2025 Full Bus Tour of a MRF

The NH Recycles 2025 Fall Bus Tour has been announced: this year's bus will be traveling to Rutland, VT to tour the RCSWD Material Recovery Facility (MRF)! 

For years, NH Recycles' Members have requested a MRF tour, but because there are no MRFs in New Hampshire, getting to one is no small feat. For that reason, this year's tour will only have one stop and one BIG tour - the MRF. We will get to see how material comes in, the different ways it gets sorted, and how it's managed and sent to end markets. 

If you are an operator who works in a community that has single stream recycling, this will be a great opportunity to get a peek behind the scenes and get some of your questions answered. What really happens to those thermoforms? Why is it so important to keep tanglers and other contaminants out of the recycling bin? By understanding more about the process, you will be able to better inform your customers and residents and help to improve the quality of recycling in your community. 

If you are an operator who works in a community that has source-separated recycling, this will also be an eye-opening tour, since you will get to see what we mean when we talk about an economy of scale and how having access to a larger economy of scale (ie having access to more recyclables) can also give you access to more vendors and end markets. 

What is a MRF?

A Materials Recovery Facility (or a MRF) is a recycling plant that uses a variety of techniques to separate recyclables. Different MRFs have different technology, but in general, a MRF can use air, magnets, optical sorters, screens, and people to sort and separate recyclables. Once the recyclables are sorted, they are baled and sold to end buyers such as processing plants that will turn that recyclable back into a raw material to be reused in a new product. 

OK, let's talk tour...

What are the tour details?

The tour is being held on Wednesday, September 24th. You can check out our calendar event for full details, including an agenda, which will be posted closer to the event.

What is included in the tour?

The tour includes a luxury bus that leaves from Epsom, NH. The bus has comfortable seating, wi-fi, and a bathroom (yay!) In addition to the luxury bus, a separate comfortable transport van will start in the North Country, so folks in there can easily attend without having to first drive 2 hours down to the NH Recycles office. The luxury bus and van will meet in Lebanon, NH, where the North Country attendees will join the bus for the duration of the trip and tour. 

The tour itself will take around 1.5 hours. Following the tour, attendees will enjoy a catered lunch and will participate in a roundtable discussion to answer any questions related to the MRF, as well as general recycling troubleshooting and a recycling market update. NH Recycles will also be showing three newly created professional recycling videos, created through the Recycle Right North Country campaign. 

How much does it cost?

The 2025 Fall Bus Tour costs $65 per person and is open to NH Recycles Member operators. However, as part of our Recycle Right North Country campaign, the Fall Bus Tour is free for our North Country operators, thanks to a grant from the EPA. 

Who can go on the tour?

Because space is limited, priority is given to municipal member staff that are certified solid waste facility operators. Associate members, Recycling Committee members, and other municipal employees or volunteers may be “wait listed” and will be added to the tour as space allows on the bus.

Can I drive separately?

No. In order to attend the tour, you must join us on the bus for liability purposes. 

I have other questions, who should I ask?

If you have additional questions, you can send us an email at: info@nhrecycles.org.

I'm ready to sign up!

Great! You can sign up for the 2025 Fall Bus Tour now! Please note, we will email you closer to the date of the event to confirm your spot on the bus or on the waitlist depending on your role. 

Sign Up for the 2025 Fall Bus Tour