Rumpke breaks ground on central Ohio recycling facility

Cincinnati-based Rumpke Waste & Recycling has broken ground on its new 223,000-square-foot material recovery facility (MRF) in Columbus, Ohio.

During a groundbreaking ceremony in late February, Rumpke announced it has increased its initial $50 million investment in the new recycling campus to more than $90 million.

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“We have strategically designed our new facility to serve the long-term recycling needs of Columbus and the region’s residents and local governments, as well as the growing recycling demands of the commercial and industrial business growth in central Ohio,” said Andrew Rumpke, Columbus area president at Rumpke Waste & Recycling during the ceremony in late February.

Rumpke has released a video that walks through its new Recycling & Resource Center.

The company says it expects the new facility to be operational in 2024. It will be able to process 250,000 tons of material per year from 40 Ohio counties. The company's current Columbus facility on Fields Avenue processes 150,000 tons of material per year.

Designed by local architects Moody-Nolan and constructed by Elford Inc. with recycling equipment manufactured by Machinex, based in Plessisville, Quebec, the new MRF will contain modern technology and keep all materials inside one building. The facility will feature optical scanners, equipment enhanced with artificial intelligence and a sampling station to offer a quick glimpse of material composition to identify recycling opportunities and challenges for communities and businesses.

In addition, Rumpke is collaborating with The Ohio State University to provide on-site learning and research center at the new facility. The company also is working with the Columbus-based Center of Science & Industry to provide STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) learning opportunities at the facility, including interactive exhibits at a Recycling & Resource Center coupled with facility tours. The company is supporting the local Columbus community through its Rumpke Family scholarships to help students who live close to the facility.