Take a look inside Ann Arbor's state-of-the-art zero waste recycling facility
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Ann Arbor is home to the state's only zero waste materials recovery facility.
The MRF is also one of four of its kind in the country.
The two-year-old MRF cost more than $7 million to build and is run by the nonprofit Recycle Ann Arbor.
Its mission is to sort and send recycled materials to local manufacturers that will recycle the products again for their best use.
CEO Bryan Ukena has been part of the recycling movement since the 1980s.
He said many items make their way into the MRF that shouldn't.
"Plastic's probably the biggest issue," Ukena said. "Just because it's plastic doesn't mean you throw it in the cart. Don't put it in and wish that it could be recycled. We call that 'wish-cycling.' When in doubt, leave it out."
Trucks arrive at the facility on a near-constant basis from around Washtenaw and surrounding counties.
Loader operator Brian Stewart begins processing the materials and makes sure no contaminants are present.
"I am the first line of defense," he said.
Lithium-ion batteries are a primary concern since they can have a devastating impact on the facility.
"When you run over those batteries, they catch on fire. And you can imagine 80% of what we have is paper; it causes a real issue," said Ukena.
Sorter Demond Fisher has been with Recycle Ann Arbor for more than two decades.
"We have to try to get all the stuff, like trash and stuff, before it goes on our recycling line," he said.
The sorters have only seconds to identify and remove non-recyclable items from the conveyor belt.
Fisher said they often see propane tanks, Christmas lights, and other garbage regularly come through the line.
Ukena said zero waste facilities like this one exist to enter into a discussion about best environmental practices.
That includes meeting with local manufacturers who commit to repurposing the material.
"We actually do the work of recycling," said Ukena. "So, we know intimately what those issues are. We're in it; we're in the business; we're in the industry, so we have more credibility with the manufacturers."
In 2022, the MRF was able to divert nearly 13,000 tons of material from the landfill through curbside recycling.
Ukena also said that Ann Arbor outperforms on average with the quality and cleanliness of recycled materials.
"It's about 120 tons per day, and that equates to about 20–22 tons per hour of material," said Ukena. "We have to keep up with it. It's like a faucet. Once you turn it on, you can't stop."
With such a demanding task each day, a committed staff is critical to the facility's operations.
"This is a union shop," said Ukena. "We don't hire temps here. Everybody's fully benefited ... For some of these people in manufacturing, this is the first time they've had the opportunity to have that.
He said millions of dollars worth of equipment and technology cannot replace the human touch on the sorting line.
The MRF is located at 4150 Platt Rd. in Ann Arbor.
