SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): WM announced completion of upgrades aimed at automation of its Germantown Recycling Facility in Wisconsin. The company had spent nearly $39 million towards the upgrade. The upgraded facility is expected to process up to 70 tons of materials every hour.

The upgrades are part of WM’s previously announced plans to make $1 billion investment in new and upgraded facilities across North America, which will add around 2.8 million tons of additional capacity by end-2026.

ALSO READ:

Little Rock, AR Approved New Recycling Contract with Waste Management

Recycling Stream Contamination Surged in New York, Finds DSNY Study

Commenting on the development, Frank Fello, WM Upper Midwest Area Vice President said that the investment demonstrates the company’s ongoing commitment to enable sustainability progress for Wisconsin. The state-of-the-art equipment installed as part of the upgrades focuses on optical sorting technologies, which in turn will help to boost the volume of recycling.

The upgrades aimed at automation will help the facility to capture more types of plastics. It promises improved material quality through use of intelligent sorting techniques. The final optical sort line will provide a second chance of recovery by sending the missed recyclable materials back.