What is a Material Recovery Facility (MRF)?

MRFs are a central component of municipal and commercial recycling programs. They can be single-stream, where all recyclables are mixed together, or dual-stream, where materials are pre-sorted by type. Equipment such as conveyor belts, magnets, screens, and optical sorters are used to efficiently separate materials. Proper operation of MRFs reduces contamination, increases recycling rates, and supports the circular economy by turning discarded materials into raw resources for manufacturing.