Athens Services begins construction on new MRF, transfer station

Athens Services says it has broken ground on a new material recovery facility (MRF) and transfer station at 2200 Arrow Highway in Irwindale, California, in Los Angeles County.  

The completely enclosed MRF will apply for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification and will feature photovoltaic panels on the roof to produce energy. The site also will include a recycling science and technology center.

When it opens in the second half of 2023, it will be the largest MRF in Los Angeles County, according to the company, measuring 250,000 square feet. It will receive, process and transfer up to 6,000 tons per day of nonhazardous, mixed municipal solid waste, organics waste and construction and demolition material from commercial waste haulers as well as from self-haulers. The facility also will create more than 300 livable-wage jobs for residents of the surrounding area, according to Athens Services.

The Irwindale MRF also will be one of the most technologically advanced in the country, featuring the latest in artificial intelligence and optical sorting technology to divert material away from landfills.

“The technology will be astonishing,” Athens Senior Director of Resource Recovery Riel Johnson said at the groundbreaking event March 24. “Once we complete the facility and open our doors, we will invite you in to take a tour, and you too will be excited.”

Headquartered in the City of Industry, Athens describes itself as Los Angeles County’s largest privately owned waste diversion and recycling company. Athens has nearly 2,000 employees, a fleet of more than 1,000 trucks and facilities stretching from the South Bay to the Inland Empire and the High Desert.

Athens Services, family-owned and operated since 1957, serves more than 30 municipalities and county areas in southern California. 

*This article was updated March 31 to remove the mention of robotics that was originally mentioned in the news release. That technology will not be employed at the site. Instead, it will use AI, optical sorters and auger screens.