Balcones MRF receives gold-level certification from GRC

The Glass Recycling Coalition, Ann Arbor, Michigan, has announced that Balcones Resources, Austin, Texas, has received gold-level certification for its Austin materials recovery facility (MRF).

The Balcones MRF in Austin had previously held a silver-level certification since 2019, and the GRC says that with recent upgrades to its glass cleaning equipment, it was able to recertify at the highest level available. Balcones is the third gold certified MRF in Texas and the 10th MRF to hold this certification in the country, according to the GRC.

The GRC says the free certification program recognizes MRFs with additional equipment and operational procedures to clean up glass in both single- and dual-stream systems, producing more marketable and higher-quality glass.

“As this certification grows, it is evident that more MRFs are seeing the value and competitive advantage in producing higher quality glass from single stream recycling,” says Amy Uong of the GRC MRF certification committee and Sims Municipal Recycling. “Glass is endlessly recyclable, and the data shows that 90 percent of Americans expect to recycle it. Additionally, end markets are eager for this material, and this certification ensures quality standards are in place for MRFs across the country.”

Balcones opened the $25 million Austin facility in 2012. It processes 60 percent of residential curbside single stream recycling as part of its contract with the city of Austin. The company also says it services around 75 percent of Austin’s Class A office buildings, in addition to several corporate campuses, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers. Balcones also operates recycling facilities in Dallas; Taylor, Texas; Little Rock, Arkansas; Sarasota, Florida; and says it plans open a new facility in San Antonio, Texas, in 2024.

Balcones says it prioritizes glass recycling as part of the company’s commitment to a circular economy, and approximately 20 percent of their inbound material in Austin is glass. Balcones says that, in 2019, the MRF underwent a retrofit to install a four-deck glass separator. In 2021, the team also installed a new air drum separator that removes fines and lights from the glass. Further, the company says team members specializing in glass recycling test the glass multiple times daily to ensure its cleanliness, contributing to an output of almost 90 percent clean glass, which helped the MRF receive gold-level certification.

“Achieving this certification is a testament to our mission at Balcones, which is to recover as many recyclables as possible,” says Mauricio Castelan, general manager at the Austin MRF. “Austin, as a community, is very committed to recycling as much as possible, so we are meeting that demand. It gives us a competitive advantage, too, because it makes our glass more sought after.”

The GRC’s MRF Glass Certification program launched in 2019. In 2022, the organization says the glass certification criteria were updated to prioritize end market consistency and more thorough glass cleaning prior to beneficiation. It says that eligible applications are judged on their current MRF infrastructure and the results of a glass purity test that is aligned with the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries’ (ISRI’s) three-mix specification. An independent committee scores applications and awards MRFs with either gold, silver or bronze certification.