In celebration of 45 years of recycling, Casella Waste Systems, Inc. chose America Recycles Day to launch the latest in a series of videos aimed at educating its customers and the public on the importance of recycling as part of an integrated resource management system that facilitates a circular economy, while maintaining economic and environmentally sustainable business practices. “As a leader in recycling processing, we continue to invest in technology and infrastructure that makes recycling easier for consumer, enhances the separation of materials, increases the throughput of our recycling facilities, and improves the quality of recycled commodities that can be used in new products,” said Casella Chairman and CEO John W. Casella. “In 2021, our operations were responsible for managing more than 1.2 million tons of recyclable material, including 700,000 tons of household, commercial, and industrial recycling. We have set an ambitious target to exceed 2 million tons annually of recycling materials by 2030. Putting materials to a higher and better use has been at the core of our work since we established the first recycling facility in Vermont in 1977, and our most recent investments illustrate our continued commitment to recycling.”
Over the past two years, Casella has invested approximately $30 million in its Resource Solutions operations, which include its recycling processing facilities. The most recent advancements include the installation of four AMP Cortex robotic systems in two of its facilities located in Stanley, New York and Rutland, Vermont. The systems are designed to capture more high-value plastic material while decreasing contamination and improving the overall quality of the recycled material used in new products. Casella believes that that by augmenting the existing labor force with the AI-powered robots, they can improve worker safety and employee turnover. In the next year Casella plans to invest further in its recycling and resource management infrastructure, including the installation of a new state of the art processing system in its Charlestown, Massachusetts materials recycling facility, which is one of the largest in the country.
“We’re proud to have celebrated each America Recycles Day since its inception in 1997, and even prouder to say that we have been at the forefront of the recycling movement for 45 years,” Casella said. “One of the more important things we have learned over the years is that it takes collaboration across many stakeholders to drive true sustainability. We’re especially grateful to our collaborative partners at The Recycling Partnership who helped bring the AMP Robotics pilot to life with strategic grant funding.”