New Funding for Municipal Recycling Program Supports Purchase of Hi-Tech, Automated Recycling Trucks

NEW YORK, NY (June 28, 2022) Closed Loop Partners announced Tuesday that its Closed Loop Infrastructure Fund (CLIF) signed and funded its second loan to the Broken Arrow Municipal Authority. The new loan of $1 million was used to support the Authority’s purchase of five new automated side loader recycling trucks. The new equipment bolsters the Authority’s existing fleet of 33 solid waste collection vehicles and will help increase the efficiency of collecting both solid waste and recyclable materials across the city.

The Closed Loop Infrastructure Group, which is responsible for managing and deploying capital from four different investment funds, including CLIF, timed the new loan with the reopening of the Tulsa Recycling & Transfer materials recovery facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Resuming operation is a critical milestone and precursor to financing the project, as it helps ensure that all the city’s collected recyclable materials have clear end-of-life pathways and have the highest potential of being kept in circulation for longer.

The Closed Loop Infrastructure Fund closed its first loan of $2.6 million to the Broken Arrow Municipal Authority in October 2020. The initial loan helped purchase over 37,000, 96-gallon recycling carts, three recycling trucks, and four maintenance vehicles.

“Our work is centered in advancing more efficient circular supply chains for recyclable materials––from the collection to processing stage,” said Ron Gonen, Founder & CEO of Closed Loop Partners. “The Broken Arrow Municipal Authority plays a key role in this work, building systems to ensure that valuable recyclable materials are collected and kept in circulation. We’ve made good progress advancing recycling in the Southwest U.S., and we look forward to seeing that continue.”

“The new equipment helps us increase our tonnage and diversion rates so that we’re diverting more waste from the landfill and into efficient recycling systems,” said Jerry Schuber, Director of Solid Waste and Recycling, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. “We have a goal of increasing diversion tonnage to 25% of solid waste generated. The new equipment will help tremendously with achieving that goal.”

Broken Arrow’s Recycling Program serves 35,000 households across the city.

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About Closed Loop Partners

Closed Loop Partners is a New York-based investment firm comprised of venture capital, growth equity, private equity and catalytic capital, as well as an innovation center focused on building the circular economy. Investments align capitalism with positive social and environmental impact by reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions via materials innovation, advanced recycling technologies, supply chain optimization and landfill diversion. Learn more at closedlooppartners.com

About the Closed Loop Infrastructure Fund at Closed Loop Partners

Established in 2014 and funded by some of the world’s largest retailers, corporate foundations, technology and consumer goods companies. The Closed Loop Infrastructure Fund provides below-market rate loans to finance projects that build out circular economy infrastructure in the United States. Investors include 3M, Amazon, Coca-Cola, Colgate-Palmolive, Johnson & Johnson, BlueTriton, Keurig Dr Pepper, Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, Danone North America, Danone Waters, Starbucks, Unilever and Walmart Foundation. Learn more about the Fund’s investment criteria and apply for funding here.