guide that other facilities, both public and private, can consider to improve operations. It is important that recycling facilities accept only materials
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i Best Operational Practices Manual for Materials Recovery Facilities and Recycling Drop – Off Facilities TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Figures .. .. .. .. iii Acknowledgments .. .. .. . v 1.0 INTRODUCTION .. .. .. . 1 2.0 RECYCLING OPERA TION INTERVIEWS .. .. . 3 3.0 OPTIMIZING EFFICIENCIES IN MRF DESIGN AND OPERATIONS . 11 3.1 LOCATION, SITE CHARACTERISTICS, AND DESIGN EFFICIENCY CONSIDERATIONS .. .. .. . 13 3.2 MATERIALS RECEIVING AND STAGING .. .. .. 18 3.3 MATERIALS SORTING CONSIDERATIONS .. 21 3.3.1 MANUAL SORT ING OF MATERIALS .. .. 22 3.3.2 MECHANICAL SO RTING OF MATERIALS .. .. 27 3.3.3 OPTICAL SORTI NG OF MATERIALS .. .. . 34 3.4 SPECIAL MATERIALS CONSIDERATIONS .. .. 37 3.4.1 GLASS RECOVERY AND PROCESSING .. 37 3.4.2 PLA STICS RECOVERY AND PROCESSING .. 40 3.4.3 ALUMINUM RECOVERY AND PROCESSING .. .. 43 3.5 BALING MATERIALS .. .. .. .. 43 3.5.1 PRE – BALING STORAGE .. .. . 43 3.5.2 BALER SELECTION AND OPERATION .. . 44 3.6 PRODUCT STORAGE .. .. .. .. 47 3.6.1 BALE HANDLING AND STORAGE .. .. . 48 3.7 RESIDUALS MANAGEMENT .. .. 51 3.8 MAINTENANCE .. .. .. .. 52 3.9 TRANSPORTATION .. .. .. .. 53 4.0 MARKETING .. .. .. .. 55 5.0 HEALTH AND SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS .. .. 57 6.0 POLLUTION CONTROL AND GOOD NEIGHBOR PRACTICES .. 74 7.0 OPTIMIZING DROP – OFF OPERATIO NS .. .. . 78 8.0 CONCLUSION .. .. .. .. 82 APPENDIX A: HEALTH AND SAFETY SELF – ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE 84 APPENDIX B: GLOSSARY OF TERMS .. .. 94 REFERENCES .. .. .. 100
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iii Table of Figures TABLE 2.0. FACILITY COMPARISON .. .. .. .. 3 TABLE 3.1. MRF LOCA TION, SITE CHARACTER ISTICS AND DESIGN EF FICIENCY Error! Bookmark not defined. TABLE 3.2. MATER IALS RECEIVING AND S TAGING EFFICIENCY CO NSIDERATIONS Error! Bookmark not defined. TABLE 3.3.1.1 MANUA L SORTING EFFICIENCY CONSIDERATIONS .. Error! Bookmark not defined. TABLE 3.3.1.2 MANUAL SORTING BENCH MARK SORTING RATES . Error! Bookmark not defined. TABLE 3.3.2. MECHAN ICAL SORTING OF META LS EFFICIENCYCONSIDE RATIONS . TABLE 3.4.1. GLASS RECOVERY AND PROCESS ING EFFICIENCY CONSI DERATION S Error! Bookmark not defined. TABLE 3.4.2. PLASTI CS RECOVERY AND PROC ESSING EFFICIENCY CO NSIDERATIONS . Error! Bookmark not defined. TABLE 3.5. BALING E FFICIENCY CONSIDERAT IONS .. .. Error! Bookmark not defined. TABLE 3.6. PRODUCT STORAGE CONSIDERATIO NS .. Error! Bookmark not defined. TABLE 3.9. TRANSPOR TATION CONSIDERATION S .. .. Error! Bookmark not defined. TABLE 4.0. MARKETIN G CONSIDERATIONS .. .. .. . 55 TABLE 6.0. POTENTIA L IMPACTS ON NEIGHBO RS AND MITIGATION ME ASURES .. 76
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1 1.0 INTRODUCTION The Illinois Recycling Association (IRA) is pleased to provide this Best Operational Practices Manual (BOPM) as a tool to further advance professional recycling in Illinois. IRA gratef ully acknowledges the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity who provided funding for the development of this manual and their continuing support for recycling in Illinois Over the last two decades contemporary recycling has witnessed ma ny changes in collection, processing and marketing of commodities. There are different processing systems that operate as a function of the differing collection systems that are in place or being considered. Furthermore, increases in the types and quanti ties of commodities recovered in existing or new programs may require facility technology and equipment retrofits. The purpose and intent of this manual is to assist those Illinois counties, cities and businesses that own/operate materials recovery facili ties (MRFs) and recycling drop – offs to evaluate their operations in accordance with Best Operational Practices (BOPs) to reduce negative environmental impacts, advance safety consciousness, improve processing efficiencies, reduce operating costs, and incre ase the potential to improve revenues for the materials recovered. This manual describes systems and procedures that can be employed by recycling facilities to operate as successful commodities businesses without the need for any special or environmental protection permits. The guide addresses operations of facilities that accept materials intentionally separated from the commodity/waste stream by the generators for the purpose of recycling. Although there are some commonalities in their operations, it d oes not include transfer stations, resource recovery facilities or so – mixed waste. Eleven recycling facility operators across the state of Illinois were interviewed to bring practical exper ience and practicable recommendations to this manual. Section 2 summarizes the results of these interviews. Section 3 takes the findings of the individual interviews, as well as other documented BOPs from other MRFs and industry sources, and lays out th e concepts and practices that contribute to improved processing efficiencies, reduced operating costs, and increased revenues from the sale of recovered materials. Though not applicable to all situations, most MRFs using this guide should find useful ideas and practices that will help improve their overall operations. Section 4 discusses maintenance issues. Section 5 reviews the health and safety issues that a recycling facility operator may encounter and a self – assessment checklist is provided as an appen dix to help evaluate compliance with safety and health standards. Section 6 discusses good neighbor practices and environmental considerations. Section 7 discusses drop – off operations.
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3 2.0 RECYCLING OPERA TION INTERVIEWS TABLE 2.0. FACILITY COMPARISON Facility # Type Ownership Approx. size (Tons/Mo.) Input Stream Comm./ Resid. Employees (full/part/vol) Began Operation 1 MRF Private 14,000 90% single stream, 10% separated 15% / 85% 69/0/0 1997 2 MRF Private 7000 99% single stream, 1% separated. 0% / 1 00% 60/0/0 3 MRF Private 9900 81.5% single stream/ 14% dual/ 4.5% separated 18.5% / 81.5% 90/0/0 1997 4 MRF/Drop – off Private 125 Source separated 80% / 20% 6/4/2 1995 5 MRF Private 2000 6 MRF Private 400 Approx equal single, dual and separated 5% / 95% 11/3/0 1973 7 MRF Private 220 45% single stream/ 55% separated 55% / 45% 3/1 8 MRF/Drop – off Not – for – Profit 1000 Source separated 60% / 40% 3/2/4 1988 9 MRF/Drop – off Public 90 3% single stream / 97% separated 60% / 40% 4/1/0 10 MRF/Drop off Priv ate Dual stream 13/4/0 11 Drop – off Public/ private 12 – 17 Single stream 75% / 25% 1/0/0 1992 (Notes: vol = volunteers) Facility 1 . Facility 1 was the largest and most fully automated of the MRFs visited. Located in Northeastern Illinois, it processe s primarily single – stream recyclables from residential curbside programs and operate two shifts daily. The facility is still expanding and is in the process of installing additional sorting lines. Incoming materials are dumped on a large tip floor where a wheel loader is used to move the mixed recyclables to an inclined conveyor which feeds a presort conveyor. The loader also mixes incoming loads in order to help provide a consistent feed down the line. Four sorters then remove bulky items, garbage and other throw – outs and open and remove plastic bags. From there, materials pass over a disk screen which separates OCC and then over a series of three finger – disk screens which separate out the containers and direct two streams of paper to an upper
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