701 North Hunt Street, Portland, OR 97217
Recycling Today, For Tomorrow ®
The largest recycler in North America is now using AI to improve recycling in Oregon. The WM Portland Recycling Facility is a state-of-the-art facility equipped to drive new levels of efficiency and support recycling growth in the state.
This new, $47-million facility processes recyclables collected from nearly 195,000 households and businesses in Oregon. It is part of WM's commitment to strengthening its recycling infrastructure. Across North America, WM is on track to invest more than $1.4 billion to build or upgrade 39 automated recycling facilities by the end of 2026.
Driving a more statainable future in Oregon
WM has championed recycling in Oregon for more than three decades. Now, as the state modernizes its recycling system in far-reaching ways, WM's high tech facility is helping accelerate implementation of the state's new system under the Recycling Modernization Act.
WM's recycling leadership in the Pacific Northwest:
Technology, capacity, reliability
The new WM Portland Recycling Facility is part of WM's regional network of facilities using technology to improve recycling.
With four high-tech recycling facilities in the region, WM customers can expect reliability and continuity of service. If volumes are unusually high at one facility or if there's a temporary shutdown at a facility, we can quickly shift materials to another WM facility.
 4 state-of-the-art recycling facilities in the region
360,000 tons of recyclable material processed annually by
_____WM in the Pacific Northwest
Using technology to capture more recyclable materials
The technology at the WM Porland recycling facility includes AI as well as an intricate network of highspeed conveyor belts and other advanced technologies designed to capture more recyclable materials:
- Intelligent sorting enables communication throughout the facility, allowing systems to work together to rapidly identify and remove contaminants.
- Optical sorters analyze materials as they move on conveyor belts and use air jets to sort items (600 pieces per minute)!
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BY THE NUMBERS
 $47 investment
38 tons of recyclables processed hourly
10 AI-powered optical sorters
94 high-speed conveyor belts
50,000 square feet
31 employees
TECHNOLOGY SPOT LIGHT
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Building circular solutions to help communities thrive
As the largest recycler in North America, WM continues to build its expansive network and leverage advanced technology to support WM's goal of increasing the amount of material recovered annually to 25 million tons by 2030. WM's growing network across North America includes:
105 recycling facilities
49 organics processing facilities
16M tons of material recovered in 2024 ₁
3.8M tons of mixed organics processed in 2024
₁ Includes organics
Approximation (all data as of August 2025, except where noted)
Recycle Right ®
The success of local recycling programs starts with what we do at home, school and work. These three simple rules can help each of us do our part for a more sustainable tomorrow.
