Material Recovery Facilities

This is footage from a WM Recycle America facility in Elkridge, MD.

The recyclables picked up from homes and businesses are taken to material recovery facilities (or MRF --rhymes with nerf) to be processed. The MRF is a facility that receives, separates and prepares recyclable materials for marketing to manufacturers. Recyclable material is sorted to specifications, then baled, shredded, crushed, compacted, or otherwise prepared for shipment to market.

There are several types of MRFs. The simplest is one that takes source separated material. This material is separated at the point of collection, often a drop-off program. For example, cans, bottles and paper are put into separate bins. Although some processing may be necessary to sort the materials further and remove any foreign material, it is minimal. The sorted material is prepared for market by crushing, flattening and baling according to the manufacturer’s specifications.

  • Dual-stream MRFs accept materials that are recovered in two streams, usually fiber as one stream and packaging as the other stream. A combination of manual and automated sorting equipment is used for separation followed by baling or crushing similar to a source-separated MRF.
  • Single-stream MRFs, which are becoming more common, require a more intensive separation process than dual-stream – processing as many as 35 or more different material types.
  • Last, mixed-waste MRFs accept unsegregated solid waste and separates out the recyclable materials, with the balance of the material sent to a disposal facility such as a landfill or waste conversion facility.

As of 2013, there are 563 multi-material (“residential style”) MRFs in the U.S., according to Governmental Advisory Associates, which publishes a database of MRFs.

Local MRFs are a resource for their communities. The MRF operators are often willing (and eager) to give tours of their facilities to community members and schools. Contact your local MRF for tour scheduling. They’re very interesting facilities!

Discover how MRFs are moving recycling into the future

State-of-the-art MRF’s are filled with complex technologies that largely automate the process of sorting and separating commingled recyclables. Improved sorting technology allows for cleaner sorting and lets less foreign material in (known as contamination), which yields commodities that bring premiums from manufacturers and re-processors, and thereby makes recycling more economically viable for more communities. These sorting technologies include:

Screens

Inclined screens are used to separate fiber such as paper and paper board from containers. Disk screens can be used to separate different grades of paper or from other contaminants.

Optical Scanners

Optical sorting technology has become faster and more precise in recent years. A MRF may have a number of programmable units capable of identifying plastic by their resin type and sorting these different plastics by blowing them off the line into the appropriate bunker or conveyor. Modern scanners have higher resolution than their predecessors and can identify smaller pieces of plastic.

Magnets and Eddy Currents

Magnets and eddy currents are used to separate out steel and aluminum containers. The eddy current works by charging an aluminum container with a field of electrons, which attach themselves to the cans and give them a negative electrical charge. A conveyor can then carry the cans across a negatively charged magnet, which repels the negatively charged aluminum container up and into a bunker. Similarly, magnets remove tin and steel cans from the recycling stream.

Continue reading here: Recycling E-Scrap

Was this article helpful?

0 0

Readers' Questions

  • alessandra
    How do recycling facilities separate materials mrfs how to recycle by watching this?
    5 months ago
  • Recycling facilities, also known as Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), use a combination of manual and automated processes to separate different materials for recycling. Here is a general overview of how MRFs separate materials:
    1. Collection and Sorting: The recycling material is collected from households, businesses, or recycling drop-off centers and brought to the MRF. It is then sorted into different categories, such as paper, plastics, glass, metals, etc. This initial sorting can be done by both workers and automated machines.
    2. Material Shredding and Pulverizing: Large items, such as cardboard boxes or plastic containers, are shredded or crushed into smaller pieces to facilitate the recycling process.
    3. Screening: These smaller pieces are then passed through screens to remove any unwanted materials like dirt, dust, and small contaminants.
    4. Magnetic Separation: Magnets are used to separate ferrous metals, such as iron and steel, from the rest of the materials. The magnets attract these metals, pulling them out of the stream.
    5. Eddy Current Separation: Non-ferrous metals, like aluminum and copper, can be separated using eddy currents. This process involves creating an alternating magnetic field that induces a repulsive force on the non-ferrous metals, causing them to be ejected.
    6. Optical Sorting: Optical sensors and infrared detectors are used to identify and sort different types of plastics and other materials based on their properties, such as color and composition.
    7. Air Classification: Air is used to separate lighter materials, such as paper and cardboard, from heavier ones, like glass and metals. The lighter materials are blown away by the air, while the heavier ones fall down for further processing.
    8. Manual Sorting: Trained workers also play a crucial role in the sorting process, manually removing any remaining contaminants and ensuring the final quality of the separated materials.
    9. Once the materials have been separated, they are usually baled or packaged for transportation to recycling facilities where they will be processed further into new products. To learn more about recycling and the processes involved, you can watch educational videos or documentaries available online. Many recycling facilities or waste management companies also provide virtual tours or informational videos on their websites.
    • petra
      What do bottle screens do in mrfs?
      5 months ago
    • Bottle screens in Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) are used to separate and sort different types of bottles and containers. They help in the mechanical sorting process by allowing containers to pass through the screen while separating them from other materials, such as paper, cardboard, and smaller particles. The screens are usually made of rotating cylindrical or disc-shaped panels with small holes or slots. As the material passes over the screen, bottles and containers that are larger than the holes or slots fall through, while smaller materials pass through the screen. This separation process allows MRFs to efficiently sort and separate recyclable bottles and containers from other waste materials, ensuring that they can be properly recycled or processed further for reuse.
      • immacolata
        What do screens do in mrfs?
        5 months ago
      • In Multi Resolution File System (MRFS), screens are used to display information and enable user interaction. Screens in MRFS can be thought of as virtual screens or windows that allow the user to view and interact with the content stored in the file system. Screens in MRFS can be used for various purposes, including displaying files and folders, browsing through directories, running applications, managing the file system's settings, and more. They provide a visual interface for the user to navigate, access, and manipulate the data and features of the file system. Screens in MRFS can also provide options for sorting, filtering, searching, and organizing the files and folders. They can display file thumbnails, icons, file details, and allow the user to perform actions such as copying, moving, deleting, and renaming files. Overall, screens in MRFS enhance the user experience by providing a visual representation of the file system and allowing for convenient interaction with the stored data and system functionalities.
        • cettina
          How do recycling facilities separate materials mrfs how to recycle youtube?
          6 months ago
        • MRF stands for Materials Recovery Facility, and it is a facility where recyclable materials are sorted and processed. The process of separating materials at MRFs may vary slightly depending on the facility, but generally, the following steps are involved:
          1. Collection: Recyclables are collected from households, businesses, or recycling drop-off points.
          2. Sorting: Once the recyclables arrive at the MRF, they are unloaded and sent to a sorting area. Here, workers or automated systems separate different types of materials based on their composition, such as paper, cardboard, metals, plastics, and glass.
          3. Pre-processing: After sorting, some further processing may be done to prepare the materials for recycling. For example, cardboard and paper may be shredded or baled, and plastic containers may be crushed.
          4. Shredding or Crushing: Some materials like plastic containers, glass bottles, or aluminum cans need to be shredded or crushed to reduce their size and make them easier to handle in subsequent steps.
          5. Separation: Various methods can be used to separate the different materials further. These methods may include:
          6. - Magnets: Magnets are used to separate ferrous metals (like steel) from other materials. - Eddy Currents: Eddy current separators are used to separate non-ferrous metals (like aluminum) from other materials. - Optical Sorting: Optical sensors and air jets are used to identify and separate different types of plastic and other materials based on their optical properties. - Density Separation: Materials can be separated based on their density using techniques like sink-float tanks or air classifiers.
          7. Baling or Packaging: Once the different materials are separated, they are often baled or packaged into compact units for easier storage and transportation.
          8. Recycling: The separated materials are then sent to suitable recycling facilities, where they will undergo further processing to be turned into new products.
          9. As for learning about recycling on YouTube, there are numerous videos available that explain the recycling process in detail, provide recycling tips, and showcase various recycling projects. You can search for specific keywords related to recycling on YouTube and explore the relevant videos.
          • aleksandra
            Do mrfs send material to other mrfs?
            9 months ago
          • Yes, it is possible for one MRF (Material Recovery Facility) to send material such as recyclable materials, compost, and other materials to another MRF. MRFs are typically connected to a larger regional or national network of waste management and recycling facilities. MRFs can receive materials from other MRFs within the same network to maintain processing or meet demand for certain materials.
            • nadine
              Is there a materials recovery facility in banaue?
              1 year ago
            • philippines Yes, there is a materials recovery facility in Banaue, Philippines. The facility is a joint venture between D&L Industries, Inc. and the local government of Banaue, and is called the Banaue Recycling and Waste Management Facility. The facility is designed to help reduce waste in the area and provide a source of income to locals through the production and sale of recyclable materials.