The Glass Recycling Coalition (GRC) announced Balcones Resources as a recipient of a Gold-level certification for its MRF in Austin, Texas. The Balcones Resources Austin MRF previously held a Silver-level certification since 2019, and with recent upgrades to its glass cleaning equipment, it was able to recertify at the highest level available from the GRC. Balcones Resources is the third gold certified MRF in Texas and the tenth MRF to hold this certification in the country. The Austin MRF is the second Balcones certified facility, with Single Stream Recyclers in Sarasota, Florida also holding a gold certification.
The free certification program recognizes MRFs with additional equipment and operational procedures to clean up glass in both single- and dual-stream systems – producing more marketable and higher-quality glass.
The operations team at Balcones prioritizes glass recycling as part of the company’s commitment to a circular economy, and approximately 20 percent of their inbound material in Austin is glass. To produce the highest recovery rates possible, the MRF underwent a retrofit in 2019 to install a four-deck glass separator. Two years later, the team also installed a new air drum separator that removes fines and lights from the glass. Further, dedicated team members specializing in glass recycling test the glass multiple times daily to ensure its cleanliness. All these steps contributed to an output of almost 90 percent clean glass, and hence, the Gold-level certification.
Published in the December 2022 Edition
