Materials Recovery Facilities

A materials recovery facility processes recyclable materials. The materials are then sold to manufacturers as raw materials for new products. Materials recovery facilities, also known as materials reclamation facilities or materials recycling facilities, are generally classified as either “clean” or “dirty.”

A clean materials recovery facility takes in commingled, recyclable materials that have been separated from municipal solid waste. The most common clean facilities are single stream, where all recyclable materials are mixed together, or dual stream, where recyclables are delivered in mixed streams, with one typically consisting of mixed paper and the other of such materials as glass, nonferrous metals, and plastics. The recyclables are sorted and then prepared for market through baling, shredding, crushing, or other techniques. Nonrecyclable materials are separated out, but they ...