MRF Virtual Tour Script

 Welcome to SOCRRA’s virtual tour of the Materials Recovery Facility, also known as a MRF. In this tour we will be exploring the different operations here, including recyclables separation, household hazardous waste collection, and the drop off center. Here at the MRF, trucks drop off recyclables collected curbside, which are then sorted and baled and shipped out to be made into new products. Let’s take a look at the recovery process. As trucks pull up to the building, they drive onto this large scale to be weighed. This gives the scale operator an accurate record of how many tons of recyclables pass through the MRF each day (55 tons per day on average). Once they are cleared, the trucks enter the facility and deposit their materials into two piles: fibers and mixed containers. The fiber (newspaper, magazines, office paper, junk mail, phone books, paperback books, boxboard, and cardboard) is then loaded onto a conveyer belt and transported to the upper level where it is sorted by hand. Here, workers first remove all non-fiber material, mainly trash and plastics. Then they pull off the brown fiber material (cardboard and brown paper bags) from the magazines, newspapers, and office paper. The remaining fiber then falls through a chute onto a second conveyer for a final sort by hand. The final product is then transported to the baler. The baler compresses large volumes of recyclables into tighter, more compact bales. These bales are then bound together by metal wire. The process is now complete. The bales are stored here at the MRF ready for shipment to various paper mills.

 Mixed containers (plastic bottles and miscellaneous plastic containers; clear, brown, green, and blue glass bottles; metal cans and small scrap metal items; and milk cartons, juice cartons and drink boxes) are also recycled at the MRF. Trucks drop off these containers where they are temporarily stored in these piles. Containers are first transported by conveyer belt to the upper level where trash and oversized objects are pulled off by hand to start the sorting process. The containers continue down the line where a large rotating magnet picks up the tin (ferrous) cans from the glass, aluminum and plastic containers, The magnet throws the ferrous metals onto another conveyer belt where they are collected for later baling. The plastic and aluminum containers are then separated by hand into different compartments, household batteries (in baggies) are pulled off, trash is pulled off, and the remaining brown, clear, green, and blue glass is sent outside and collected in a roll off. Small pieces of glass fall through the screen and are separated from the large pieces. Finally, the materials in each compartment are baled and stored, ready for pickup to be made into new materials.

 Here we have SOCRRA’s drop off center. This is where residents can come to drop off their recyclables. There are three large rolloffs for recyclables: (1) scrap metal, (2) mixed containers (3) fiber. There are also four sheds: one to recycle plastic bags; one to shred paper; one to recycle hardcover books; and one to recycle cassette tapes, CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, and floppy discs with cases removed. There are also two collection bins to recycle used clothing, shoes, blankets, and toys.

 Here’s how a SOCRRA resident would dispose of household hazardous waste and old electronics. We ask the resident to make an appointment, giving our HazMat technician sufficient time to take care of the materials. After making an appointment, the resident would come here to our HazMat trailer. The HazMat technician will greet the resident, check for proper identification, and then have the resident fill out a form describing the materials that he or she is bringing in. Here is the corral where all hazardous waste is stored until it is shipped out. Stored here are pesticides, gasoline, kerosene, acids, oxidizers, household cleaners, paint, and many other hazardous materials. Car batteries can also be dropped off with the HazMat technician, though it is not necessary to make an appointment.

 Here is SOCRRA’s education facility. This is where all of the tours take place. During a tour, a resident will learn about what he or she can or cannot recycle.

 This concludes SOCRRA’s virtual tour of the Materials Recovery Facility. Thank you for watching and thank you for recycling.

Copyright © 2008 [SOCRRA]. All rights reserved.
Revised: May 29, 2008.