"These communities rely on us to not just collect it, the waste at the curbside or at the businesses, but they rely on us to process it and be a steward of the sustainability market here," says CEO Joseph Kalpakoff.
On Thursday, waste management company Mid Valley Disposal unveiled a new state-of-the-art processing line.
The 30-year-old business now holds the largest and most advanced line of its kind between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
It's equipped with three AI-powered robots for sorting valuable recyclables like cardboard, aluminum cans, glass, and plastic bottles.
"With the AI technology, with the optical sorters, we can process faster, we can have cleaner streams and reduce the residual that's going back to the landfill," Kalpakoff said.
The improvement will increase production while reducing operating hours from six days a week at 12 hours a day to five days a week at 7 hours a day.
The robots will also add 20 jobs, with employees required to perform maintenance on the new line.
Mid Valley partnered with California-based AI company Glacier to help develop the robots that use optical sorters to improve processing speed and reduce residual waste going to the landfill.
"Our robots actually use AI-powered cameras that can detect, in real time, all of the materials coming down that line, and then the robots are able to physically sort those materials," says Rebecca Hu-Thrams.
Mid Valley began the design process for the expansion in 2024 and received a $4.5 million grant from Cal Recycle in 2025, totaling a $12 million investment.
The company serves several Central California counties, processing 125,000 tons of recyclables last year.
"They're investing not only in infrastructure, but in relationships, in local jobs and the long-term success, really, of this entire region," says Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer.
Mid Valley Disposal expects this new processing line to boost its throughput from 35 to 60 tons of recyclable material per hour.
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