JP Mascaro sustainably processed record amount of waste in 2022

J.P. Mascaro & Sons processed more than 1.25 billion pounds of waste in 2022 as part of its sustainability initiatives, the company reported in a press release ahead of Earth Day.

Mascaro officials said that in 2022, the company composted nearly 209 million pounds of biosolids into soil nutrients and additives.

Company facilities also processed more than 249 million pounds of curbside, commercial and industrial recyclables that were converted into reused and packaged materials.

Additionally, Mascaro’s local landfill converted about 781 million pounds of solid waste into methane gas sold to energy suppliers.

Those numbers represent a record high for the Exeter-based waste removal and recycling firm, company officials said.

“Each year, the number of materials has increased,” said Frank Sau, director of communications for J.P. Mascaro.

Sau said that the total amount of sustainable materials processed annually by Mascaro rose about 9% in 2022.

The company’s sustainable processing methods are part of a “Sustainable Waste Service System” that Mascaro developed to prioritize waste reduction, recycling, and reuse, according to the company’s website.

When it comes to disposal, the company focuses on environmentally sound strategies that produce green energy.

Part of the company’s waste reduction strategy involves encouraging customers to reduce waste via customized plans for clients, as well as education programs.

The rest of the sustainability initiative involves three key facilities: TotalRecycle in Exeter Township and Birdsboro, Pioneer Crossing Landfill in Exeter Township, and A&M Compost in Manheim, Lancaster County.

TotalRecycle — a single stream facility that eliminates the need for the customer to separate recyclables by type — can process up to 700 pounds of recyclables per day, according to the company’s website.

TotalRecycle’s 170,000 square feet of recycling capacity is split across four buildings — two in Birdsboro and two in Exeter, Sau said.

A 150,000-square-foot expansion is planned for the Birdsboro facility, which is located in the Birdsboro Industrial Park on North Furnace Street.

Sau said the expansion is in the design stage, with construction slated for spring of 2025.

At Pioneer Crossing Landfill, solid waste undergoes decomposition, producing methane gas that is sold to energy suppliers in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey, and is used to light and heat thousands of homes per year, according to the company.

“As the price of fossil fuels and dependence on foreign sources of oil continues to rise, consumers are looking for alternative energy sources,” Sau said.

A&M Compost processes biosolids from municipal wastewater treatment plants to produce an organic compost suitable for a variety of landscaping and soil enhancement applications, and have been used in homes, farms, nurseries, golf courses and more.

Unlike other green technologies, A&M Compost and Pioneer Crossing don’t rely on subsidies to survive, the company noted.

TotalRecycle is also self-sustaining, with the exception of a $3.5 million grant awarded in 2020 by the nonprofit Materials Recovery For the Future to upgrade the facility to receive flexible plastics, like bags.

Market demand for recycled materials is only growing, according to Sau.

“Consumers highly value products made from recycled materials that are also recyclable at the end of their lifecycle,” Sau noted.

The Mascaro company, founded in 1964, is family-owned and operated and led by third generation Mascaro family members.

The company is fully integrated, owning and operating its own infrastructure, including sanitary landfills, recycling centers, composting plants, and terminals housing 500 pieces of transportation equipment.

According to the most recent data from the EPA, Americans recycled more than 69 million tons of solid waste in 2018, with paper and cardboard accounting for 67% of that amount.

That number has been trending upward since 1960, with the sharpest increase occurring between 1980 and 2000, where total solid waste recycled increased from 14.5 million tons to 53 million tons.