Two MRFs receive Glass Recycling Coalition’s gold certification

The Glass Recycling Coalition (GRC), Ann Arbor, Michigan, has awarded two material recovery facilities (MRFs) with gold-level MRF glass certifications, including Mid America Recycling in Iowa and Single Stream Recyclers in Florida. The GRC's free certification program has recognized more than 10 MRFs that have additional equipment or operational procedures to clean up glass in both single- and dual-stream systems. 

According to a news release from GRC, Mid America Recycling, the first MRF in Des Moines, Iowa, to receive this certification, operates a modern glass recycling facility in its MRF. Mid America Recycling has been providing services in the recycling industry for 42 years, with glass as a key component to its business.

“Mid America Recycling takes great pride in its quality of glass produced at our facility that is recovered from multiple supply streams to provide cullet ready for production at our end-user partners,” says Mick Barry, president of Mid America Recycling. 

Mid America Recycling’s on-site beneficiation process removes contaminants and sorts green, amber and flint (clear) glass containers. Then the facility crushes the material into cullet that is sized to end-user specifications. The Des Moines-based MRF processes more than 30,000 tons of glass per year, producing furnace-ready cullet that is shipped to end-users throughout North America.

GRC says Sarasota, Florida-based Single Stream Recyclers, which is owned by Texas-based Balcones Resources, is the first MRF in the state to receive GRC’s gold certification. That MRF integrates robotic arms, optical scanners and other equipment to sort 50 tons of recyclables per hour. 

“Achieving the gold standard of glass quality in our industry is a major point of pride and an equally high priority for all of Balcones’ single-stream facilities,” says Joaquin Mariel, chief operating officer at Balcones Resources. “Our talented team at Single Stream Recyclers in Sarasota worked together with our long-term partners at Strategic Materials to design a glass cleanup system that would consistently exceed both theirs and our expectations." 

Launched in the fall of 2019, the GRC MRF Glass Certification program has awarded 11 certifications, two silver and nine gold. In 2021, the glass certification criteria were updated to prioritize end market consistency and more thorough glass cleaning before beneficiations. Eligible applications are judged on current infrastructure and a glass purity measure aligning with the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries’ three-mix specification. An independent committee scores certification levels into gold, silver and bronze certifications. MRFs holding this certification will have a competitive advantage in the marketplace, according to the GRC.

“We understand the important connection between MRFs producing three-mix that glass recyclers desire and the continued viability of successful single-stream programming across the country, and we will continue to make the investments necessary to meet the demand," Mariel says.