Recycling Process

Material that is sorted in the MTCC and residential properties is picked up by Premier Waste and Recycling trucks and transported to a Premier facility where it is loaded into trailer.  When the trailer is full, it is taken to a material recovery facility (MRF) owned by Resource Management where it undergoes the following process.

Step 1:  

Materials are placed on a conveyor where gross contaminants are removed by hand.

Step 2:

The material then goes over a screen and the fibers (paper) are separated from the cans and bottles.  The fibers (paper) are sorted by size and weight into three different streams: newspaper, cardboard and mixed paper.

Step 3:

At this point, the remaining materials are sorted using several processes.  A magnet is used to pull out any ferrous metal.  An eddy current separator is used to separate out non-ferrous metal.  

Step 4:  

An optical scanning computer sorts the different plastic types.  The optically based separator works by passing a beam of light through the plastic in question.  A detector reads the spectrum of light after the light has passed through the plastic.

Step 5:  

Broken glass is collected throughout the system.  Once the glass is brought together it is ground into a sand-like substance.  Currently, all of the glass is ground down together and used in the manufacture of fiberglass.  A facility is currently under construction that will be used to separate clear, green and amber glass.  These separated glasses will be sold to companies that need specific glass colors.  Any other glass colors will be ground down and sold to make fiberglass.

Step 6:

The various layers in aseptic packaging (i.e. juice boxes) are separated using a high pressure water jet.  The paper in these containers is made from a high grade pulp and is used to make other products that require high grade pulp.

Step 7:  

The now separated material are either loaded directly into rail cars or are baled and then shipped via truck or rail to their end markets. 

Material that is sorted in the academic buildings is picked up by Recycling Services’ trucks.  Recycling Services picks up materials from academic buildings because the majority of waste generated in the academic buildings is paper, which is the focus of Recycling Services.  Any bags containing materials other than paper are sent to the Resource Management facility and separated as described in the previous section. At the Recycling Services’ facility, the materials undergo the following process.

Step 1:  

All material is weighed, unloaded, and graded.

Step 2:  

Material is then segregated by grade or blended with other paper.  Cardboard and paper are separated using an OCC Separation Screen or Star Screen. This machine sorts materials by size – separating larger pieces of cardboard from the smaller sized paper.

Step 3:  

Once the paper and cardboard has been separated, the commodities are baled.

Step 4:  

Bales of material are then loaded onto trailers and shipped to paper mills.

Step 5:

At the paper mill, the material is converted into pulp and made into new paper products.

Material that is sorted in the academic buildings is picked up by Recycling Services’ trucks.  Recycling Services picks up materials from academic buildings because the majority of waste generated in the academic buildings is paper, which is the focus of Recycling Services.  Any bags containing materials other than paper are sent to the Resource Management facility and separated as described in the previous section. At the Recycling Services’ facility, the materials undergo the following process.

Step 1:  

All material is weighed, unloaded, and graded.

Step 2:  

Material is then segregated by grade or blended with other paper.  Cardboard and paper are separated using an OCC Separation Screen or Star Screen. This machine sorts materials by size – separating larger pieces of cardboard from the smaller sized paper.

Step 3:  

Once the paper and cardboard has been separated, the commodities are baled.

Step 4:  

Bales of material are then loaded onto trailers and shipped to paper mills.

Step 5:

At the paper mill, the material is converted into pulp and made into new paper products.