First Star Recycling was formed as Firstar Fiber, Inc. in 1997 to strengthen Nebraska’s recycling infrastructure. We launched operations in the spring 1998 in Fremont. Surprised by our growth and to be closer to several new customers within Omaha, we relocated to a larger facility there in the fall of 1999.

Our mechanical sorting process was the first one of its kind in Nebraska and it remains the largest in the state, providing both commercial and residential customers the most convenient and comprehensive means to recycle. In 2004 First Star Recycling won the bid to process the City of Omaha’s recyclables starting in January 2006. A new contract was awarded in 2015 that went through 2020 with automatic opportunities for renewals for a total of 20 years.

In late 2016, First Star Recycling partnered with Dow, Reynolds, Recyclebank, and Systech for the first pilot of the Hefty® Energy Bag, (now named Hefty ReNew program) in Bellevue, Nebraska. First Star was the first MRF in the nation to permanently incorporate this program into its operations. Bellevue went on to adopt the “orange bag” program for collecting hard-to-recycle plastics, the City of Omaha soon followed and the program has since expanded into other cities in Nebraska.

Building on that success, which created a new stream of products, in July 2021, we teamed up with the Alliance to End Plastic Waste to develop an integrated plastics recovery complex. In late 2022, we brought on a new CEO to the First Star Recycling team, Patrick Leahy. to give a fresh perspective to our mission. That led to the March 2023 opening of our Plastics Recovery Facility (PRF) in Omaha, which processes hard-to-recycle plastics—collected via the “orange bag program” —into feedstock for our Solutions Plastic Lumber products, now it’s own division of First Recycling.

Today First Star Recycling employs over 110 people at its Omaha, Lincoln and Grand Island recycling operations and we are focused on expanding into to rural communities. The company processes recyclables for businesses and communities throughout the Midwest and markets close to 100,000 tons annually to end users throughout the country and internationally.

First Star Recycling is passionate about making it easier and more economical for Nebraska and Iowa homeowners and businesses of all sizes to recycle and improve their waste management processes. We work with community education and outreach to help businesses, organizations, and communities understand the value and importance of sustainable recycling practices, and we’re constantly looking to expand our areas to serve and diversify the type of materials we are able to recycle. As the leader in Nebraska’s recycling, we are proud to help our community and the surrounding areas improve their waste management and recycle more effectively. If you have any questions about First Star Recycling or our services, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

Dale Gubbels
Founder