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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The data gleaned from AI imaging systems can help improve MRF operations on a wider scale. | Photo courtesy EverestLabs
Equipment supplier EverestLabs recently highlighted a handful of examples of how artificial intelligence-equipped data analytics can help MRF operators modify equipment settings to improve commodity recovery. Continue Reading
Circular Services’ MRF in North Texas will carry a $61 million investment and total 120,000 square feet. | Photo courtesy Circular Services
A southwest Alabama MRF that drew state and industry financial support has opened its doors, marking a significant step in localizing processing and lowering costs for area municipalities. Meanwhile, Circular Services broke ground on a single-stream MRF to serve a North Texas community. Continue Reading
A March 27 webinar featured tips and best practices from recycling experts Chaz Miller and Gretchen Carey. | One Photo/Shutterstock
In recent years, the recycling industry has seen negative media coverage that has not only perpetuated myths but also contributed to public mistrust of collection and recycling – and ultimately could be contributing to lower collection rates. Continue Reading
Haulers reported a year of numerous mergers and acquisitions, and higher commodity values. | Sepp Photography/Shutterstock
Buoyed by rising commodity prices, the five largest publicly traded recycling companies posted overall revenue increases in 2024. Continue Reading
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality announced it approved a program plan on Feb. 21. | Yanqiang Dai/Shutterstock
After several years of work, Oregon has approved an extended producer responsibility plan, laying out how packaging producers are expected to fulfill the requirements of the law. Continue Reading
If domestic aluminum demand rises, used beverage cans could see a jump in commodity value. | Graham Corney/Shutterstock
New tariff actions targeting aluminum and steel imports could have near-term benefits for MRF operators if the actions spur additional demand for domestic-sourced commodities. But it’s the longer-term effects that are more concerning. Continue Reading
Recycle Utah is working to bring a diverse array of shareholders together on a $25 million MRF project. | Photo courtesy Recycle Utah
Summit County, Utah, boasts one of the largest ski resorts in the U.S., bringing tourists from around the world to experience the majestic slopes in Park City. The region has even been selected as the site of the 2034 Winter Olympics.
While overall workplace fatalities decreased in the U.S. in 2023, the waste and recycling industry was a troubling outlier. | Wave Break Media/Shutterstock
Editor’s note: This story has been updated.
Nine workers died in U.S. materials recovery facilities in 2023 and the death rate for refuse and recyclable material collectors jumped more than 80%, according to the latest annual numbers released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Continue Reading
Secondary sortation will continue to play a role in the recycling value chain, panelists said. | Dan Holtmeyer/Resource Recycling
With MRFs becoming ever more sophisticated and AI and robotics providing customizable levels of materials sortation, chemical recycling feedstock provides the most promising end market for secondary sorting, according to panelists at the recent Resource Recycling Conference. Continue Reading