Waste Management’s recycling facility in Salt Lake City is planning to spend $16 million to install several optical sorters and advanced technology to boost recycling operations.

The facility currently processes 12 tons of recyclables per hour. Once the upgrade is complete, the recycling plant will be able to process 35 tons of bottles, cans and cardboard an hour. Plant upgrades will include better sorters, updated screens to prevent plastic bags and Christmas lights from clogging up the machines and three new balers so items can be shipped faster.

KSL Newsradio has more information:

The Waste Management plant on 900 South processes 12 tons of recyclables per hour. But once they complete a major upgrade to the recycling plant, 35 tons of bottles, cans, and cardboard will flow through the facility every 60 minutes.

The recycling plant manager Walt Mathiason says the company plans to spend $16 million to install several optical sensors that can detect more materials that could be recycled.

“We’ll be able to really increase the amount of material that we can recycle. (And better sort) the good stuff from the bad stuff and market it as clean, recyclable commodities,” Mathiason says.

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