This summer, recycling facility operators have invested in infrastructure projects with implications for multiple communities throughout the U.S.
Several projects are nearing completion or have recently celebrated openings, including Cards Recycling’s first-ever MRF and a county MRF in Alabama that could help restart regional curbside recycling programs. WM broke ground on a new MRF and hauling site in Colorado, and a first-of-its-kind metals recycling facility in Georgia has just started up.
Know about more projects that have been recently completed or are in the works? Email us at waste.dive.editors@industrydive.com.
Cards Recycling opens first MRF in Arkansas to step up recycling services
The project, located in Springdale, Arkansas, is meant to expand its recycling services and compete for more contracts.
Cards announced the opening on Sept. 12 in partnership with equipment provider Machinex, which was contracted to build the MRF in an existing building with limited space. The 14 ton-per-hour single-stream system sorts OCC, mixed paper, PET, HDPE color and natural, as well as tin and aluminum cans, Machinex said.
“This project showed us it is possible to design and deliver a turnkey MRF seamlessly,” said Cards CEO Dan Christensen in a news release.
Kinderhook-backed Cards, founded in 2017, also provides hauling services and operates several transfer stations. It has been growing through numerous acquisitions over the years, a factor Machinex took into account when designing the space, said Rusty Angel, Machinex’s East Coast sales manager, in the news release.
Some of the company’s latest acquisitions include Harrah Disposal and Stacy’s Trash Service in Oklahoma, and River Valley Solid Waste Removal in Arkansas.
Alabama MRF aims to bolster regional recycling for municipalities
Baldwin County, Alabama, has nearly completed its 60,000-square-foot MRF meant to help surrounding municipalities restart recycling programs and reduce the cost to recycle.
The MRF, set to come online by the end of the year, is expected to process 12,000 tons of recyclables annually, ramping up to as much as 40,000 tons as more shifts are added, according to the Baldwin County Solid Waste Authority. The MRF will accept aluminum, plastic, mixed paper and cardboard in a single-stream system designed by equipment manufacturer Green Machine. The MRF will be adjacent to the Magnolia Landfill site in Summerdale.
The facility will also include a 7,000-square-foot educational and interactive learning area for visitors.
Several nearby municipalities are either starting or revamping recycling programs in anticipation of the new MRF, according to Fox 10 News. City officials in Foley, Alabama, approved a new recycling plan last week that calls for ending a contract with the Emerald Coast Utility Authority in Florida, which will reduce transportation costs.
The authority said it plans to also open two new drop-off recycling locations before the end of the year. Those drop-off sites will accept batteries, household hazardous waste, glass and electronics, as well as “standard recyclables” like paper, aluminum, and plastic.
WM breaks ground on Colorado recycling and hauling site
WM recently started work on its Denver East Hauling Site & Recycling Facility near Aurora, Colorado. The $100 million facility aims to expand recycling infrastructure in the state, which is in the process of overhauling its waste and recycling processes as part of an extended producer responsibility for packaging law passed in 2022.
The project includes a 30,000-square-foot hauling site and an 84,400-square-foot recycling facility, according to the Aurora Sentinel. The recycling facility will have the capacity to handle up 168,000 tons of material a year, according to WM, and include specialized equipment including a plastic film recovery system. The facilities will be on the site of an existing WM-operated landfill. The plan also includes a fleet of 100 trucks that will run on CNG instead of diesel.
Gov. Jared Polis celebrated the groundbreaking on Sept. 16, crediting WM with “finding innovative ways to reduce waste and recycle efficiently, while helping Colorado continue leading in clean energy and sustainability.”
WM plans to complete construction of the new facilities by the second quarter of 2026.
Aurubis opens first US recycling facility for metals
Aurubis, an international metals smelter, has opened its $800 million metal recycling plant in Augusta, Georgia. The secondary smelter, designed for “complex recycling materials” including recycled electronics, is the first of its kind in the U.S., the company said in an email.
The facility will process more than 180,000 tons of recycled materials a year and is expected to provide more than 200 jobs, the company said in a news release. Aurubis Augusta’s vice president of investor relations Angela Seidler told Fastmarkets the facility could eventually be an ideal location for battery recycling, specifically for black mass.
