JLT Recycling picks Van Dyk for $30 million Maryland materials recovery plant

JLT Recycling has hired Van Dyk Recycling Solutions to design and build a new materials recovery facility in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, aimed at boosting regional recycling capacity and supporting local jobs. The project is slated to start construction in early 2028 after planning and engineering work runs through 2027.

Why it matters: - The project adds sorting and processing capacity close to where recyclables are collected in the Washington region. - JLT Recycling expects the facility to reduce hauling distances, recover more marketable commodities and give customers a regional outlet for recyclables. - The development is tied to job creation and new recycling infrastructure for the local market.

What happened: - JLT Recycling contracted with Van Dyk Recycling Solutions to design and construct an advanced materials recovery facility for commercial single-stream recyclables in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. - The project is valued at approximately $30 million. - The facility is planned for a seven-acre parcel adjacent to Joint Base Andrews and near the Capital Beltway, Suitland Parkway and Pennsylvania Avenue. - The development will include a 50,000-square-foot materials recovery facility, plus separate maintenance and scale buildings. - The project will support the recyclables collection operations of Jerome L. Taylor Trucking, the largest independent waste and recyclables collection operator in the Washington metropolitan market.

The details: - The Van Dyk system is designed to process commercial single-stream recyclables at up to 25 tons per hour. - The broader facility is being developed for overall receiving capacity of up to 50 tons per hour. - The system will use advanced screening, optical sorting, magnetic separation, eddy-current separation and automated baling technology. - Jerome Taylor said the facility reflects a lifelong dream to bring jobs, technology and environmental benefits to the community where his family grew up. - Taylor said the project will allow JLT Recycling to process more collected recyclable material close to home and create lasting employment opportunities. - Marc Shaener said his earlier work with Van Dyk in 1990 on one of the first and largest dual-stream recycling facilities outside Boston showed the importance of matching equipment to the material stream and operating goals. - Shaener said Van Dyk brings the engineering depth, technology and long-term service capability needed for a high-performing facility.

Between the lines: - The project signals a push toward localizing more of the recycling supply chain instead of shipping material farther away for processing. - The investment also positions JLT Recycling to grow with collection demand in the Washington area while improving control over recovered material quality. - The emphasis on technology and long-term service suggests JLT wants the plant built for scale and operating reliability, not just initial throughput.

What's next: - Planning, engineering and site-development work will continue through 2027. - JLT Recycling expects to break ground in early 2028. - The company says the facility will serve customers and the community for decades.