Background
The Monroe County Recycling Center (MCRC) is located on Lee Road and was opened in 1992 to accept curbside residential recyclables. Materials delivered to the facility are sorted, processed and baled for transport to end market users. Every day, approximately 200 tons of valuable materials are extracted from the waste stream and redirected into the supply chain through recycling at the MCRC. The Recycling Center currently receives about 40,000 tons of curbside recyclable material per year.
In 2014, the MCRC started to accept mixed recycling materials from its recycling collector customers (eliminating the need to sort paper from containers). This enabled the collection of recyclables in a one bin system, including the transition to rolling recycling carts provided by many local municipal and private collection companies. Additional benefits include cost effective collection with a compaction truck, reduced transportation impacts due to biweekly collections, and increased recycling rates.
In 2021, WM completed an optical scanning upgrade at the MCRC, integrating modern technology and near-infrared sensors to “see” what each item is made of and triggering air jets to blow targeted items to correct path. Benefits include increasing efficiencies and the amount of materials accurately recovered for recycling.
How are curbside recyclables processed?
The Recycling Facility is designed to efficiently sort recyclable materials by type: paper, plastic, metal, and glass. Mixed Recycling machinery employs advanced technologies including magnets, screens, and eddy currents to automate and maximize the sorting of recyclables. There are also a number of hand sorters (people) who ensure the high quality of recyclables at the MCRC.
To help visualize the process, you can:
- Watch our new 10 minute video tour of the Monroe County Recycling Center with an up-close look at the equipment and sorting process here
- Watch WM's 3 minute, animated How it Works: Single-stream Recycling video here
- Follow the process in the graphic below
