Touring the Sims Municipal Recycling Facility in Sunset Park, Brooklyn

Each day, the 11-acre Sims Municipal Recycling in Sunset Park processes about 450 tons of recycled materials through an amazing automated process involving air jets and conveyor belts.

A conveyor belt is keeping material flying past at speeds that require both concentration and rapid eye movement if you wanted to track a single item. Above the constant roar of all the heavy equipment, it's just possible to make out the brief hissing of jets of high-pressure air. Those jets are produced where the conveyor belt ends, and most of the material plunges onto a second belt below. Each hiss, however, causes a carefully chosen item to leap off the end of the belt and soar into a different collection area, where yet another conveyor belt takes it on its way.

Check out the video's accompanying article for more on the process.

Sims Municipal Recycling
Matt Coneybeare

Matt Coneybeare

Editor in Chief

Matt enjoys exploring the City's with his partner and son. He is an avid marathon runner, and spends most of his time eating, running, and working on cool stuff.

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