WM has announced plans to make an approximate $30 million capital investment in its Cleveland materials recovery facility (MRF) to create a state-of-the-art recycling hub and WM’s primary sustainability center for Ohio. Construction on the expanded facility has already begun and the project is expected to be completed by May 2023.
The project is part of WM’s planned $275-million investment in recycling infrastructure in 2023, bringing the company’s overall investment in new and upgraded recycling facilities to over $1.3 billion since 2018. With the demand for recycled content products continuing to rise, the investment is expected to enable WM to capture more recycled materials and increase access to recycling for its customers.
The planned expansion and upgrades to the Cleveland MRF features optical sorting scanners for both fibers and plastic that work to optimize the recovery and quality of recycled materials. Additionally, the project includes system upgrades to support sophisticated glass recovery and clean-up, as well as an advanced fire detection system designed to detect and put out fires before they spread. The current recycling center’s commodity bale storage is expected to increase from approximately 7,000 square feet to 32,000 square feet
Currently, WM operates four MRFs in Ohio. With this expansion, WM’s Cleveland facility is projected to become the primary recycling processing hub in the state and the designated recycling center for the City of Mentor’s recyclables.