Expansion of Recycling Efforts
At Waste Connections, resource recovery is an integral service offering and a key element of our sustainability efforts, including recycling through our material recovery facilities (MRFs). We recycle or divert over 50% of collected waste volumes in many markets and have achieved recycling and diversion rates of over 70% in some cases. We are expanding these efforts through the development of new, technologically advanced facilities in several markets. Additionally, we are upgrading our existing infrastructure by investing in robotics and optical sorting technology that significantly reduces cost per ton and residual rates, while also enhancing safety performance.
The quality of recycled commodities is largely dependent on front-end source separation efforts, which can vary widely and impact MRF processing costs. Source separation education includes local training efforts, coupled with our WasteConnect app that helps customers confirm whether a waste stream is recyclable.
In 2023, we continued to expand our processing capabilities, including through the complete overhaul of one major MRF and the acquisition of several other solid waste operators with recycling capacity. At over 2.2 million tons processed in 2023, our recycling increased by 1% versus the prior year — a cumulative total increase of 44% relative to our 2018 baseline — bringing us closer to our target to increase recycling by 50%.
Reducing Waste and Expanding Recycling Capacity
Waste Connections' Plainfield Material Recovery Facility is reducing waste disposed in landfills and expanding recycling capacity. Read more here.
