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Author Archives: Marissa Heffernan

About Marissa Heffernan

Marissa HeffernanMarissa Heffernan started working for Resource Recycling in January 2022 after spending several years as a reporter at a daily newspaper in Southwest Washington. She can be contacted at [email protected].

San Antonio selects Balcones for $113 million MRF contract

Published: April 7, 2022
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Material on the line inside Balcones Resources Austin, Texas MRF.

Material on the line at the Balcones Resources MRF in Austin, Texas. The company will begin processing in San Antonio in 2024. | Resource Recycling, Inc.

The seventh-largest city in the U.S. is switching recycling sortation contractors, with a unanimous vote April 7 to approve a contract with Balcones Resources. The city previously had a processing deal with Republic Services.

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Supply chain jam creates long delays for recycling equipment

Published: April 5, 2022
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Aerial shot of port activity.

Snarls in global supply chains are impacting recycling equipment providers and MRF operators in a number of ways. | BaanTaksinStudio/Shutterstock

Equipment manufacturers and their customers are feeling the pressure of extended lead times and supply chain backups, forcing them to adapt as demand soars and supply dwindles.

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Reducing recycling service gaps with mini-MRFs

Published: February 1, 2022
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Revolution Recycling is an example of a mini-MRF.

The Closed Loop Local Recycling Fund will help finance facilities that are modular and much smaller than a traditional facility, with a cost between $1 million and $2 million. | Courtesy of Revolution Recycling at Twin, Steamboat Springs, CO

A $35 million investment from PepsiCo Beverages North America will help Closed Loop Partners reach more people living in recycling deserts.

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How much do bottle bills erode MRF revenues?

Published: February 15, 2022
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Returning a plastic beverage bottle for deposit at a reverse vending machine.

Research compared a variety of deposit systems and recycling rates increased in all scenarios, with the highest rates for an all-beverage deposit of 10 cents. | Rokas Tenys/Shutterstock

This story has been corrected.

Though container deposit systems typically help lift recovery rates for covered materials, the programs also usually reduce tonnages of high-quality PET and aluminum going to sorting facilities. A new study helps to quantify those potential impacts.

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Rumpke looking to tech future at new MRF

Published: March 1, 2022
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Rendering of Rumpke's facility in Columbus, Ohio.

Set to open in 2024, Rumpke’s 200,000-square-foot MRF will be built on 25 acres the company purchased almost a decade ago. | Courtesy of Rumpke

Rumpke Waste and Recycling’s new $50 million MRF is designed to adapt, with plans for the Columbus, Ohio facility drawn up to take future changes to the recycling stream into account.

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