Single-Stream MRF Opens in Newark, N.J.

Newark, N.J., is the site of a new regional single-stream material recovery facility (MRF) that Houston-based Waste Management is calling the largest single stream facility in New Jersey. 

Waste Management and its subsidiary Waste Management Recycle America (WMRA) has invested more than $4 million at the St. Charles Street Materials Recovery Facility to install advanced single-stream technology, including magnets, screens and optical scanners, that separates mixed paper, glass, plastic and metal recyclables for processing and reuse.

Single-stream recycling is proven to increase participation in recycling programs by up to 30 percent, according to a press release from Waste Management, and helps make the process of recycling more efficient and cost effective for businesses and municipalities. 

The 110,000-square-foot WMRA Newark facility supports residential and commercial recycling in municipalities and counties throughout New Jersey and has the capacity to process up to 11,000 tons of materials per month.

“WM Recycle America is focused on making it easier for people to recycle, at home or at work,” Patrick DeRueda, president, WMRA, said during the a ceremony to celebrate the opening of the MRF.  “By making the process of handling recyclables simpler for New Jersey residents and businesses, this re-tooled facility has the potential to significantly increase local recycling participation rates, enabling us to further reduce waste, recover more material and improve the effectiveness of municipal and commercial recycling programs.”

WMRA has more than 30 single-stream recycling facilities currently operating across the country, with plans to open or begin construction on six additional single-stream MRFs this year.

This St. Charles Street MRF is also part of Waste Management’s recently announced sustainability initiative to increase the volume of recyclable materials processed. Waste Management currently manages 8 million tons of recyclables; by 2020 the company plans to capture enough of the increasing volumes to process more than 20 million tons.