Most avenues for improving recycling in the U.S. run through approximately 300 little-known material recovery facilities, or MRFs, that manage our “recyclables” after they are collected curbside.

MRFs serve a vital function of receiving, separating and then preparing recyclable materials for sale to end-user manufacturers. They are a gatekeeper determining how much of the collected material ends up in landfills and how much moves onto recyclers.

But their operations could be improved in several key ways with the help of local and national policymakers.

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