What is a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF)?

You may hear us referring to the WWRA as an MRF, or a Materials Recovery Facility, but what is an MRF? A Materials Recovery facility is a specialized facility tasked with collecting, sorting, and baling household recyclables to send them to recycling facilities.
 
The WWRA is a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) was created in cooperation with five local municipalities to collect western Washtenaw’s household recyclables. We collect, sort, and bale household recyclables which are sold to specialized recycling facilities such as Graphic Packaging (Kalamazoo, MI), Clean Tech (Dundee, MI), and Strategic Material (Chicago, IL).
 
Some may refer to us as an MRF, a recycling center, or a recycling facility, but we are NOT a dump! The WWRA only accepts recyclable material. We are often confused with the Chelsea Waste Transfer Station, located next to our facility. We are a different entity than the Transfer Station, with different staff, hours, purposes, and buildings. Learn more about the Waste Transfer station on their website.