Resource recovery is the foundation of Recology’s vision of a world without waste, which is why we’re constantly seeking new ways to improve recovery, increase efficiency, and reduce contamination in our recycling and composting processes. Recology collected and/or processed 1.4 million tons of recyclable and compostable materials in 2023.

By diverting both recyclable and compostable materials from the landfill, we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, ensure the re-use of materials into new products, and deliver nutrients back to the earth. This is the circular economy in action.

Although the climate crisis can no longer be avoided entirely, we aim to be an integral part of the solution by partnering with our communities and customers to reduce our collective carbon footprint. Every behavioral change—from composting food scraps to adopting renewable fuels—matters.

Recology collected and/or processed enough recyclable and compostable material in 2023 to avoid almost 1.6 million tons of greenhouse gases.

By transitioning to renewable and alternative fuels, Recology has reduced our fuel emissions by over 77% since 2018—equivalent to 157,326,209 fewer miles driven by an average gasoline-powered passenger vehicle.

We ran our facilities on 90% renewable or carbon-free electricity sources in 2023, and by 2028, we’re committed to making that number 100%.Recology intends to meet this target by opting into clean electricity service levels with local utility providers, exploring solar installations at our facilities, and, where necessary, purchasing renewable energy certificates (RECs).

Reducing emissions from our landfills is also a top priority for Recology. That’s why we set a target to use 75% of the landfill gas we collect to generate renewable energy. We are currently investing in new projects to improve the efficiency of our gas collection systems and beneficially reuse more landfill gas.