Wooster Green Team members visit recycling facility in Oakwood Village
Members of the Wooster Green Team, which is affiliated with the Wayne County Sustainable Energy Network, visited the Waste Management recycling facility (MURF) June 8, in the Cleveland suburb of Oakwood Village. The visit was to witness what happens to the curbside recycling picked up in Wooster.
Those attending included Carol Eberhart (convener), Ed Eberhart, John Drouhard, Charles Hall and Donna Zintek. Councilman Jon Ulbright and Rebecca Leitschuh from the Wooster City Planning Office also accompanied the group.
After answering the team’s initial questions, Kim Ciavarelli, operations senior specialist MRF, a 10-year employee at the facility, conducted a tour of the facility from the third story catwalk.
According to Eberhart, the recycling facility is a complex operation that combines machine sorting and human hands. People must tear open all plastic bags to allow mechanical sorting by a series of conveyors. Sorting is done automatically by size, weight, and other factors including magnetism. Glass, plastic, metals and paper products are separated. Final sorting for types of plastic containers is done by hand from moving conveyors. The paper stream must have any remaining plastic bags removed by hand when they get through the initial sorting.
Paper and cardboard are baled in a hydraulic press for shipment to manufacturers.
Recycled products become the same products again. This is cost effective for the manufacturers and saves raw materials.
Domestic manufacturing is stressed. However, 50 percent of the recycled paper and cardboard goes to China, due to their lack of adequate trees, for the manufacture of containers to return products to the U.S.
Approximately 200 tons per day, or 5,000 tons per month, is recycled at this facility, one of three Waste Management facilities in Ohio. Of the 5,000 tons, 3,800 to 4,200 tons per month is sent to manufacturers.
Cleanliness of the facility is a priority, as it keeps out animal life and the machines running smoothly. Of the three shifts, it is the third shift that does maintenance and clean up to prepare for the next day of operation. Workers wear hand, arm, chest, eye and ear protection.
It was emphasized that plastic bags are a huge problem. They require hand removal, foul equipment and cause costly downtime. This is one of many good reasons for the change to recycling bins.
The team was positively impressed by the operation and the people in charge, including Bob Rush, the new plant manager, and Ciavarelli, operations specialist senior MRF, who were very welcoming, courteous and knowledgeable.
Wooster residents can be confident that the materials listed on the paper that they received with their new Waste Management green recycling bin, and that they place in the bin each week, will be recycled. Bins are in the process of being distributed and should be received by July 1.
For further recycling information, visit http://www.timetorecycle.org and http://www.wcsen.org.
Those attending included Carol Eberhart (convener), Ed Eberhart, John Drouhard, Charles Hall and Donna Zintek. Councilman Jon Ulbright and Rebecca Leitschuh from the Wooster City Planning Office also accompanied the group.
After answering the team’s initial questions, Kim Ciavarelli, operations senior specialist MRF, a 10-year employee at the facility, conducted a tour of the facility from the third story catwalk.
According to Eberhart, the recycling facility is a complex operation that combines machine sorting and human hands. People must tear open all plastic bags to allow mechanical sorting by a series of conveyors. Sorting is done automatically by size, weight, and other factors including magnetism. Glass, plastic, metals and paper products are separated. Final sorting for types of plastic containers is done by hand from moving conveyors. The paper stream must have any remaining plastic bags removed by hand when they get through the initial sorting.
Paper and cardboard are baled in a hydraulic press for shipment to manufacturers.
Recycled products become the same products again. This is cost effective for the manufacturers and saves raw materials.
Domestic manufacturing is stressed. However, 50 percent of the recycled paper and cardboard goes to China, due to their lack of adequate trees, for the manufacture of containers to return products to the U.S.
Approximately 200 tons per day, or 5,000 tons per month, is recycled at this facility, one of three Waste Management facilities in Ohio. Of the 5,000 tons, 3,800 to 4,200 tons per month is sent to manufacturers.
Cleanliness of the facility is a priority, as it keeps out animal life and the machines running smoothly. Of the three shifts, it is the third shift that does maintenance and clean up to prepare for the next day of operation. Workers wear hand, arm, chest, eye and ear protection.
It was emphasized that plastic bags are a huge problem. They require hand removal, foul equipment and cause costly downtime. This is one of many good reasons for the change to recycling bins.
The team was positively impressed by the operation and the people in charge, including Bob Rush, the new plant manager, and Ciavarelli, operations specialist senior MRF, who were very welcoming, courteous and knowledgeable.
Wooster residents can be confident that the materials listed on the paper that they received with their new Waste Management green recycling bin, and that they place in the bin each week, will be recycled. Bins are in the process of being distributed and should be received by July 1.
For further recycling information, visit http://www.timetorecycle.org and http://www.wcsen.org.
Published: June 15, 2011
