Exciting Progress in Recycling at The Rumpke Recycling & Resource Center

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): Each year on November 15, communities across America celebrate America Recycles Day, highlighting how recycling reduces waste, saves energy and conserves resources. For over 90 years, Rumpke recognized the importance of removing valuable materials from the waste stream and making communities cleaner and greener places to live.

 They continue the commitment to preserving the environment and leading a circular economy with a $100 million investment in The Rumpke Recycling & Resource Center, North America’s largest and most advanced recycling facility, in Columbus, Ohio. Designed with growth and community in mind, the facility serves as an educational resource and a recycling powerhouse.

•          The 32,000-square-foot tipping floor, the largest in the U.S., allows space for more material.
•          Processing capability of 250,000 tons of material annually from over 50 Ohio counties.
•          Material processing speed of 60 tons per hour—the highest speed recorded at 75 tons.
•          Material recovery rate at 98% of all recyclables.
•          AI and optic technology allowed us to add clear, plastic clamshell containers to our program in our Columbus, Cleveland and Waverly regions at this time—please check rumpke.com for the most up-to-date information on acceptable items.

Equipped with the latest sorting machinery, the facility includes:

•          18 optical sorters
•          Four ballistic separators
•          Five 60-foot trommels
•          Artificial Intelligence

Only three months after the official opening of the Rumpke Recycling & Resource Center in August 2024, the team celebrated producing their 50,000th bale in October. Bales are densely compacted recyclables, weighing 800-2,000 pounds each, shipped to their partners who create new products from your recyclables.

Over 80% of Rumpke’s materials go to end-product manufacturers in Ohio, supporting local jobs and businesses while reducing transportation costs. Protecting limited resources is essential for sustainability and comes with endless benefits. Recycling one ton of paper saves 17 mature trees. At the new facility, they are saving 176,061 trees each month—equivalent to 2.1 million trees per year.

 Additionally, recycling aluminum cans uses 95% less energy than using raw materials, and the facility produces 21 bales of aluminum cans daily—about 737,184 cans per day.

Courtesy: www.wasteadvantagemag.com