Nov 19 2009
Prominent figures in the spheres of business, environment and community participated in the opening of Waste Management of Orange County’s new, advanced recycling sort line at its Processing and Transfer Facility at Irvine.
The $1.7 million sort line, designed with the latest eco-technology, will reduce carbon emissions and landfill deposits in Orange County by expanding the facility’s annual waste diversion capacity to 30,000 tons of processed waste.
The new recycling sort line possesses the ability to handle recycling loads comprising office paper, metals, plastics and cardboard, originating from the industry. The line also has the capability to segregate recyclable material from other regular wastes.
The sort line is also equipped with sorting mechanisms such as drum feeders, specialized OCC screens, and TiTech infrared optical sorting technology for handling dry recyclable material processing. With full staff, the maximum processing capability of the line is 15 tons of materials per hour.
According to District Manager of Waste Management of Orange County, Bill Bixler, the company is now capable of recovering more reusable materials, contributing towards further reduction of carbon footprint in the region. Capitalizing on the increase in the demand for recycling, Waste Management of Orange County is further investing in green technology. The existing construction and demolition sorting line at the facility complements the new line, increasing the region’s sustainability by recovering more recyclables each year.
In addition to the new recycling sort line, Waste Management of Orange County’s environmental initiatives include:
- New trash and recycling compactors powered by solar energy, to be launched soon in Orange County
- GreenOps Tracking Stations reverse vending machines, to be launched in Tustin
- Machines for recycling food waste, to be installed at at Laguna Beach
- community healthcare solutions program help participants with medical waste disposal methods
Waste Management’s novel solutions for channeling materials for recycling were commended by a member of California Integrated Waste Management Board, Rosalie Mulé. Mulé stated that the new line provides residents and commercial establishments an opportunity for undertaking more recycling in the county towards conserving its precious resources.
To reduce its carbon footprint on the road, Waste Management uses trucks that have lower emission levels for transportation. The total reduced emissions from the body’s fleet of natural gas vehicles is tantamount to eliminating about 10,000 cars from Orange County’s transportation system on a daily basis.
Waste Management was recently roped in as a pilot program for regional food waste diversion with the City of Mission Viejo. The program has secured the approval of the County Board of Supervisors and will cover Irvine and Laguna Beach, and areas such as Ladera Ranch and Las Flores, which are not incorporated. The program is scheduled for launch in 2010.