Ohio’s Newest Tourist Attraction Isn’t What You Think

This article was written by Amanda Pratt, APR, Senior Vice President of Communications at Rumpke Recycling & Resource Center.

August 6, 2025 marked the one year anniversary of North America’s largest and most technologically advanced material recovery facility, the Rumpke Recycling & Resource Center (RRRC) in Columbus, Ohio. Since the grand opening, Rumpke has welcomed more than 100 tours for nearly 2,000 guests.

Why is the RRRC a must-see of Central Ohio and even the Midwest? Well, for starters, it’s a technological marvel made up of best in class, one-of-a-kind recycling equipment, and lots of it. The 226,000 square foot material recovery facility boasts 19 optical sorters, artificial intelligence, four ballistic separators and trommel sorters. The tipping floor spans a massive 32,500 square feet, and separate tipping floors are available for commercial recycling and auditing. Overhead cranes keep the plant flexible for when the material stream changes and/or technology advances.

In all, the facility serves 50 counties and can process 250,000 tons of material a year at a rate of more than 65 tons per hour. The best part? Upwards of 80% of the materials Rumpke processes are sent to end users in Ohio.

Glass, which has long been a challenge for the recycling industry, goes through a pre-screening process at the RRRC before being shipped to Rumpke’s one-of-a-kind glass processing facility in Dayton, Ohio. Glass from that facility is sent to Anchor Glass, O-I, or Johns Manville to make glass bottles or home insulation.

The RRRC is truly setting a new standard for material processing. In 2024, the RRRC produced 150,638 bales of material. If we put all the fiber bales that this plant generated together, the length would be the equivalent of 107 miles. Not to mention, the facility is receiving and processing almost a million cans every day!

Safety First

Safety is the most crucial component of Rumpke’s material recovery facilities. The RRRC is armed with a Fire Rover system that senses heat, activates early fire suppression, and notifies Rumpke’s team and the fire department.

Combine that with use of trommels sorters before the pre-sort, and the impact is a safer material recovery facility overall. The trommels, which are the first stop in the sorting process, sort material by size and help remove some of the unwanted items from the recycling stream before they arrive at pre-sort. The result is a reduction in risk to people working on the pre-sort line.

Education Destination

Along with all the tech and safety systems inside the plant, is Rumpke’s strategic effort to build trust that recycling is for real.  They’ve done that by teaming with COSi, the Center of Science and Industry, to create a 3,000 square foot Rumpke Education Center, with immersive and interactive exhibits about sustainable shopping, recycling at home, material processing, end users, and even jobs in the recycling industry. A visit to the education center combined with Rumpke’s tour, which includes a walk along the 150 foot long, 45 feet high platform overlooking the plant, leaves all who visit with an irresistible urge to recycle right.

And for those who want to show off their excitement for all things Rumpke and recycling, no visit is complete without a quick stop at The Rumpke Gift Shop. Inside, guests can choose from water bottles, t-shirts, and even stuffed Rumpke trucks!

Rumpke’s Recycling Tradition

The vision for the RRRC started nearly a century ago, when William F. Rumpke set up conveyors inside his barn to inspect the trash he had collected for items that could be reused, such as  metals, glass, and rags. William went on to found Rumpke Waste & Recycling, a company that today holds a spot as the 10^th largest waste and recycling firm in the US and one of the largest recycling companies in the Midwest. In 2024, Rumpke processed 1.3 billion pounds of recycling, keeping items out of the landfill and putting them to better use. William F. Rumpke was indeed an innovator, and four generations later, that tradition continues.

Don't miss your chance to visit the facility at RCon!