Artificial Intelligence Helps Tulsa Recycling Center Keep Up With Holiday Rush

Oklahoma's most advanced recycling facility, based in Tulsa, said it is getting ready to be even busier with processing all the holiday aftermath.

American Waste Control said its facility will process more than eight million pounds of recyclables over the next few weeks.

The company said thanks to artificial intelligence, staff will be able to keep up with the demand this time of year.

Paper, plastic, aluminum and even glass, the plant's main sorting machine called "Mr. Murph" can handle it all.

"People are recycling more,” said Robert Pickens, vice president of recycling at American Waste Control. “We are seeing that, but Mr. Murph has accepted a lot more recyclables than most curbside programs.”

Pickens said its facility in Tulsa will recycle more than 10 percent more than usual over the next few weeks.

He said things that the plant will see more include gift boxes and containers from holiday celebrations and bowl games.

Pickens said more than 80 percent of items from your kitchen, laundry room and bathroom can be recycled here.

For example, a bale of cans contains about 40,000 cans, and the facility collects four to five bales a day.

The original machine was replaced after a lithium-ion battery slipped through the system in 2021, causing a fire that shut down recycling here.

"As bad as it was for us, when we started back up Mr. Murph 2.0 in March of 2022, we basically had the most advanced recycling facility in a five-state area,” said Pickens.

He said the machine uses artificial intelligence and automatic sorters, processing up to 53,000 pounds of recyclables per hour, five days a week.

"These recyclables will go to an Oklahoma manufacturer to be made back into new packaging or maybe even a product,” said Pickens.

Pickens also said 95 percent of recyclables that come through here are used in Oklahoma.

"And that is going to be good for the economy and Oklahoma jobs as well,” said Pickens.

For a full list of what you can recycle and drop-off locations, go to their website here.