Recycle Utah recently toured the WM Salt Lake Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), where we learned about updated rules for curbside recycling. WM’s MRF and transfer station in West Valley City accepts both curbside and commercial recycling for sorting and distribution, including Summit County’s curbside recycling.

The 50,000 square foot MRF and transfer station has been in operation since 2020 and is full of state-of-the-art recycling technology. Through the use of optical and AI sorters, WM can process around 450 tons of material every day, equivalent to the weight of about 50 orcas. 

Material travels through many steps as it moves through the facility. First, trucks drop all the recycling on the tipping floor to be dumped onto the conveyor belt system. Next, employees pull large non-recyclables or hazardous materials off the conveyor belt to avoid damage to the system. Employees primarily remove bagged material and large contaminants that could get twisted in the conveyor belts.

 The material passes over 3.5 miles of conveyor belts and sorting equipment. Aluminum cans are pulled off the conveyor by an ‘eddy current’, which works as a sort of reverse magnet. Steel cans and ferrous metal are pulled off the conveyor with a magnet. Paper, plastic, and cardboard are sorted using AI optical sorters. These machines use optical cameras to sense density and material on the conveyor. They can “see” whatever density they are programmed to look for, and use air jets to shoot the material off the main belt and into a separate line. Optical sorters are programmed to pick about 600 different materials per minute, meaning they identify and sort around 10 items a second. After each material is sorted into its unique bay, it is baled and stored until it is ready to be shipped to recyclers around the country.  

The efficiency and scale of the recycling process at WM is incredible. Tours are available for the general public, as well as offered through Recycle Utah’s adult education program. For more information on the recycling process, please visit https://www.wm.com/us/en/recycle-right/recycling-101. Also, check out Recycle Utah’s YouTube channel for a more in-depth look at the MRF, where you can find a video tour and answers to some recycling FAQ’s! 

By Mia Moore