Waste Management Receives Permit Approval for Shawnee County Recycling Processing Facility

May 23, 2012 - PRLog -- TOPEKA, KS — Waste Management  took an important step today to expand recycling options with single-stream recycling for residential and commercial customers in Topeka and Shawnee County.  Waste Management received approval from Shawnee County commissioners for an advanced Material Recovery Facility (MRF). The facility will offer residents throughout the region with expanded curbside recycling service and simpler recycling options.  

A new 30,000-square-foot single-stream facility will be built on property already owned by Waste Management. The $8 million plant, outfitted with advanced technology, is expected to be completed in late 2012.  Waste Management expects to hire 18 people at the Topeka MRF.  The MRF will sort and process recyclable newspaper, cardboard and aluminum, glass and plastics.

Single-stream recycling streamlines and simplifies the process of collecting and processing recyclable materials, increasing recycling rates by up to 50 percent. In a single-stream system, residents and commercial customers place recyclables in a single container for pickup and no longer need to separate these materials in their homes or workplaces.  The new Waste Management MRF facility in Topeka will use advanced technology that includes magnets and screens to separate, sort and process the materials, which will then be shipped out for reuse.

“Single-stream recycling turns waste from Topeka residents and businesses into a reusable resource and helps the environment. That’s why Waste Management offers innovative recycling solutions to benefit the communities and customers we serve,” said Kent Harrell, area vice president, Waste Management. “We are proud to make this investment in a facility to help lessen the environmental footprint of Shawnee County and the surrounding region.”

“The Shawnee County Commission is proud to work with Waste Management to make curbside recycling a reality in our community,” said Ted Ensley, commissioner, Shawnee County. “Together, we are making our region a greener place to live and work.”

As North America’s largest recycler, Waste Management recycles more than 10 million tons of commodities annually.  The company has set a sustainability initiative to nearly triple the amount of recyclable materials it recovers, from approximately 8 million tons in 2011 to over 20 million tons by 2020.

“Waste Management is committed to being a leader in recycled material management and making recycling simpler for local residents and businesses,” said Chris Drier, vice president for the Midwest Group, WM Recycle America. “The new MRF facility will have the potential to significantly increase local recycling participation rates, enabling us to further reduce waste, recover more material and improve the effectiveness of residential and commercial recycling programs.”

For helpful reminders and simple tips for keeping waste out of the landfill, visit www.wm.com or www.thinkgreenfromhome.com.  Be sure to follow Waste Management on Twitter and Facebook for additional recycling information.

ABOUT WASTE MANAGEMENT
Waste Management, Inc., based in Houston, Texas, is the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America. Through its subsidiaries, the company provides collection, transfer, recycling and resource recovery, and disposal services. It is also one of the largest residential recycler and a leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. The company’s customers include residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers throughout North America. To learn more information about Waste Management visit www.wm.com.