Recycling plays a crucial role in minimizing waste and enabling the reuse of valuable materials. This process helps lessen the demand for new resources and prevents materials from ending up in landfills, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Recycling goes beyond being a mere process; it is also a profession. Understanding the operations of material recovery facilities and the daily challenges faced by workers can enhance recycling practices and ensure the safety of these vital workers.
Material recovery facilities (MRFs), commonly known as recycling centers, need to operate profitably, efficiently, and safely to remain open and attract skilled workers. Ensuring worker safety not only protects employees but also reduces costs, as replacing injured or overworked personnel can be costly. Representatives from leading waste management firms, Rumpke and Waste Management, emphasize that safety of employees is their primary focus at MRFs, with machine upkeep following closely.
Despite these measures, nine workers lost their lives in U.S. material recovery facilities in 2023. The fatality rate for refuse and recycling collectors increased by more than 80% that year, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This placed waste and recycling collection as the fourth most hazardous occupation in the nation, following roofers, fishing and hunting workers, and logging workers. A significant number of injuries and fatalities result from items that should not have been placed in recycling bins.
Ensuring Safety on the Job
The environment in MRFs is often noisy and dusty, with physically demanding tasks and fluctuating temperatures influenced by the weather. To enhance safety, workers are equipped with steel-toed boots, high-visibility vests or coats, and hard hats when navigating the large sorting buildings.
Many employees wear puncture-resistant gloves that sometimes extend to cover forearms, as needlestick injuries are common. A 2018 study by the Environmental Research & Education Foundation revealed that 45% of MRF injuries were due to needlesticks, despite syringes and medical sharps being prohibited in curbside recycling. It is crucial to learn the proper disposal methods for medical sharps to prevent them from entering the recycling stream.
All staff members receive safety training upon hiring, with updates whenever recycling regulations are modified. Managers and supervisors undergo additional emergency response training, particularly as battery fires are becoming increasingly frequent.
Operators and maintenance personnel are required to be certified to handle the machinery. During equipment repairs, a stringent lock out/tag out process ensures that machines cannot resume operation while repairs are underway.
The Emerging Danger: Lithium-Ion Battery Fires
The most perilous item to place in a recycling bin is not broken glass or rusty metal, but a lithium-ion battery. These batteries, when shaken, crushed, or punctured during collection and sorting, can enter a state known as “thermal runaway,” releasing extreme heat and potentially igniting nearby paper and plastic.
The National Waste and Recycling Association estimates that over 5,000 fires occur annually at recycling facilities, with many linked to lithium-ion batteries. Reported fires at MRFs and transfer stations increased by 20% in 2024 compared to the previous year, reaching unprecedented levels, according to Fire Rover, a fire detection firm. Fire data for 2025 indicates a record 448 reported incidents across North America, with the actual number likely higher due to unreported smaller fires.
A minor fire at an MRF costs approximately $2,600 on average, but a large fire can destroy an entire facility and result in damages exceeding $50 million. In 2021, a battery fire obliterated a transfer station in Klamath Falls, Oregon, causing over $3 million in damages and halting facility operations for two years, disrupting regional recycling collection. The frequency of major MRF fire losses has increased by 41% in the last five years.
Disposable vaping devices pose a growing threat. These vapes contain lithium-ion batteries and there are few safe disposal options in the U.S. Approximately 1.2 billion vapes enter the waste and recycling stream annually, exacerbating the fire risk when discarded improperly.
Never put batteries in the recycling bin.
Understanding the Sorting Process
Upon arrival at an MRF, curbside recycling is deposited onto the tipping floor. Workers initially remove any items that clearly do not belong. Over the years, discoveries have included items like dead deer, bowling balls, and full-size vacuums, none of which should be in recycling.
Following the initial sorting, heavy equipment operators and workers with shovels load the materials onto conveyor belts leading to the automated sorting system. Workers are stationed along the belts to extract items that machines cannot process. The machines utilize spinning screens to separate paper and cardboard, magnets to extract steel, optical scanners and infrared sensors to identify different plastics, and air jets to separate lightweight materials. Glass naturally separates due to its weight.
Although machines now handle much of the sorting, human oversight remains essential for quality control, as computers cannot detect everything. Once materials are sorted by type, they are compressed into large bales by a baler. Workers inspect these bales before they are stacked and shipped to manufacturers who reuse the materials.
Besides sorting, MRF roles include machine technicians, maintenance workers, equipment operators, foremen, and housekeeping staff who ensure clear walkways to prevent trips and minimize hazardous dust.
Your Role at Home is Crucial
No two MRFs are identical, as they utilize different equipment and have various buyers for the materials they process. This is why neighboring communities may not accept the same items for recycling. Although it can be perplexing, it is crucial to adhere to local guidelines.
Items that do not belong in the recycling stream require additional time for removal and increase the danger to workers. Plastic bags and films can entangle spinning machine components, halting the sorting line. Shredded paper clogs screens, leading to costly shutdowns. When a machine becomes jammed, a worker must enter it to resolve the issue, which is both time-consuming and hazardous.
Here are the simplest ways to help ensure the safety of recycling workers:
- Avoid placing batteries in curbside recycling or trash. Instead, take them to a retail collection site.
- Keep plastic bags out of your recycling bin. Return them to grocery store drop-off locations.
- Do not place items in the recycling bin simply because you hope they are recyclable. If uncertain, consult Earth911’s recycling search or local guidelines. When in doubt, leave it out.
- Never dispose of medical sharps in the recycling bin. Utilize a sharps disposal program or a designated drop-off location.
Understanding what belongs in your recycling bin benefits not only the environment but also the workers who perform one of the most demanding and perilous jobs in sustainability.
Editor’s Notes: Originally published March 29, 2022. Updated February 2023. Updated March 2026.
