Operating under the name Reworld, the facility bridges the divide between trash and treasure on a massive scale.

Rebecca Guardino, the Director of Ash Processing at Reworld, explained that they deal with a wide array of materials, focusing on the quarter-sized particles that often contain hardware and mostly quarters. Our reporter, Jeff Flock, had the opportunity to witness the operations firsthand at the facility located in Morrisville, Pennsylvania.

Walking through the building, Flock observed machines skillfully sifting through incinerated trash, causing coins to fall through round holes before being sorted into bins. The sorted coins then go through a washing station, emerging shining like new, before being spread out on a rack to dry. The meticulous process not only allows for better coin sorting but also helps determine the condition and denominations of the collected coins.

The sheer magnitude of lost change can be staggering. According to Reworld's estimations, Americans throw away approximately $68 million in change every year, and the facility has managed to collect a significant portion of that. A recent report by the Wall Street Journal revealed that Reworld began collecting the coins in 2017 after noticing a substantial amount in the trash.

Out of the $10 million in coins recovered, only $6 million have been in good enough condition to be counted and deposited into local banks through a third party. Guardino emphasized that while the coin-harvesting process is impressive, it is just a fraction of what Reworld does. The facility processes a staggering 20 million tons of waste annually.

The main goal of Reworld is not only to reclaim the value of discarded coins but also to divert trash from landfills. By transforming discarded coins into a valuable resource, the facility contributes to the conservation of precious landfill space.

The story of Reworld highlights the incredible potential for value hidden in what most consider to be mere trash. It serves as a reminder for individuals to be mindful of the loose change they discard and underscores the importance of recycling and reusing resources whenever possible.