Casella highlights recycling investments, education efforts

In celebration of 45 years of being in the recycling industry and for America Recycles Day Nov. 15, Casella Waste Systems Inc. has released 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. The educational videos and educational materials are available to view online.

“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,” says John W. Casella, chairman and CEO of the Rutland, Vermont-based company. “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.”

Casella adds that the company has set a target to recycle more than 2 million tons of recycling materials per year by 2030. He says, “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.”

Casella reports that it has invested about $30 million in its Resource Solutions operations over the past two years, which include its recycling processing facilities. Most recent investments include the installation of four Amp Cortex robotic systems in two of its facilities located in Stanley, New York, and Rutland. Casella says those systems are designed to capture more high-value plastic material while decreasing contamination for the overall quality of the recycled material used in new products.

According to Casella, the company hopes that artificial intelligence-powered robots will help to improve worker safety and reduce employee turnover rates.

In the next year, Casella says it plans to continue to invest in its recycling and resource management infrastructure, including the installation of a new state-of-the-art processing system from Plessisville, Quebec-based Machinex at its material recovery facility in Charlestown, Massachusetts.