Dive Brief:

• If Columbia County, WI approves a series of building projects, the Solid Waste Department could receive approximately $1 million for improvements. 
• Greg Kaminski, the solid waste operations supervisor, said that the funds would most likely be used to purchase automated recycling equipment, at a cost of around $750,000.
• An automated system would improve efficiency at the plant, as workers currently sort recyclables by hand. The materials are sorted at an average rate of one ton per hour; the new equipment could process seven tons of recyclables per hour.

Dive Insight:

If the county acquires the automated equipment, revenue could potentially grow from the current $35,000 per month to $70,000 per month. Kaminski is also considering other improvements such as updating the solid waste administrative building and buying an air burner for the disposal of yard waste.