WM鈥痗elebrated the completion of its new $110 million鈥疍enver East Recycling Facility and Hauling Site鈥痠n Aurora, with鈥痑 grand opening event attended by鈥痬ore than鈥�250 guests鈥痠ncluding鈥疌olorado Governor鈥疛ared Polis.鈥犫�淲M鈥檚 investment鈥痠n鈥痩ocal recycling鈥痠nfrastructure,鈥痩ower-emission鈥疌NG collection operations, and鈥痑n adjacent renewable natural gas鈥痯roject鈥痟ere in Colorado鈥痜urther demonstrate our鈥痙edication鈥痶o innovation, improved technology, and鈥痗reating鈥痑 more sustainable future for鈥痮ur鈥痗ommunities, said鈥疍avid鈥疊rannon,鈥痑rea鈥痸ice鈥痯resident,鈥疻M Four Corners.听鈥淭he new鈥疍enver East Recycling Facility鈥痠s equipped with the鈥痗utting-edge鈥痶echnology鈥痭eeded鈥痶o process more鈥痳ecyclable鈥痬aterial more efficiently鈥痑nd to produce a high-quality product that can be used to create new products. This, in turn, could鈥痟elp鈥痶o鈥痠mprove the economics of recycling for鈥痮ur鈥疌olorado鈥痓usiness and our customers.鈥�
The鈥痑dvanced鈥痶echnology deployed in WM鈥檚 new recycling facility鈥痗an鈥痯rocess鈥痷p to鈥�45 tons鈥痮f material鈥痯er hour, providing鈥痗rucial鈥痳ecycling infrastructure to Colorado鈥痑s the state continues to roll out鈥痠ts free recycling collection program for residents statewide.鈥疶he鈥�84,000-square-foot鈥疻M鈥疍enver East Recycling Facility features鈥痭early 2鈥痬iles of conveyors鈥痶hat鈥痗arry materials through more than 30 advanced automated鈥痚quipment鈥痵tations鈥痶hat鈥痜eature鈥痮ptical sorting and artificial intelligence technology.鈥疶his鈥痮peration鈥痠s鈥痚xpected to鈥痯rocess more than 175,000 tons of recyclables per year and produce鈥痟igher鈥痲uality recycled鈥痗ardboard,鈥痯aper,鈥痬etal,鈥痯lastic鈥痑nd glass鈥痶hat will go on to be鈥痷sed鈥痓y鈥痬anufacturers as feedstock鈥痶o make鈥痵ustainably sourced鈥痗onsumer products.鈥疉n onsite Recycling Education Center鈥痺ill host鈥痝roup鈥痶ours of the鈥痳ecycling plant鈥痺ith the goal of鈥痜ostering鈥痑 better understanding of how recycling works and why proper recycling habits are important.
Sharing the campus is the鈥疍enver East Hauling site. A鈥�30,000-square-foot building鈥痟ouses鈥痮ffice space and a鈥�10-bay truck maintenance鈥痵hop.鈥疧utside, the鈥痵ite鈥痟as 104 compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations to support鈥疻M鈥檚 growing鈥痜leet of鈥痩ower-emission鈥疌NG鈥痗ollection鈥痶rucks. A team of about鈥�100鈥痬anagers, drivers and technicians鈥痺ork out of this hauling site鈥�撯�痺hich鈥痠s the third WM hauling site鈥痵ervicing communities鈥痑nd businesses鈥痠n the鈥疍enver metro area.鈥��鈥�
WM鈥檚鈥痬ost recent local鈥痠nvestments鈥痠nclude the $73鈥痬illion new construction of the Denver East Recycling Facility, and a $36.4鈥痬illion鈥痠nvestment鈥痜or the Denver East Hauling Site which includes the CNG fueling infrastructure. The site鈥檚 existing fleet of CNG collection trucks is expected to be further expanded next year. WM has also broken ground on a co-located facility for the鈥疉t Your Door鈥疭pecial Collections庐聽program, which collects difficult, sometimes聽hazardous聽and hard to recycle materials. Later this year, WM expects to begin鈥痶he鈥痚stimated鈥�$67鈥痬illion construction鈥痮f聽聽Colorado鈥檚 first large-scale renewable natural gas (RNG) facility at the Denver Arapahoe Disposal Site (DADS), which is鈥痩ocated鈥痑djacent to鈥疻M鈥檚 Denver East campus.鈥疘n addition,鈥疻M鈥痟as invested鈥痑 total of approximately鈥�$8.2 million鈥痠n the鈥疧rganics鈥疪ecycling Facility at DADS, which includes 2026 site improvements and equipment.
This聽state-of-the-art聽WM campus is a major step forward in advancing the future of sustainability in Colorado,鈥� said Colorado Governor聽Jared Polis, who addressed the group at the event. 鈥淎s Colorado continues to transition to EPR for packaging and paper products, expand recycling to all residents and work to reduce both waste and greenhouse gas emissions, investments in sustainability infrastructure like WM is making here in Denver, are crucial to supporting the state鈥檚 aggressive goals for environmental, economic and public health.鈥�
The Denver East Recycling Facility鈥痠s part of WM鈥檚 enterprise-wide plans to invest more than鈥�$1.4 billion鈥痠n 39 new and upgraded recycling facilities across North America from 2022 to 2027, which is expected to add approximately 2.8 million tons of incremental annual processing capacity by the end of 2027. These planned investments鈥痵eek鈥痶o increase WM鈥檚 ability to manage more recycled materials and potentially enhance access to recycling for its customers.