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Solid‑waste director says new sorting technology will change what Spokane accepts for recycling

Public Infrastructure and Environmental Sustainability Committee · February 9, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Solid Waste Director Trace Braver said Waste Management’s NEAR infrared investment makes it possible to process additional items; the city will remove or change acceptance for some paper and plastic categories and roll out new marketing materials for residents.

The committee received an update on changes to Spokane’s recycling stream from the city’s Solid Waste Director, Trace Braver.

Braver said changes reflect Waste Management’s recent $18 million investment in NEAR (near‑infrared) sorting technology that better identifies resin types and allows the system to divert harder‑to‑recycle plastics to end…

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