World's largest MRF built using BHS technology
110 tons per hour facility in California is the first of its kind
In the summer of 2012 Republic Services, Inc. celebrated the grand opening of what the company calls the world’s largest material recovery facility (MRF), at the Newby Island Resource Recovery Park in San José, California.
The 110 tons-per-hour (tph) multi-stream system – designed, manufactured, and installed by Bulk Handling Systems (BHS) – is the first and largest of its kind and, according to BHS, sets a new standard for recycling facilities. The facility processes all commercial waste generated in San José, California, and recovers more than 80 percent of the material processed, greatly reducing the amount sent to landfill.
San José has long been a leader when it comes to sustainability and adopted progressive diversion goals in 2007 through its Green Vision initiative. Republic Services responded to this program with an innovative way of addressing the waste stream, resulting in a 15-year commercial waste contract with the city. Until the opening of the new facility, San José’s commercial waste was managed by 20 different haulers and provided less than half of the businesses there with recycling services. The new program views waste as a resource and provides standard recycling for all businesses. In addition to serving more than 8,000 San José businesses, the system also processes recyclables from 85,000 households and has the capacity to process 420,000 tons of material annually. Republic says clearly defining and targeting each stream is key to meeting their lofty recovery goals.
“In San José we are dealing with four distinct streams: organics, commercial dry waste, commercial single-stream, and residential single-stream,” said Rich Reardon, director of sales and marketing for BHS. “Reaching a level of 80 percent meant recovering commodities that have traditionally been discarded. Breaking down the material stream and supplying processes to address each fraction ensures recovery optimization. Designing the entire process around this principle allowed us to help Republic Services meet its goal.”
San José Mayor Chuck Reed addressed the MRFs impact on the city’s goals. “Our businesses and community will benefit from this new approach to commercial waste recycling,” said Reed. “The new service will include the recycling of organic waste which will help businesses and the city alike achieve their sustainability goals. The investment in advanced waste processing facilities generates new green jobs, turns waste into energy, and once again demonstrates San José’s innovative leadership toward a sustainable future.”
BHS and Republic Services representatives shared in the excitement. “This advanced facility is ahead of the curve. It’s the first of its kind and is a fantastic example of how the scope of our industry is expanding to recover materials from a wide variety of waste streams,” said BHS CEO Steve Miller.
Mark Buntjer, general manager at Republic Services added; “Republic is pleased to be working with BHS on this extraordinary project. This facility is the first and largest of its kind and we’re excited to be at the forefront of the industry, setting the pace globally for multi-material recovery.”
