Robots move in

Editor's note: This is part of a series about ongoing risks and evolving labor issues in the recycling industry. Read more about persistent safety hazards and how MRF operators are responding. Also check out a feature on the firsthand experiences of California workers and the complex medical claim process they face. In MRFs across the U.S., dozens of arms hover over conveyors and appear to be in nearly constant motion sorting incoming materials. Previously, those arms exclusively were attached to humans. Now, a shift is occurring. Increasingly, more of those are arms attached to robots that use pincers or suction cups, instead of fingers, and move much faster. Advanced MRF automation and robotics weren't widely adopted concepts up until about five years ago, according to equipment manufacturers.