Sonoco Recycling Inc. has acquired American Recycling of South Carolina LLC, strengthening its presence in the Upstate region of South Carolina.

The paper recycler and Sonoco subsidiary purchased for an undisclosed amount American Recycling’s Greenville, S.C., material recovery facility (MRF). Sonoco expects the addition of the facility to substantially increase its capability to meet rising demand in the Upstate region, which is northwestern South Carolina.

"With this acquisition, Sonoco Recycling has significantly expanded its single-stream recycling capabilities in the Upstate," said Jim Brown, vice president for Sonoco Recycling, in a news release. "The Greenville MRF will help accelerate Sonoco Recycling's current goal of doubling the volume of tons collected by 2014."

The acquisition, Sonoco’s fifth MRF, expands Sonoco's operations in one of the largest metro cities in South Carolina. Sonoco already has South Carolina recycling operations in Charleston, Columbia and Spartanburg.

Founded in 2003, American Recycling was founded in 2003 and is a leading processor of recyclable materials in the Southeast, with plastics and various grades of paper comprising the majority of processed material. It serves a variety of markets from printing to municipalities.

Sonoco Recycling said its reclamation rates in South Carolina save approximately 843,000 cubic yards of landfill space, equating to enough landfill space for the annual disposal needs of over one million South Carolina residents.