Single Stream Recyclers (Balcones) in Sarasota, Florida, is the first in the state to be awarded the GRC MRF Gold Certification. Their state-of-the-art MRF integrates robotic arms, optical scanners, and other equipment to sort 50 tons of recyclables per hour.

Balcones Resources, an Austin-based environmental services company, backed by leading circular economy investment firm Closed Loop Partners, announced today the acquisition of Single Stream Recyclers (SSR), Florida’s first artificial intelligence- (AI-) powered recycling facility based in Sarasota, Florida. This represents the growing footprint of best-in-class recycling facilities in the South focused on updating, optimizing, and reinvigorating recycling infrastructure in the United States to keep valuable materials – paper, plastics, and metals – in manufacturing supply chains.

The strongest businesses tend to be those that can retain talented employees. That has been a recipe for success for Balcones Resources in Austin, Texas. The facility enjoys a deep bench of experience, including an operations manager and shift supervisors who’ve been there nearly since the MRF opened in 2012. The operations manager, in fact, started as a sorter.

In response to the current situation with the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, the City of Austin, Travis County, City of Dallas and Dallas County have issued orders to shelter in place. Based on these guidelines, which strongly encourage essential businesses to stay open, Balcones Resources will continue to operate while complying with Social Distancing Requirements to the greatest extent possible.

Closed Loop Partners, a New York-based investment firm focused on building the circular economy, has announced the acquisition of a majority stake in Austin, Texas-based Balcones Resources through its private equity fund, the Closed Loop Leadership Fund. Maite Quinn, a managing director of Closed Loop Partners, says she and a fellow Managing Director Michael Gajewski will take seats on the Balcones board under the terms of the agreement.

The CEO of Balcones Resources says having Closed Loop Partners as its majority owner will help drive the recycling company’s growth, including expansion of its footprint.“We’re looking at some opportunities in other parts of Texas and the United States right now,” Kerry Getter, chairman and CEO of Austin, Texas-headquartered Balcones, told Resource Recycling. “That’s where we see the advantage: They bring a lot of credibility to the table because of their national presence, and we like to believe that we’re pretty good operators, and that’s something we bring to the table. With the combination of the two, we’ll be able…