For more than 90 years, Gaeta Recycling has been more than a waste management company. It has stood as a cornerstone of New Jersey鈥檚 environmental and business communities, built on the values of service, innovation, and sustainability.
Gaeta Recycling began as a one-truck operation in 1935 with Domenico Gaeta, a forward-thinker who offered recycling services before the term was part of public consciousness. Domenico would pick up textile off-cuts from the fabric mills in Paterson and sell them to automotive shops for use as rags. Servicing industry from across the region, Domenico built the company on a foundation of environmental care and strong service ethics. His vision and ethics continue to shape Gaeta Recycling today.
Domenico鈥檚 son, Anthony R. Gaeta Sr., carried that legacy forward, transforming the small operation into a structured, thriving business. Anthony Sr. acquired real estate, expanded the fleet, and invested in cutting-edge equipment. His leadership positioned Gaeta as a sustainability pioneer in both the community and the broader waste management industry.
Third generation, Anthony R. Gaeta Jr. took bold steps to expand and modernize the operation. He led the company into municipal waste collection, built an extensive transfer station, and grew Gaeta鈥檚 presence across New Jersey, while remaining grounded in the company鈥檚 core principles. His strategic thinking helped Gaeta evolve from a local service provider into a considerable force for environmental impact.
Through its incorporation in 1973, and with the founding of its sister company鈥檚 Get-A-Can in 1991 and Confidential Destruction Pros in 2018, Gaeta Recycling is now a thriving, fifth-generation family business with more than 315 employees, operating 120 trucks, and one of the most advanced privately owned waste management systems across seven New Jersey counties, operating a solid waste and construction debris transfer station, a Class A recycling center, a materials recovery facility, and a cutting-edge intermodal container facility that uses rail transport to drastically reduce exhaust emissions. The rail yard alone has eliminated 250 weekly tractor trailer truck runs to out-of-state landfills, cutting fuel consumption by 30 percent and delivering significant cost savings to customers while reinforcing Gaeta鈥檚 environmental commitments.
Today, Gaeta is guided by the shared leadership of fourth-generation Dawn Portannese and fifth-generation Michael Portannese. Together, they are redefining what a successful family business can look like in the 21st century. Unfortunately, Michael鈥檚 leadership was forged in the face of tragedy. In 2017, the sudden loss of his mentor and Great Uncle, Anthony R. Gaeta, Jr., left a void on both the business and the family. Three family members inherited the company after the passing of Anthony, Jr. Of the trio, only one鈥擠awn along with son Michael鈥攂elieved in the business enough to fight for its future. 鈥淚t was about more than sustaining the business鈥攊t was about preserving a legacy and continuing to serve our customers with excellence,鈥� he recalls. 鈥淚 knew we couldn鈥檛 allow everything that my family-built fall to ruin.鈥� His determination was tested daily. Balancing operations while buying out co-shareholders has drained them both emotionally and financially. Still, he refused to walk away. In the years that followed, Michael brought clarity, stability, and bold new vision to Gaeta Recycling along with keeping it a privately owned family business.
Dawn brings a future-facing approach that blends innovation and systemization with community values. From streamlining operations with modern tools to ensuring Gaeta鈥檚 presence is felt both online and in the neighborhoods served, Dawn oversees front office operations and implements high tech software systems and modern business automation solutions to ensure Gaeta is bringing the most efficient and cost-effective solutions to its customers and the marketplace. Dawn also heads up Gaeta鈥檚 marketing strategy and online presence ensuring Gaeta has quick and clear communications with its clients and a consistent and predictable workflow process for any business matters that may arise. In addition, Dawn leads the efforts in supporting local charities, schools, and community events through donations and volunteer work.
Gaeta strives to make a positive impact beyond simply waste removal and aims to build a company that not only serves the community, but is also a proud part of it.
A Global Shift
In 2017, Michael worked diligently to design and complete Anthony鈥檚 vision for a Class 鈥淎鈥� paper recycling center. Overseeing the construction process, they installed a Harris Centurion Baler to handle the extensive paper load and created new positions for employees. However, months after opening the new recycling center, Green Fence and China struck a blow to the industry. This policy sent shockwaves through the global recycling industry, leaving a void in the operation. Green Fence was only the beginning. It was followed by even more restrictive measures under 2017鈥檚 National Sword policy and later the Blue Sky initiative, which further tightened China鈥檚 control over imported paper/recycling. Together, these moves forced a reckoning in the recycling industry and prompted a global shift toward self-reliance, cleaner waste streams, and circular economy practices. Due to the fall-off of cardboard, Michael sought a new avenue to generate recyclable clean paper, creating a new company, Confidential Destruction Pros, a certified confidential paper shredding company. 鈥淲hen everything shifted in the industry, we had a choice: either adapt or get left behind. I saw an opportunity in secure paper shredding鈥攏ot just as a way to stay afloat, but as a smarter, cleaner path forward. Looking back, that move ended up being one of the best decisions we made. It鈥檚 not only kept us going, it is also become a key part of how we grow.鈥� The company is presently servicing banks, hospitals, insurance companies, and other industries that handle sensitive data.
During Anthony, Jr鈥檚 regime the transfer station was approved for 420 tons per day. Under Michael鈥檚 direction, Gaeta invested in expanding the transfer station and increasing the daily tonnage to 720 tons per day, installing two Harris solid waste balers, and three SENNEBOGEN material handlers to streamline the processing of waste products. The company is currently on track to increase to 1,200 tons per day, which is the largest permit in the county. 鈥淕aeta鈥檚 story is about more than waste management and operational growth. It鈥檚 about determination and resilience in the face of adversity. After my Uncle Tony鈥檚 passing, I stepped in and stabilized a grieving team, navigated competing interests, and adapted to an industry increasingly burdened by regulation, rising costs, and insurance pressures,鈥� explains Michael. His ability to lead his team with integrity and vision helped transform those challenges into opportunities, securing Gaeta鈥檚 place as one of the few privately owned transfer station and rail facilities in the state. 鈥淲hether through strategic acquisitions or internal development, we maintain a growth mindset and a commitment to doing things the right way for our customers and employees鈥攅ven if it costs the company more.鈥�
A Positive Culture
At the heart of Gaeta鈥檚 success is a culture built on safety, engagement, and care for its people. Employees receive rigorous training in areas such as vehicle operation, equipment handling, and fire prevention. In addition to required OSHA Training on PPEs (Personal Protective Equipment), Fall Prevention, Walking Surfaces, Hazard Communications, and Accident/Injury Protocols, they provide the Company Policy on Vehicle Use to all new drivers, which is updated and distributed yearly thereafter. The company also has a program in place for excessive heat precautions, and they are five years in without a single heat-related illness.
In addition, not only do they provide winter driving tips for snow days, Hurricane Preparedness before hurricane season, and a newly developed Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Health Program that addresses gases, vapors, lead, noise exposure, and other workplace hazards, new this year is preparation for the elevated hazard of earthquakes occurring in the area. 鈥淲e鈥檝e implemented safety inspections of aging structures and infrastructure throughout Gaeta to ensure the safety of our workers and maintain business continuity,鈥� says Mike. 鈥淟ifters cannot begin work until they鈥檝e been fully trained in every aspect of their role. This includes proper lifting techniques, maneuvering large containers, truck positioning during travel, and specific do鈥檚 and don鈥檛s of collection鈥攍ike not leaving cans in the street or blocking driveways, returning lids with cans, never cross-collecting across a double yellow line, and avoiding pinch-points on the truck.鈥�
Supervisors are trained in First Aid and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) use, as well as HazWoper certification for hazardous materials response related to hydraulic, oil, or coolant leaks in the field. Employees also have access to mental health and wellness support. Daily team meetings foster communication and accountability, while monthly luncheons, barbecues, and holiday events reinforce a strong sense of community among the team. Mike points out, 鈥淐ulture isn鈥檛 just something you talk about鈥攊t鈥檚 something you build every day. When people feel safe, respected, and supported, they don鈥檛 just do their jobs鈥攖hey take pride in them. That pride is what drives our success.鈥�
Gaeta鈥檚 deep involvement in the community is just as vital as its operational excellence. The company regularly hosts town meetings to educate residents about recycling, partners with municipalities and local businesses on sustainability projects, and supports a wide range of charitable initiatives from soup kitchens and youth sponsorships to scholarships and neighborhood cleanups. 鈥淭his high level of civic engagement isn鈥檛 just good business, it鈥檚 also a reflection of who Gaeta is at its core,鈥� emphasizes Michael.
Leading Forward
Looking ahead, the future is bright鈥攁nd much of that optimism stems from Michael鈥檚 leadership, now 35, who points to the company鈥檚 intermodal rail facility as one of its proudest accomplishments. Built on a foundation of outside-the-box thinking and sheer determination, the facility has become a symbol of what is possible when innovation meets execution. A key development was the integration of solid waste balers, which enabled the company to gain approval from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to load baled waste into open gondolas. This solution, more efficient than the traditional use of 12-high containers, has transformed the company鈥檚 operational capabilities. 鈥淲e send over 200,000 tons of refuse to various landfills every year,鈥� Michael notes鈥攁 volume that speaks not only to scale, but also to a commitment to efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and environmental responsibility. This streamlined approach has set Gaeta apart as a leader in the industry.
Since 2017, Michael has operated with unwavering momentum. 鈥淓very day we are not growing, we lose ground,鈥� he says鈥攁 mantra that has fueled years of progress. Under his leadership, Gaeta has not only navigated challenging times, but emerged stronger, smarter, and more impactful. Perhaps most impressive is that all of this has been achieved before Michael鈥檚 35th birthday鈥攁 milestone that underscores his growing reputation as a standout figure in the solid waste industry. His work is not just about moving waste efficiently, it is also about reshaping how the industry thinks about sustainability, logistics, and innovation.
After 90 years, Gaeta Recycling remains a powerful example of what happens when family values, innovation, and community service come together with purpose. From Domenico鈥檚 original vision in 1935 to the dynamic leadership of Dawn and Michael today, Gaeta continues to thrive鈥攏ot just as a business, but also as a living legacy. Michael says, 鈥淚t鈥檚 more than business鈥攊t鈥檚 about family, community, and leaving the world better than we found it.鈥� | WA
For more information about Gaeta Recycling, Get-A-Can, Inc. or Confidential Destruction Pros, visit , Desctructionpros.com or e-mail [email protected].