Monroe County and Waste Management officials introduced a $3.5 million optical sorting system that will help separate paper, plastics, magnets and more.

This will replace the hand-sorting method that officials say was slow and tedious, and aims to recycle nearly 5,000 more tons each year.

While those jobs will be gone, officials say new technical positions are being created to maintain and monitor the sorting machine.

Existing full-time employees will move into those new roles.

"Our project here in Rochester is a fraction of the $200 million that WM committed to recycling infrastructure in 2021, and we committed again to do the same thing in 2022,” WM area director of recycling operations Chris Lucarelle said.

Nearly 50,000 tons are recycled at the plant each year.