Many people get our recycling picked up curbside, but have you ever thought about where it goes from there? It's quite an adventure!
Nick VanderVinne is the recycling manager at the Kent County Recycling Center. He gave us a behind the scenes look.
The center, on Wealthy Street, recycles about 35,000 tons of materials a year! And that number is expected to keep growing.
In January, they added new machinery that now allows them to recycle cartons with plastic spouts, like the kind orange juice or almond milk comes in.
The center is self-sustaining, which means they don't rely on taxpayer dollars. They sell the bales of recycled materials to purchase new equipment and cover operating costs. In fact, one bale of aluminum cans can be worth $1,000!
The center has an amazing education program as well, where the public can take tours of the facility. Many schools take field trips to learn more about this process as well.
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