While recycling is the first step in the process, it’s important to put materials in the cart or bin that actually belong there. Most importantly, we need your help to reduce the contamination of clean recycling materials by separating those with organic material on them. Know before you throw! Always check your local municipality for your individual recycling guidelines. Please visit AdvancedDisposal.com/find-a-facility.aspx
These are commonly mistaken items that often show up in recycling carts and bins, but they CANNOT BE RECYCLED AT YOUR CURB. Please don’t toss these in with your recycling.
So Where Do All of Your Recycling Materials Go to Next?
Our Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) are much more than simple sorting operations.
Instead, they are technological marvels, thriving business units and necessary community infrastructures. They provide a vital need to preserve our natural resources while performing their operations in an economical and efficient manner. By only putting the correct materials in your recycling bin, you also help us to keep productivity high and reduce damage to all our equipment.
Step #1
Trucks unload mixed recycling onto the tipping floor at the MRF. A front loader then moves the recycling onto a conveyor belt.
Step #2
Sort line workers remove film, non-recyclable and bulky items are removed manually.
Step #3
Cardboard is removed by a screen that uses rotating shafts with discs that propel cardboard over the top of the discs and into a holding area. Smaller objects fall through the shafts and proceed for further separation.
Step #4
A finishing screen separates objects by dimension: two dimensional objects (paper) ride up to the top of the screen and are discharged onto a paper sorting line for further separation and three dimensional objects all through the screen.
Step #5
Non-fiber contaminants are removed in a quality control check with manual or optical sorting by grade.
Step #6
A magnet removes steel cans from the stream.
Step #7
An eddy current separator repels the aluminum cans and foil from the conveyor.
Step #8
Glass bottles and jars are screened out and shattered by steel discs, their shards falling below.
Step #9
An optical or manual sorter separates plastics by resin code (type).
Step #10
The crushed cans, broken glass and bales of aluminum and plastic are all sent to manufacturers as raw materials.