During an investor presentation, WM leaders outlined investments in recycling and automation. | 2p2play/Shutterstock
Leaders at hauling giant WM discussed expansions in the company’s recycling infrastructure and automation at a recent investor day, expressing optimism for WM’s future as landfill closures increase demand for collection and recycling. Continue Reading
The group will promote MRF upgrades and product design changes to facilitate higher capture of small packaging items, like metal bottle caps. | xpixel/Shutterstock
Led by the Glass Packaging Institute, a new initiative seeks to improve MRF sortation of smaller packaging materials that often get missorted and end up in the glass stream. Continue Reading
Material acceptance at MRFs varies widely by locality, but several stakeholders explained the factors behind such wide-reaching decisions. | StoyanYotov/Shutterstock
Several MRF operators recently provided insight into how their facilities decide what materials to accept, during a discussion on bridging the disconnect between brand owners and MRFs. Continue Reading
A MRF in Windham, Connecticut, received upgrades to be more efficient and sustainable. | Courtesy of Casella
Casella Waste Services has reopened its Willimantic MRF in Windham, Connecticut, after renovations to increase capacity and provide more energy-efficient recycling processing. Continue Reading
Eric Frederickson, vice president of operations at Call2Recycle, presented a battery burn demonstration alongside the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. | Colin Staub/E-Scrap News
After a year that recorded a notable increase in e-scrap facility battery fires, the growing hazard and ways of mitigating it received ample attention at the Recycled Materials Association’s annual conference in San Diego last week.
WM, Republic and a city in Virginia announced upgrades and plans for new MRFs. | Ken Wolter/Shutterstock
The mayor of Portsmouth, Virginia, announced a new MRF with artificial intelligence-powered sorting. Meanwhile, Republic Services announced a new facility near St. Louis, Missouri, and WM completed improvements to an MRF in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
A secondary sorting facility pulling deposit containers out of mixed plastic bales was awarded funding from the state of California. | Hiv360/Shutterstock
California’s state recycling agency will provide $10 million toward a facility sorting plastics with resin codes 2-7, additional multimillion dollar grants for several major MRF retrofits, and a handful of smaller awards for localities to install recycling collection containers. Continue Reading
Extended producer responsibility was a hot topic throughout the three-day event held in Seattle last week. | Photo Courtesy of GreenBlue Org
A common complaint among MRF operators is that they have little meaningful contact with the packaging industry, despite dealing with headaches from that industry’s products every single day. Continue Reading
A Glacier robot positioned on the sorting line at Seattle’s King County MRF. | Photo by Colin Staub
A Seattle-area sorting facility operated by Recology has installed imaging and sorting equipment supplied by Glacier, adding another major MRF to the company’s two-dozen customers. Glacier also announced it has raised additional capital that CEO Rebecca Hu-Thrams said will help the company grow further and faster. Continue Reading
WM plans to spend about $3 billion on 39 recycling facilities and 20 renewable natural gas projects by 2026. | Photo Courtesy of WM
MRFs in Maryland, Texas, Minnesota and Canada re-opened after upgrades that included optical sorters, artificial intelligence and film vacuums.
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