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Say howdy to our new ‘Next-Gen’ recycling facility in Texas
The Plano recycling facility builds upon Republic Services’ ongoing commitment to recycling and the company’s Blue Planet® sustainability platform. The company owns and operates 91 recycling facilities nationwide, and processes approximately 8 million tons of recyclable material annually.Byline: BTB Editor
April 10, 2019 / Time to read: 5 minThey say everything’s bigger in Texas, and that goes for Republic Services’ newest recycling facility.
The company this week celebrated its new “Next-Gen” recycling facility and learning center in Plano, Texas. The 77,000-square-foot facility serves more than 510,000 residents and 2,500 commercial customers throughout the Metroplex – including Plano, Richardson and other neighboring cities.
The Plano facility uses highly advanced sorting technologies to process 350 tons of recyclable material per day – separating material in milliseconds. This capability has become even more important in the last year, as changes to the recycling industry have shone a spotlight on the issue of recycling contamination.
On average, about 30% of household recycling is contaminated. Contamination can happen when a recyclable item, like a cardboard pizza box, is soiled by food or other residue. It also occurs when the wrong items are thrown in the recycling container – like a dirty diaper or a garden hose.
Technology at the new facility is state of the art, but even the most advanced scanning and sorting equipment can’t weed out all contamination. That’s where education comes in, and a 5,000-square-foot learning center will help teach the community about becoming better recyclers.
Visitors to the learning center will be able to get a first-hand view of the recycling process from an observation deck. Kids can climb into the cab of a Republic Services truck and play interactive games.
The center itself reflects the spirit of the Lone Star State, with much of the décor sourced locally from an annual antiques fair. In the middle of the learning center is a giant tree made entirely of recycled materials. Milk-jug “clouds” donated from a Dallas-area dairy decorate the ceiling’s sky.
The opening of the Plano facility builds upon Republic Services’ ongoing commitment to recycling and the company’s Blue Planet® sustainability platform. The company owns and operates 91 recycling facilities nationwide, and processes approximately 8 million tons of recyclable material annually.
