Midwest Fiber Recycling

What Midwest Fiber Recycling does

Midwest Fiber Recycling is a privately held, full-service materials recovery company founded in 1990 and headquartered in Normal, Illinois, operating six processing facilities across Illinois (Bloomington-Normal, Decatur, Chillicothe/Peoria, Springfield, Urbana) and Indiana (Terre Haute). The company collects, sorts, and markets paper, cardboard, plastics (PET, HDPE, PVC, LDPE, PP, PS, ABS, PC, PC-ABS, Nylon), metals, and glass from industrial, commercial, and residential generators, and runs a national brokerage arm that markets over 1,100 trucks of material per month across 23 or more states. In 2025 the firm was integrated into Circular Services, a nationwide platform for circularity, while continuing to operate under the Midwest Fiber brand with the same service team.

The operating model is built on a fleet of more than 250 owned semi-trailers that delivers same-day or next-day service to roughly 98% of customers, supported by Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) that combine optical sorting, magnetic separation, forced-air segregation, and AI-powered robotic sorters (MAX and IRMA, installed in Normal, IL in December 2022) for secondary recovery of plastics, aluminum, tin, and contaminants. A real-time customer recycling portal and WIFI-enabled vertical balers provide 24/7 visibility into tonnage, pricing, shipments, and EPA-derived environmental impact metrics. Adjacent capabilities include the C.O.P.S. (Confidential Onsite Paper Shredding) subsidiary (N.A.I.D. AAA certified), product destruction, equipment sales (balers, compactors, used Gaylord containers), and on-site waste assessments.

Midwest Fiber generates revenue through multiple streams: commodity material collection and processing with direct-to-mill sales enabled by aggregated volumes from its five owned processing facilities, transaction-based brokerage fees, hardware sales of balers/compactors and used Gaylord boxes, transaction-based mobile shredding services, and professional-services revenue from waste assessments and account management. Pricing is quote-based and customized per customer, with the firm emphasizing no landfill ownership as a structural alignment toward maximizing customer recycling yield. Distribution is field-sales-led with dedicated account managers and a 1-800 inside-sales line.

Name

Midwest Fiber Recycling

Legal name

Midwest Fiber Recycling

Website

https://midwest-fiber.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recycling and Waste Management Services

NAICS

Materials Recovery Facilities (56292), Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesalers (423930), Materials Recovery Facilities (562920), Waste Collection (56211)

akta.pro primary industry

Paper & Fiber Recovery Facilities (Old Corrugated Containers, Mixed Paper) (EUAIADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fiber Recycling & Pulping (Paper, OCC, Mixed Paper) (BPALADAD), Post-Consumer Plastic Collection & Sorting (MRF/PRF, Bale Supply) (EUAIAKAA), Recycling Transfer & Consolidation (Single-Stream, Dual-Stream, Source-Separated) (EUAIABAC), Recycled Fiber, Recovered Paper & Secondary Fiber Trading (IMAMAIAK)

Keywords

• Industrial recycling services
• Material recovery facilities
• Single-stream recycling processing
• Recyclable material brokerage
• Mobile document shredding

Headquarters

HQ city

Normal

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Recyclable Material Collection and Processing: Midwest Fiber collects, processes, and markets recyclable materials including paper, cardboard, plastics, metals, and glass from commercial and industrial generators. Revenue is generated through material sales to mills, leveraging direct-to-mill relationships due to volume from five processing facilities. Customers can earn revenue from selling their recyclable materials.
2. Material Brokerage: Midwest Fiber's brokerage arm helps large volume customers leverage their commodities by combining volumes from plants and customers to sell direct to mills. The company markets over 1,100 trucks per month of material across fiber, plastics, and metals in both full and partial semi loads. This is described as the fastest-growing segment of the business.
3. Equipment Sales (Balers, Compactors, Gaylord Containers): Sale of recycling equipment including balers, compactors, scrap choppers, and Gaylord containers. Equipment is typically in stock and can be delivered or installed within weeks. Also offers Gaylord box sales for reuse.
4. Mobile Shredding Services (C.O.P.S.): Confidential Onsite Paper Shredding (C.O.P.S.) division provides mobile document destruction services. Customers are provided secure containers and monthly collection service with materials shredded onsite. Also offers hard drive and media destruction services. Both commercial and residential services available.
5. Used Gaylord Box Sales: Resale of once-used Gaylord boxes (bulk corrugated containers) for approximately 50% less than new boxes. Boxes are inspected and maintained for quality and reliability.
6. Waste Assessment and Consulting Services: Comprehensive waste assessments conducted by Waste Diversion Specialists to audit existing recycling programs and develop customized plans. Includes ongoing account management services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Midwest Fiber Recycling collects, processes, and markets recyclable materials (paper, cardboard, plastics, metals, glass) from commercial, industrial, and residential generators through five owned Material Recovery Facilities in Illinois and Indiana. The company runs a direct-to-mill material brokerage operation marketing over 1,100 trucks per month, sells recycling equipment (balers, compactors, Gaylord containers), and operates a mobile shredding subsidiary (C.O.P.S.) for confidential document and media destruction. Services are delivered via a 250+ semi-trailer fleet with same-day or next-day pickup.

Product overview

Midwest Fiber Recycling operates as a full-service recycling company with a multi-site processing infrastructure across Illinois and Indiana. The core offering consists of industrial and residential recycling services built around five owned processing facilities, supplemented by material brokerage that enables direct-to-mill sales. The product portfolio includes specialized services (plastics recycling, product destruction, mobile shredding via COPS subsidiary), equipment solutions (balers, compactors, Gaylord containers), and technology-enabled customer tools (recycling portal, environmental calculator, virtual MRF). The company operates on a 'Proven Process' methodology encompassing analysis, alignment, adoption, and account management phases. Material movement is facilitated by a fleet of over 250 semi-trailers serving same-day or next-day service to over 98% of customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Industrial Recycling

Quantifiable outcome

• Same-day or next-day service achieved 98% of the time
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Heartland Community CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Heartland Community College mentioned in relation to the Recycling: Behind the Scenes podcast featuring employee Marie Streenz. The collaboration appears educational in nature, with the podcast potentially involving student participation or educational content.
• National Association of Information Destruction (N.A.I.D.)minorOthersCOPS division is a proud member of N.A.I.D. and has achieved its highest rating, A.A.I.D. This certification demonstrates commitment to security and quality standards in the document destruction industry.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ReCommunity: One of the largest MRF operators in the U.S., focused on single-stream recycling and recovered commodities. Direct competitor to Midwest Fiber's MRF and brokerage business with similar direct-to-mill go-to-market.
• Casella Waste Systems: Northeast-focused resource management company with significant recycling and organics operations. Closely comparable in MRF processing, brokerage, and integrated recycling services for industrial customers.

Regional players

• Rumpke Consolidated Companies: Privately held, family-owned waste and recycling company serving Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and surrounding Midwest states. Geographic adjacency and similar commercial/industrial recycling orientation make it a comparable regional peer.
• FCC Environmental Services: FCC Environment, part of the global FCC group, operates MRFs and recycling services across the U.S. with emphasis on direct-to-mill partnerships. Comparable in integrated recycling operations and commodity trading.

Broad incumbents

• Waste Management: Largest North American waste and environmental services provider with a substantial recycling segment, including MRFs and commodity sales. Competes with Midwest Fiber for industrial accounts and serves as the benchmark for sector scale.
• Republic Services: Second-largest U.S. environmental services company with recycling operations and a Blue Planet polymer-processing subsidiary. Overlaps with Midwest Fiber's plastics recycling and material brokerage capabilities.
• Waste Connections: Large non-hazardous solid waste and recycling services company with extensive MRF operations across the U.S. and Canada. Competes for industrial recycling volumes and brokerage opportunities.
• GFL Environmental: Canadian-based environmental services company with significant U.S. recycling operations post-acquisitions. Comparable as a vertically integrated recycling and waste platform competing for similar industrial customers.

Emerging players

• Sierra Waste Group: California-based recycler and MRF operator serving Northern California with single-stream recycling. Comparable in MRF processing and commodity marketing, though geographically distinct.
• Balcones Resources: Texas-based recycling company operating MRFs focused on commercial recycling and zero-waste programs. Comparable in commercial/industrial recycling focus and direct-mill relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Midwestfiber
• Xx.com/MidwestFiberInc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Midwest Fiber Recycling