Tag Archives: MRFs

Recycling facility fires expected to reach new high

Published: August 12, 2025
Updated: August 12, 2025
by Andrew Sposato

Fire Rover analyzed nine years of data to discover trends in recycling facility fires. | Photo courtesy of Boston Fire Department

Across North America, recycling and waste management facilities are experiencing an increase in reported fires, with 2025 predicted to reach a new annual high. A recent special report by Fire Rover highlights this trend, attributing the record-high reported numbers and escalating financial risks to factors such as lithium-ion batteries, escalating demands from insurers and inadequate control measures. Continue Reading

Posted in News | Tagged data, MRFs |

Haulers feel effects of lower recycled commodity prices

Published: August 5, 2025
Updated: August 5, 2025
by Antoinette Smith

Five publicly traded North American waste haulers decreased expectations for full-year commodity pricing, and gave insights into new and upgraded capacity. | Photo Courtesy of Republic Services

Story Highlights

Republic Services nods to future Pennsylvania site
Tariffs take a toll
Construction sector slowness to continue
Canadian EPR provides tailwind for GFL

Posted in News, Top stories | Tagged MRFs |

WM report suggests 2025 goal is out of reach

Published: July 22, 2025
Updated: July 23, 2025
by Antoinette Smith

The sustainability report for the nation’s largest hauler shows WM has increased recovered materials tonnage by only 5% since 2021, but has a 2025 goal of a 25% increase. | Ken Wolter/Shutterstock

Hauler WM appears unlikely to reach its 2025 interim goal for materials recovered for recycling, despite an increase from the baseline level, according to data from its latest sustainability report. Continue Reading

Posted in News, Top stories | Tagged data, MRFs |

WM outlines investments in recycling infrastructure

Published: July 1, 2025
Updated: July 1, 2025
by Andrew Hawthorne

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

Posted in News | Tagged collection, EPR/Stewardship, MRFs |

Industry coalition focuses on small-format material recovery

Published: July 1, 2025
Updated: July 1, 2025
by Colin Staub

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

Posted in News, Top stories | Tagged industry groups, MRFs |

MRFs share how they develop accepted material lists

Published: June 17, 2025
Updated: June 17, 2025
by Antoinette Smith

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

Posted in News, Top stories | Tagged collection, MRFs |

Upgrades completed on Connecticut Casella MRF

Published: May 28, 2025
Updated: May 28, 2025
by Andrew Hawthorne

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

Posted in News, Top stories | Tagged MRFs |

Battery dangers, solutions take center stage at ReMA

Published: May 20, 2025
Updated: May 20, 2025
by Colin Staub

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.

Posted in News, Top stories | Tagged industry groups, MRFs |

MRF upgrades, openings announced across US

Published: May 13, 2025
Updated: May 13, 2025
by Andrew Hawthorne

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.

Posted in News | Tagged MRFs |

CalRecycle to fund mixed plastics facility, other projects

Published: May 6, 2025
Updated: May 6, 2025
by Colin Staub

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

Posted in News | Tagged California, MRFs |