Inside the Operation: Recology’s Recycle Central
Over the past four years, Recology has invested $20 million in major retrofits at its Recycle Central MRF situated on San Francisco’s Pier 96.
Collection trucks operated by Recology deliver between 650 and 700 tons of recyclables from homes, apartment buildings and commercial properties in San Francisco to Recycle Central per day.
Material is sorted into 14 different commodities, baled and shipped to domestic and international markets.
Material is sorted into 14 different commodities, baled and shipped to domestic and international markets.
Recycled fiber makes up about 75 to 85 percent of the incoming material stream at Recycle Central.
The MRF added a cardboard screen to be able to separate the surplus of cardboard from other recyclables, says General Manager Maurice Quillen.
In 2016, Recycle Central installed two optical sorters supplied by Van Dyk Recycling Solutions, doubling the number of optical sorters the MRF used. The units sort containers and paper that was missed from the initial sorting line.
Recycle Central takes extra steps to keep plastic bags and plastic film out of finished bales of recycled paper.
In 2018, it became the first MRF in North America to work with Pertuis, France-based Pellenc ST to install three optical units for fiber recovery.
“We’re very happy with that installation. I like the Pellenc units a lot. We are sub-1 percent contamination on our fiber bales. I don’t think there’s too many MRFs that are negatively sorting fiber at sub-1 percent contamination, and the Pellenc optical sorters are key to that whole process.”--Maurice Quillen.
In 2019, Recycle Central worked with Bulk Handling Systems (BHS), Eugene, Oregon, to add four Max-AI AQC (autonomous quality control) units and one VIS (visual identification system) at Recycle Central.
The MRF installed one robot per week for four weeks.
The robots identify different types of plastics and remove them from the conveyor belts of mixed materials at “rapid speeds.”
One robot is specifically dedicated to remove thermoform packaging—clamshells, cups, tubs, lids and trays—from the container line.
Employees received training to operate and maintain the robotic sorters.
Materials processed at Recycle Central are baled and shipped to domestic and international markets.
Materials processed at Recycle Central are baled and shipped to domestic and international markets.
Steel and aluminum are sent to foundries in the United States
Steel and aluminum are sent to foundries in the United States
Paper and cardboard bales go to paper mills in the U.S., Canada and countries that border the Pacific Ocean.
While the growing packaging stream presents challenges for the recycling industry, it also offers new recycling and market opportunities for Recycle Central. For example, the facility now sorts and recycles curbside-collected aseptic containers, thanks to a grant from the Carton Council.
