Ohio contractor demolishes former Rumpke facility

Cincinnati-based Rumpke Waste & Recycling has begun demolition on an old facility it had operated in Columbus, Ohio, to construct a new material recovery facility (MRF) at that location.

Rumpke says it has contracted with Columbus-based Elford Inc. to perform construction work on the site, while Marengo, Ohio-based Complete Clearing Inc. serves as the demolition contractor on the job. Complete Clearing has performed numerous demolition jobs in the Columbus area, including the demolition of the White Castle headquarters.

Prior to demolition, Rumpke says it had been using the Columbus location for container maintenance. The company says it has since relocated those operations.

Interior demolition work began Nov. 8, and exterior shell demolition began Nov. 10. Rumpke says demolition work is expected to continue at the site throughout December. The company adds that demolition involves the main building on-site, the preengineered building on-site and the existing fence.

According to Elford, Complete Clearing is crushing the existing facility’s concrete foundations and slabs. The construction firm says it plans to reuse those materials in the new foundation system for the MRF and office building.

“The site had a couple of existing structures that required demolition, and there will be a sizable amount of concrete that Rumpke hopes to reuse,” Rumpke shares in a statement to the Recycling Today Media Group about the demolition.

Once demolition work is finished, Rumpke says it plans to break ground for its new MRF on-site by early 2023. The company anticipates finishing construction on the new Columbus MRF by the summer of 2024.

The new 200,000-square-foot facility will feature advanced sorting equipment—such as ballistic separators, optical sorters and artificial intelligence—to sort recycled materials collected from 40 counties in Ohio at a rate of 55 tons per hour. The facility also will feature a community meeting space, a research and learning center and a career development and environmental education space with hands-on exhibits for guests who tour the facility.