SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — In a city that’s famous for a fictional paper selling company, a legacy paper recycling company has been operating under everyone’s noses for the last 70 years – and it was just recently bought.
“I am the Michael Scott, essentially, of this, of this company,” said Terrence Burke, the new owner and operator of Diamon K Inc.
Burke and his family used to own and operate an envelope company in Old Forge until it was recently sold. Burke had dealt with Diamond K recycling for years, when this year, he decided to buy it, and started as the head on March 1st.
“I have a background in paper and paper products,” explained Burke. “I was always interested in the recycling aspect of it. I’m very environmentally conscious. So, when I had the opportunity to purchase this company, I jumped at it.”
Diamond K is a post-industrial paper recycling plant that takes in recyclable waste, processes it, bundles it, then ships the bales to be turned into paper pulp, animal bedding, or other uses.
Over a span of four warehouses and over 30 employees, they process thousands of pounds of recycling, separating the groups by material. Many of the bales still show their old logos.
Whether its boxes for discontinued products, tons of clean used industrial paper, or scrap, the plant serves as an important link in the chain that turns used trash, into recycled treasure – shipping out 10 to 15 truckloads at 20 tons a piece on average every day, anywhere from 400 to 600 thousand pounds of recyclable material, serving a 100 mile radius.
“Our goal is to extend the life cycle of reusable resource,” continued Burke. “Paper and cardboard is something that, sometimes everyone has to be reminded that it is a green resource. You know, these paper companies are not going to put themselves out of business by cutting down all the trees. So, it’s something that we can, it’s a one of our most unique reusable, recyclable pieces of material. So that’s, I’m proud to be a part of that here.”
Burke is only a month and a half into the job, but he’s committed to expanding the business. To him, the recycling business is an untapped market, and he believes companies everywhere have more recyclable material than they think, and that hopefully, under his stewardship, Diamond K can keep reducing, reusing, and recycling for another 70 years.