The Road (Back) to Recovery

In "The Road (Back) to Recovery," Holly Halliwill delves into the journey of Lexington, KY, as the city tackled the suspension of curbside paper recycling in 2019 due to issues with an aging MRF and shifting recycling streams. Through a collaboration with Resource Recycling Systems and Machinex Technologies, Lexington undertook a $4.2 million upgrade to their MRF, retooling their fiber line and incorporating new technology to improve material sorting. This article highlights the challenges faced, the strategic solutions implemented, and how these changes allowed the city to resume curbside paper collection in May 2022, ensuring a sustainable future for recycling in Lexington.

“Recycling paper is more important than ever to ensure there is enough feedstock available to make new sustainable products. This optical sorter aids in capturing valuable material and reducing contamination of other material flows.”

Written by:

Holly Halliwill, RRS Consultanting Engineer