Dive Brief:
- Sonoco Recycling LLC, based in Hartsville, SC, will operate a new material recovery facility in New Hanover County. The facility will be the base for the county and city's recycling collections, and is estimated to bring in as much as 25,000 tons of waste material from landfills annually.
- The agreement with the city of Wilmington to build the facility will call for a $1 per year lease arrangement with the county, as well as $0.25 per ton of of materials delivered from outside the area. The MRF and financial agreement combined will save more than $650,000 annually, according to New Hanover County Environmental Management Director Joe Suleyman.
- While recycling collection will remain the same, drop-off sites will now combine materials such as metal, paper, and plastic into one container.
Dive Insight:
By developing the new material recovery facility, New Hanover will be able to combat the economic challenges that come with recycling. "This agreement, and the infrastructure it brings to the county, provides a tremendous opportunity to expand and enhance recycling efforts countywide," Suleyman said.
Big companies in the industry, such as Republic Services Inc. and Waste Management Inc. are looking to restructure contracts and service model fees to deal with recycling charges.
