Republic Services, Inc. celebrated the opening of its new “Next-Gen” recycling facility and learning center in Plano, Texas. The 77,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility serves more than 510,000 residents and 2,500 commercial customers throughout the Metroplex – including Plano, Richardson and other neighboring cities. “This facility exemplifies Republic Services’ commitment to helping ensure local recycling programs in Plano and the surrounding communities remain durable and sustainable for the long-term,” said Pete Keller, vice president of recycling and sustainability. “We know consumers want to do their part to help the environment and to be better recyclers, and we will continue to partner with municipalities to educate their residents through our Recycling Simplified campaign. We all need to do our part to ensure only clean recyclables are in the recycling container.”
On average, recycling contamination levels are at 30 percent, which means the separation of clean recyclables from contaminated material is more important than ever. The Plano facility uses highly advanced sorting technologies to process 350 tons of recyclable material per day – separating material in milliseconds. This includes optical sorters, next-generation anti-wrap fiber screens and other innovative techniques. Additionally, an automated, touch screen control system and tablet-based capabilities allow for real-time systems management and monitoring, data acquisition and remote access from anywhere in the world.
The Plano Center includes a first-of-its-kind, interactive Learning Center designed to educate consumers about recycling. Visitors of all ages can get a first-hand view of the recycling process from the observation deck, view recycling and sustainability educational videos and colorful displays, and play interactive games throughout the 5,000 square foot learning space. Public tours of the Learning Center should be scheduled in advance. More information about how to become a better recycler and reduce contamination rates can be found at recyclingsimplified.com.
The opening of the new Plano Recycling Center builds upon Republic’s 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.