According to Jim Bowen, senior vice president, Sonoco Recycling, the company is investing approximately USD 2 million to expand the existing facility by approximately 23,500 square feet while adding state-of-the-art sorting and baling equipment. In addition, the center’s yard space will be redesigned to improve traffic flow and unloading at the facility.

“Recycled materials processed through our Charlotte center continue to grow and this expansion will help us meet the increased needs of the community and improve our customers’ ease of use of the facility,” said Bowen. “Once the expansion is complete, our processing capabilities at the facility will increase significantly.”

Sonoco Recycling’s Charlotte facility accepts and processes corrugated boxes and other grades of paper, as well as metals and plastics. The facility accepts curbside material delivered by the public and offers flatbed pick up of baled material; van service for loose, palletized, or baled material; and roll-off service for 30- and 40-yard open and closed top containers. Sonoco, which processes and uses many of these recycled materials to produce recycled paperboard at its paper mills in the Southeast, then uses that paperboard to produce new consumer and industrial packaging, making Sonoco one of the few cradle-to-cradle suppliers of packaging in the industry.

Annually, Sonoco Recycling collects and processes about 3 million tons of recyclable materials globally through 31 locations and with a team of recycling professionals, many of whom are experts in waste management and manufacturing process improvement. Sonoco is also an exporter of recycled fiber, primarily to Asian markets.

Founded in 1899, Sonoco is a USD 4.1 billion global manufacturer of industrial and consumer products and provider of packaging services, with more than 300 operations in 35 countries, serving customers in some 85 nations. For more information on the company, visit http://www.sonoco.com.