DALLAS, TEXAS (October 2024): Recycling industry veteran Joel Litman, president and co-owner of Texas Recycling, Inc. in Dallas, received the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Paper Stock Industries (PSI) Chapter of the Recycled Materials Association (ReMa) on Thursday, October 24, 2024 during the Paper and Plastics Recycling Conference in Chicago. The prestigious award is named in memory of Phil Alpert, a partner in National Fiber Supply Co. (Chicago), who was a longtime PSI member and served as the chapter’s president from 1986-1988. The award recognizes individuals for their outstanding leadership, achievements, and contributions to the PSI Chapter and the paper recycling industry.
From a career span of 40 years, Litman is the eighth recipient of this PSI award and joined an esteemed list of past winners, including his late father, Stan Litman. “To look at the list of this PSI award’s past recipients, which includes my father, I’m honored that my name is being added to this esteemed and select group,” Litman said. “I’m very grateful to be recognized for my contributions to PSI, ReMA and our industry.”
In 1984, Litman transitioned from a career in journalism and public relations to the recycling industry by joining his father’s company, Daltex Waste Material Co., which focused on paper and rag recycling. At that time, the field was commonly referred to as the scrap business. In 1992, Joel and his brother Craig partnered with Stan to form Texas Recycling, a family-run recycling facility located east of Fair Park. Over the years, Texas Recycling has expanded to nearly 70 employees and broadened its operations to include metals and plastics.
This growth has earned the company a strong reputation in the Dallas/Fort Worth area as a leader in high-quality, value-driven commercial recycling. Additionally, the brothers launched Action Shred of Texas, a company specializing in document destruction services.
According to an article from ReMa, throughout his career Litman has been an active member and leader within the former Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), now ReMA, as well as the association’s PSI Chapter and Gulf Coast Region (GCR). In addition to serving as a board member for then-ISRI, PSI, GCR, and the Global Recycling Standards Organization (which oversees the Recycling Industry Operating Standard, or RIOS), he was PSI president from 2012-2014 and ran as a candidate for then-ISRI’s national secretary/treasurer position in 2022. In 2023, the Gulf Coast Region selected Litman to receive its Israel Proler Award in recognition of his outstanding leadership, achievements, and contributions to the recycling industry.
“Joel Litman has been a leader in the paper recycling industry for nearly 40 years, serving this chapter and our parent association with dedication and distinction,” said PSI Chapter President Tamara Mayberry of Pioneer Industries International (Bloomingdale, Ill.). “He represents the best of our industry, and he sets an inspiring example for the rest of us to follow on all personal and professional levels.”
About Texas Recycling
Founded in 1992 by the Litman family, Texas Recycling is a leader in the Dallas/Fort Worth area for value-added, quality commercial recycling. Its Dallas operation fills more than 225,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space. This location brings paper, newspaper, office paper, cardboard, aluminum cans, and industrial metal recycling to an area in D/FW that did not have this opportunity previously. Texas Recycling believes in delivering uncompromised customer service to its clients and developing strong ties with the community.
About the Texas Recycling Buy Back Center
As the largest family-owned and –operated paper recycling and multi-material buyback center in D/FW, Texas Recycling collects and ships millions of pounds of quality recycled materials to domestic and international consumers each month. The Buy Back Center accepts paper, newspaper, office paper, cardboard, tin scrap, and aluminum cans. The Buy Back Center is open to the public on weekdays near Fair Park and Downtown Dallas, at 1420 S. Barry Ave., Dallas, TX 75223. To learn more call Texas Recycling at 214-357-0262 or contact us.