<PAGE>
                                                                      Exhibit 24

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

       Know all by these presents, that the undersigned, as a director of Philip
Services Corporation (the "Company"), hereby constitutes and appoints Robert L.
Knauss and Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr., and each of them severally, his true and
lawful attorney-in-fact, each with full power and authority (acting alone and
without the other) to execute in the name and on behalf of the undersigned, in
any and all capacities, the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for 2001 and
any and all amendments thereto, to be filed under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended, and any other documents and instruments incidental thereto,
and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and all documents in connection
therewith, with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and any
stock exchange or similar authority, hereby granting to such attorneys-in-fact,
and each of them, full power and authority of substitution and revocation in the
premises and full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and
thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully for
all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or could do in person and
hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorneys-in-fact, or any of them,
may do or cause to be done by virtue of this Power of Attorney.

       IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to
be executed as of this 21st day of March, 2002.

                                    /s/ Harold First
                                    --------------------------------------------
                                    Signature

                                    Harold First
                                    --------------------------------------------
                                    Print Name


<PAGE>


                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

         Know all by these presents, that the undersigned, as a director of
Philip Services Corporation (the "Company"), hereby constitutes and appoints
Robert L. Knauss and Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr., and each of them severally, his
true and lawful attorney-in-fact, each with full power and authority (acting
alone and without the other) to execute in the name and on behalf of the
undersigned, in any and all capacities, the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K
for 2001 and any and all amendments thereto, to be filed under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and any other documents and instruments
incidental thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and all
documents in connection therewith, with the United States Securities and
Exchange Commission and any stock exchange or similar authority, hereby granting
to such attorneys-in-fact, and each of them, full power and authority of
substitution and revocation in the premises and full power and authority to do
and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in
and about the premises, as fully for all intents and purposes as the undersigned
might or could do in person and hereby ratifying and confirming all that such
attorneys-in-fact, or any of them, may do or cause to be done by virtue of this
Power of Attorney.

       IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to
be executed as of this 21st day of March, 2002.

                                    /s/ Edmund B. Frost
                                    --------------------------------------------
                                    Signature

                                    Edmund B. Frost
                                    --------------------------------------------
                                    Print Name


<PAGE>


                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

       Know all by these presents, that the undersigned, as a director of Philip
Services Corporation (the "Company"), hereby constitutes and appoints Robert L.
Knauss and Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr., and each of them severally, his true and
lawful attorney-in-fact, each with full power and authority (acting alone and
without the other) to execute in the name and on behalf of the undersigned, in
any and all capacities, the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for 2001 and
any and all amendments thereto, to be filed under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended, and any other documents and instruments incidental thereto,
and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and all documents in connection
therewith, with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and any
stock exchange or similar authority, hereby granting to such attorneys-in-fact,
and each of them, full power and authority of substitution and revocation in the
premises and full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and
thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully for
all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or could do in person and
hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorneys-in-fact, or any of them,
may do or cause to be done by virtue of this Power of Attorney.

       IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to
be executed as of this 21st day of March, 2002.

                                    /s/ Robert J. Mitchell
                                    --------------------------------------------
                                    Signature

                                    Robert J. Mitchell
                                    --------------------------------------------
                                    Print Name


<PAGE>


                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

       Know all by these presents, that the undersigned, as a director of Philip
Services Corporation (the "Company"), hereby constitutes and appoints Robert L.
Knauss and Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr., and each of them severally, his true and
lawful attorney-in-fact, each with full power and authority (acting alone and
without the other) to execute in the name and on behalf of the undersigned, in
any and all capacities, the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for 2001 and
any and all amendments thereto, to be filed under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended, and any other documents and instruments incidental thereto,
and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and all documents in connection
therewith, with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and any
stock exchange or similar authority, hereby granting to such attorneys-in-fact,
and each of them, full power and authority of substitution and revocation in the
premises and full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and
thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully for
all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or could do in person and
hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorneys-in-fact, or any of them,
may do or cause to be done by virtue of this Power of Attorney.

       IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to
be executed as of this 21st day of March, 2002.

                                    /s/ Stanley N. Nortman
                                    --------------------------------------------
                                    Signature

                                    Stanley N. Nortman
                                    --------------------------------------------
                                    Print Name


<PAGE>


                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

       Know all by these presents, that the undersigned, as a director of Philip
Services Corporation (the "Company"), hereby constitutes and appoints Robert L.
Knauss and Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr., and each of them severally, his true and
lawful attorney-in-fact, each with full power and authority (acting alone and
without the other) to execute in the name and on behalf of the undersigned, in
any and all capacities, the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for 2001 and
any and all amendments thereto, to be filed under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended, and any other documents and instruments incidental thereto,
and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and all documents in connection
therewith, with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and any
stock exchange or similar authority, hereby granting to such attorneys-in-fact,
and each of them, full power and authority of substitution and revocation in the
premises and full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and
thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully for
all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or could do in person and
hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorneys-in-fact, or any of them,
may do or cause to be done by virtue of this Power of Attorney.

       IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to
be executed as of this 21st day of March, 2002.

                                    /s/ Felix Pardo
                                    --------------------------------------------
                                    Signature

                                    Felix Pardo
                                    --------------------------------------------
                                    Print Name


<PAGE>


                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

       Know all by these presents, that the undersigned, as a director of Philip
Services Corporation (the "Company"), hereby constitutes and appoints Robert L.
Knauss and Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr., and each of them severally, his true and
lawful attorney-in-fact, each with full power and authority (acting alone and
without the other) to execute in the name and on behalf of the undersigned, in
any and all capacities, the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for 2001 and
any and all amendments thereto, to be filed under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended, and any other documents and instruments incidental thereto,
and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and all documents in connection
therewith, with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and any
stock exchange or similar authority, hereby granting to such attorneys-in-fact,
and each of them, full power and authority of substitution and revocation in the
premises and full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and
thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully for
all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or could do in person and
hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorneys-in-fact, or any of them,
may do or cause to be done by virtue of this Power of Attorney.

       IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to
be executed as of this 21st day of March, 2002.

                                    /s/ R. William Van Sant
                                    --------------------------------------------
                                    Signature

                                    R. William Van Sant
                                    --------------------------------------------
                                    Print Name