Auburn University Installs New Recycling Machines to Raise Campus Efficiency

Auburn University has rolled out four new recycling machines to its campus as part of an initiative to increase campus sustainability.

Waste Reduction and Recycling Department, Joan Hicken, hopes that the new machines will streamline campus recycling efforts and increase recycling rates within Auburn, contributing to a more sustainable community.

The recycling machines come from ATLAS RVM Systems, a New York-based company. The machines act as a reverse vending machine that cuts down on the recycling process, increasing efficiency in processing and storage. After a bottle or can is placed into the machine, it compacts and sorts the recyclables until they are moved to “commodity lockers.” Workers then empty the lockers and transport the recyclables to plastic and aluminum conversion facilities.

“It is important to recycle properly,” Hicken said. “We often see a lot of what we call 'contamination' in our recycling, where trash and recycling are not being disposed of properly.” 

The ALTAS RVM machines help users recycle correctly. The machines can analyze the items that are inserted and will only accept plastic bottles and aluminum cans, creating a more efficient recycling process.

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