Whether you’re operating a MRF, managing municipal contracts or navigating supplier relationships, the daily pressures pile up: financial constraints, shifting regulations, market volatility and even operational challenges.
It’s easy to lose perspective when every day brings a new fire to put out – and hopefully not in a literal sense. But stepping back to remember what unites everyone in this space is crucial, and that shared commitment to sustainable efforts doesn’t just inspire the work. It’s what makes collaboration possible.
When companies and municipalities recognize the vision beyond the bottom line, partnerships form that can drive the innovation and infrastructure investments the industry needs to progress.
Almost immediately after starting at Resource Recycling, a whirlwind trip to APR’s annual meeting in Salt Lake City provided a glimpse into how these connections take shape. Nearly two decades of work travel has garnered visits to more than two dozen states, and sometimes, time to explore the surrounding area – whether it’s an extended walk in a bustling downtown with sightseeing along the way, or trekking to places like Antelope Island State Park, just outside SLC.
Industry conferences tend to keep attendees inside hotels and convention centers, but venturing beyond those walls reinforces why the work matters. Ecosystems such as the ones at Antelope Island – with its bison herds, vast plains and protected wildlife – are what the industry exists to protect. Partnerships like the one between Momentum Recycling and Salt Lake City recognize this and are working to make that connection visible and tangible to everyday residents.
The dynamic is straightforward but impactful: transform a public glass recycling drop-off site into a mural celebrating Utah’s natural beauty.
Mural artist Josh Sheuerman captured the intent, saying: “The landscape is a reminder of what’s at stake — and what’s being preserved. If painting a mountain on a recycling bin helps protect the real ones, then the art is doing its job.”
This new glass recycling bin is one of eight in different locations around the city, each featuring Utah landscapes from mountain sports to Arches National Park.
And the collected glass doesn’t leave the region. Momentum Recycling processes it locally into cullet for fiberglass insulation, sandblast media and filtration systems, creating a closed loop that supports both environmental efforts and the local economy, according to the company.
Sometimes the most effective partnerships disrupt the noise of everyday life to remind residents why recycling matters in the first place – connecting the bins in their driveways to the ecosystems they cherish.
And just like industry professionals who navigate those daily operational pressures (and busy tradeshow/conference schedules) need to occasionally step back and reconnect, reminding the community through art, education or accessible infrastructure builds public support that strengthens the entire industry and advances environmental goals.
As the industry puts 2025 in the rearview mirror, partnerships like this one are a reminder that progress doesn’t always require capital investments or contract negotiations. Sometimes the best collaborations leverage creativity, a shared vision and a willingness to meet people where they are.
