Plans are now moving forward for the construction of a new materials recovery facility in Grand Junction that will cost around $5.5 million to build, with an additional $8 to $10 million price tag for equipment costs.
The project is the result of a partnership between the City of Grand Junction and the company Bruin Waste, which is based in the city of Naturita.
The new facility will go up on just under 10 acres of land and is expected to take around a year and a half to complete.
Grand Junction city officials have long been wanting to build a modern recycling operation, but may have been sobered by a report done in late 2023 by the Denver-based firm LBA Associates stating that such a facility could cost at least $18 million to build.
But the City has applied for up to $5.5 million in support through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling grant program.
In addition, a new Colorado law is requiring companies that sell products and packaging to pay into a statewide recycling fund that cities can tap into. That fund is expected to produce up to $300 million to be used for recycling efforts.
Uniquely, the new Bruin Waste Grand Junction facility will implement artificial intelligence-powered robots to help sort recyclable material.
Launched in 1996, Bruin Waste currently has recovery facility up and running in eight counties in eastern and southern Colorado.
February 21, 2025
By Garry Boulard
