Metro leaders in Nashville are focusing on improving recycling efforts on America Recycles Day, particularly by making sure that the items people put in their recycling bins can actually be processed and turned into something new. All recycling collected in the city is processed at a Waste Management facility in East Nashville, where materials like paper, plastic, and glass are sorted and sold to factories in the region.
However, the facility is not able to accept some materials, such as plastic bags, which can cause issues with the sorting equipment. Metro leaders are urging residents to make sure items are thrown loose in a bin and free of food waste to ensure proper recycling.
To further improve recycling efforts, Metro is launching a pilot program using artificial intelligence to help identify and sort the correct items for recycling. This initiative aims to reduce contamination and speed up the sorting process to ensure that accepted materials are recycled efficiently.
Despite the challenges, Nashville’s recycling efforts have been successful in recycling materials like aluminum cans, which can go from the facility back onto store shelves in just 60 days. With the use of machines and manual sorting, Waste Management employees are committed to processing materials efficiently.
Overall, Metro leaders are emphasizing the importance of proper recycling practices and are taking steps to improve the process to create a more sustainable future for Nashville.
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Photo credit www.wsmv.com
