How it works
Trucks tip recyclables on a floor. Loaders push material onto conveyors. From there, a series of machines separate it. Disc screens split flat paper from containers, magnets pull steel, eddy currents eject aluminum, and optical sorters use air jets to separate plastics by resin type. People work on sorting lines to pull out contaminants and fix machine misses.
Sorted commodities are baled and shipped to mills and processors. Prices for those commodities move with the market, so a MRF’s revenue can swing from year to year. Contamination is a major cost, since non-recyclable items must be removed and disposed of, and they can damage equipment.
Some MRFs are publicly owned, some private, and many operate under contracts with cities that set processing fees or revenue sharing.
Why it matters for your business
If you collect recycling, the MRF is where your customers’ habits meet reality. Your contract with the facility may include contamination charges, so what ends up in your carts affects your bill.
That makes customer education part of operations. Mailers, emails, and cart tags that say what belongs in the bin reduce loads that get rejected. Email and text campaigns are a cheap way to repeat the rules, especially when a program changes.
If you operate a MRF, your website should explain what you accept, tour options, and how to report issues. Community groups, schools, and haulers search for those pages. Plain-language accepted-materials lists also help your municipal customers answer resident questions.
Common questions
Is a MRF the same as a landfill?
No. A MRF sorts and sells materials. Residue that cannot be recycled still goes to disposal.
Why do accepted materials change?
Because markets and equipment change. Always follow the current list from your processor and local program.