Director of Trading and Operations for the largest metal recycler in sub-Saharan Africa. Responsible for 4,500 employees, 85 sites, and the overall profitability of a multi-billion dollar operation.

I brought my breadth and depth of knowledge to bear and co-founded the fastest growing, most-loved, and most awarded metal recycling company in New Zealand. No small feat in a country where people are outnumbered 4:1 by sheep (spoiler alert: sheep don’t produce much metal waste).

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I took all of my experience as an operator and trader and leveraged that to build THE killer scrap app, Buddy. That’s right - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 9 rugby coach. YPO member. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Chief dog walker. Committed Stoic. Undefeated dance-off champion.

COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stukagan/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this week’s episode, I chatted to Brian Shine (CEO at Manitoba Corporation), Sam Desai (VP at RM Metals) and international trade attorney Camelia Mazard (Partner at Doyle, Barlow & Mazard).

This episode was recorded at the recent ReMA Joint New Jersey, Mid-Atlantic, & New York Chapter Atlantic City Meeting. It was my first time attending their chapter event, and it definitely won’t be the last time! I’ve added it to my list of must-attend annual events and if you’re doing business or looking to break in to the region, then so should you.

The panelists shared their experiences, challenges, and the strategic adaptations needed to navigate the unpredictable trade landscape we currently find ourselves in.

In this episode, we talk about:

👉 Importance of incoterms

👉 Free trade vs fair trade

👉 The case for lobbying

👉 Taking the loss

👉 And more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

27 years in the metal recycling game and still learning and growing...

I learnt from the best and worked my way up from yard labourer to Executive Director of Trading and Operations for the largest metal recycler in sub-Saharan Africa. Responsible for 4,500 employees, 85 sites, and the overall profitability of a multi-billion dollar operation.

I brought my breadth and depth of knowledge to bear and co-founded the fastest growing, most-loved, and most awarded metal recycling company in New Zealand. No small feat in a country where people are outnumbered 4:1 by sheep (spoiler alert: sheep don’t produce much metal waste).

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I took all of my experience as an operator and trader and leveraged that to build THE killer scrap app, Buddy. That’s right - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 9 rugby coach. YPO member. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Chief dog walker. Committed Stoic. Undefeated dance-off champion.

COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stukagan/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this episode, I chat to Atilla Widnell, Founder & Managing Director of Navigate Commodities.

Navigate Commodities monitors commodity supply chains in real time through the use of satellites. They monitor production at steel mills and analyse metal flow in specific regions.

We discuss the latest developments in the steel industry, particularly focusing on China's recent National People's Congress and its implications on global steel markets. This episode is a deep dive into understanding the major forces shaping the global steel industry and what to expect in the coming months.

In today's episode, we talk about:

👉 Chinese capacity cuts

👉 Structural reforms

👉 Global steel market complexity

👉 The situation in turkey

👉 And much more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

26 years in the metal recycling game and still learning and growing...

I learnt from the best and worked my way up from yard labourer to Executive Director of Trading and Operations for the largest metal recycler in sub-Saharan Africa. Responsible for 4,500 employees, 85 sites, and the overall profitability of a multi-billion dollar operation.

I brought my breadth and depth of knowledge to bear and co-founded the fastest growing, most-loved, and most awarded metal recycling company in New Zealand. No small feat in a country where people are outnumbered 4:1 by sheep (spoiler alert: sheep don’t produce much metal waste).

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I took all of my experience as an operator and trader and leveraged that to build THE killer scrap app, Buddy. That’s right - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 9 rugby coach. YPO member. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Chief dog walker. Committed Stoic. Undefeated dance-off champion.

COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stukagan/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this episode, I chat to Dr. Salam Sharif, the Chairman of Sharif Metals Group, one of the largest scrap metal exporters in the Middle East. Dr. Sharif is the former Chairman of BIR, the Founding President of the BIR, and the Director of Advocacy for the Dubai Recycling Business Group at the Dubai Chambers.

He's a civil and metallurgical engineer, with an executive MBA and a doctorate degree in Engineering and Economy. There are few people in this industry as experienced, educated and accomplished as Dr Al Sharif.

In today's episode, we talk about:

👉 Getting your hands dirty

👉 Competing strategically

👉 Acting early in a crisis

👉 Creative partnerships

👉 And much more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

26 years in the metal recycling game and still learning and growing...

I learnt from the best and worked my way up from yard labourer to Executive Director of Trading and Operations for the largest metal recycler in sub-Saharan Africa. Responsible for 4,500 employees, 85 sites, and the overall profitability of a multi-billion dollar operation.

I brought my breadth and depth of knowledge to bear and co-founded the fastest growing, most-loved, and most awarded metal recycling company in New Zealand. No small feat in a country where people are outnumbered 4:1 by sheep (spoiler alert: sheep don’t produce much metal waste).

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I took all of my experience as an operator and trader and leveraged that to build THE killer scrap app, Buddy. That’s right - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 9 rugby coach. YPO member. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Chief dog walker. Committed Stoic. Undefeated dance-off champion.

COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stukagan/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this episode, I chat to Brian Shine, CEO of Manitoba Corporation, Chairman of the Canadian Association of Recycling Industries (CARI) and a former Chairman of the Recycled Materials Association (ReMA).

With all the turbulence around tariffs, this is a point in time conversation where we explore how the latest US and retaliatory tariffs are impacting metal recyclers and consumers across the US, Canada and Mexico, and how they may be impacted in the long term if this is the new status quo.

In today's episode, we talk about:

👉 The long terms impacts

👉 Supply chain resilience

👉 Consumer capacity

👉 Trade associations

👉 And much more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

26 years in the metal recycling game and still learning and growing...

I learnt from the best and worked my way up from yard labourer to Executive Director of Trading and Operations for the largest metal recycler in sub-Saharan Africa. Responsible for 4,500 employees, 85 sites, and the overall profitability of a multi-billion dollar operation.

I brought my breadth and depth of knowledge to bear and co-founded the fastest growing, most-loved, and most awarded metal recycling company in New Zealand. No small feat in a country where people are outnumbered 4:1 by sheep (spoiler alert: sheep don’t produce much metal waste).

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I took all of my experience as an operator and trader and leveraged that to build THE killer scrap app, Buddy. That’s right - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 9 rugby coach. YPO member. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Chief dog walker. Committed Stoic. Undefeated dance-off champion.

COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stukagan/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this episode, I chat to Andy Cohen, Vice President of Raw Material Purchasing and Sales at Metal Conversions. More importantly for this episode, Andy is Event Chair for REMA's The Show 2025 taking place this May in San Diego.

Andy has been in the scrap metal industry for nearly two decades and has attended countless ReMA events and held various different roles as part of ReMA. He’s introducing whole lot of new things to this year’s event and is looking to break all the records!

Whether you’re a regular at the annual event, or you’re thinking about going for the first time - this episode is for you!

In today's episode, we talk about: 

👉 What to expect at The Show 
👉 VIP tickets and after parties 
👉 The Safety First Plaza
👉 Keynote speakers
👉 And much more! 

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.
The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/


WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

26 years in the metal recycling game and still learning and growing...

I learnt from the best and worked my way up from yard labourer to Executive Director of Trading and Operations for the largest metal recycler in sub-Saharan Africa. Responsible for 4,500 employees, 85 sites, and the overall profitability of a multi-billion dollar operation.

I brought my breadth and depth of knowledge to bear and co-founded the fastest growing, most-loved, and most awarded metal recycling company in New Zealand. No small feat in a country where people are outnumbered 4:1 by sheep (spoiler alert: sheep don’t produce much metal waste).

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I took all of my experience as an operator and trader and leveraged that to build THE killer scrap app, Buddy. That’s right - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 9 rugby coach. YPO member. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Chief dog walker. Committed Stoic. Undefeated dance-off champion.


COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stukagan/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this episode, I chat to Amy Hinton, North American Scrap Editor for Fastmarkets.

She has her finger on the pulse when it comes to price reporting and has become a familiar face in the industry.

Amy has a background in both financial services and journalism, and holds a Masters degree from University of Bath.

In today's episode, we talk about:

👉 The impact of new tariffs

👉 The winners and losers

👉 Domestic mill capacity

👉 New trading lanes

👉 And much more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

26 years in the metal recycling game and still learning and growing...

I learnt from the best and worked my way up from yard labourer to Executive Director of Trading and Operations for the largest metal recycler in sub-Saharan Africa. Responsible for 4,500 employees, 85 sites, and the overall profitability of a multi-billion dollar operation.

I brought my breadth and depth of knowledge to bear and co-founded the fastest growing, most-loved, and most awarded metal recycling company in New Zealand. No small feat in a country where people are outnumbered 4:1 by sheep (spoiler alert: sheep don’t produce much metal waste).

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I took all of my experience as an operator and trader and leveraged that to build THE killer scrap app, Buddy. That’s right - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 9 rugby coach. YPO member. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Chief dog walker. Committed Stoic. Undefeated dance-off champion.

COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stukagan/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this episode I chat to Zohra Shroff, Director of Operations at Sealink International.

Zohra has been in the freight game for 20 years and let's just say she knows a thing or two!

In today's episode, we talk about:

👉  Strategies to reduce shipping costs  
👉 Freight forwarders vs going direct 
👉 Common shipping mistakes
👉 Freight outlook for 2025
👉 And much more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/


WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

25 years in the metal recycling game and still learning and growing...

I learnt from the best and worked my way up from yard labourer to Executive Director of Trading and Operations for the largest metal recycler in sub-Saharan Africa. Responsible for 4,500 employees, 85 sites, and the overall profitability of a multi-billion dollar operation.

I brought my breadth and depth of knowledge to bear and co-founded the fastest growing, most-loved, and most awarded metal recycling company in New Zealand. No small feat in a country where people are outnumbered 4:1 by sheep (spoiler alert: sheep don’t produce much metal waste).

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I took all of my experience as an operator and trader and leveraged that to build THE killer scrap app, Buddy. That’s right - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 9 rugby coach. YPO member. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Chief dog walker. Committed Stoic. Undefeated dance-off champion.


COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stukagan/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this episode, I chat to Jonathan Ross, Vice President at John Ross & Sons, a large metal recycler in Eastern Canada. The company has 14 yards, including a large auto shredding operation, and a very impressive cable granulation plant. 

Jonathan is a fourth generation metal recycler, and by the sounds of it, there'll be a lot more generations running this company in the future.  

In today's episode, we talk about:

👉 When markets crash
👉 Capital purchases
👉 Going direct
👉 Buying right
👉 And more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/


WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

25 years in the metal recycling game and still learning and growing...

I learnt from the best and worked my way up from yard labourer to Executive Director of Trading and Operations for the largest metal recycler in sub-Saharan Africa. Responsible for 4,500 employees, 85 sites, and the overall profitability of a multi-billion dollar operation.

I brought my breadth and depth of knowledge to bear and co-founded the fastest growing, most-loved, and most awarded metal recycling company in New Zealand. No small feat in a country where people are outnumbered 4:1 by sheep (spoiler alert: sheep don’t produce much metal waste).

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I took all of my experience as an operator and trader and leveraged that to build THE killer scrap app, Buddy. That’s right - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 9 rugby coach. YPO member. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Chief dog walker. Committed Stoic. Undefeated dance-off champion.


COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stukagan/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/