The 4G Difference

Helping Clients maximize scrap revenue since 1910

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We are Experts — 100 Years

Four generations of experience,
knowledge, excellent service, proven results.

The Kirstein family is recognized as pioneers in the field of Recycling. Our roots date back to 1910 with Phillip Kirstein, plying the streets of New York in search of textiles, metals, newspapers and other recyclables for resale. In 1930, Phillip moved the family to Connecticut. His eldest son Abraham joined the company and went on to purchase our first baler, which was revolutionary at the time.

In 1965 Abe’s son, Harold Kirstein, started working in the family recycling plant and in 1975 installed one of the first High Density Balers in New England. Over the next 10 years our business expanded to 5 plants throughout the East Coast, and a major shredding operation at IBM in upstate New York. In 1998, Harold’s sons Brent and Zack started learning the industry from the ground up and our business was rebranded to 4th Generation Recycling in 2012.

Today, 4G is a growing international company purchasing in excess of 450,000 tons of scrap per year. We service clients in 50 states and sell recyclables to domestic mills as well as 12 international markets. We are on the pulse of the recycling industry and continue to develop direct relationships in emerging markets as well as established markets around the world. Throughout all of the Kirstein generations in the recycling industry, our commitment to provide quality service and timely payments has never wavered.

Recycling Capabilities

From secure shredding to recycling equipment installs, 4G has a vast array of capabilities that allow our Customers to fully rely on one company to execute any combination of recycling objectives. All while being more efficient and making more money.

  • Paper

  • Plastic

  • Electronic

  • Metal

  • Organic

  • Printers

  • Warehouse

  • Envelope Manufacturer

  • Box Manufacturer

  • Grocery

  • Equipment Placement

  • Bulb Recycling

  • Battery

  • Carton/Packaging

  • Trash

Realtime, Online, Reporting...

24/7 access to Commodity Totals, Shipping Details, Sustainability Reports,
even compare waste generated from different shifts at your company.

Track Earnings

Our commitment to technology provides clients with real-time data through the 4G Portal. Every week you will have the ability to see the exact weights and revenues that will be paid to your company. With our programs, your finance team will have visibility into tonnages and revenues on a weekly basis.

Know Every Load

With the 4G Portal you will have access to the breakdowns of every single shipment. We pride our company on providing transparency and strongly encourage clients to monitor their shipments and ask questions about their reports.

Full Data Access

Your waste by-product details are available on the 4G Portal 365 days per year. Reports can be downloaded in several formats (Excel formats, CSV, HTML, etc.) Our Software Developers can also develop custom reports for whatever metrics you wish to assess.

Sustainability is our
investment in the Future

Every ton of paper we help recycle saves:

17 trees saved with paper recycling

17

Trees

17 trees saved with paper recycling

2

Barrels of Oil

17 trees saved with paper recycling

60 pounds

Air Pollutants

17 trees saved with paper recycling

7000 gal.

Water

17 trees saved with paper recycling

4100 KW

Energy

17 trees saved with paper recycling

3.2 yd.³

Landfill

Logistics

We leverage four generations of logistics experience
to help you make sound commodity transport decisions.

Railcar

4G’s value added proposition includes customizable shipping options. For high volume waste generators we often find that loading rail cars is a unique way to consolidate shipments. It can also offer freight savings and increased revenues for your company.

Export

Recycling has gone global and often times we find that the highest revenues are available in emerging markets. With the 4G program we will present every possible service solution along with the pro’s and cons. With our export programs you will often see increased revenues and greater financial controls due to the Volume Gross Mass Shipping Requirements.

We want to help your Business maximize its Waste Revenue

Let's Talk