QRS Recycling began expanding in 1986 with the construction of a new facility in Louisville. QRS entered the St. Louis market in 1989 and the Nashville market in 1995. A second plant was added in St. Louis in 1998 followed by a second plant in Nashville in 2004.
Over the past decade QRS has emerged at the forefront of the sustainability and “green” movement by listening to the customer and investing in flexible collection assets, innovative sorting technology, and efficient baling systems. We have been the leaders in allowing recycling to be simple and cost effective for tens of thousands of households, schools, and businesses. All QRS plants now have the capability to process either residential or commercial single stream product as well as large volumes of traditional grades such as cardboard, newspaper, high grades, and plastic. All plants are serviced by a fleet of QRS owned and operated trucks. We use semi-tractors, straight trucks, and commercial front loaders to collect recyclables in any size, form or fashion.
Our willingness to invest in innovation made QRS the largest recycler in St. Louis, Louisville, and Nashville. In December of 2010 QRS sold its St. Louis operations to Republic Services. QRS continues to grow its physical plants in Louisville and Nashville while expanding purchasing relationships throughout the Midwest and Southeast.
At QRS we are proud of our past and confident in the future. We have learned that volume follows simplicity and we are excited about investing in the people, processes, and partnerships that can make recycling as simple as disposal.