Date: November 18, 2009
Source: Waste Management of Orange County
Waste Management of Orange County Unveils New Sort Line to Reduce Landfill Deposits and Carbon Emissions
Today, business and community and environmental leaders joined executives from Waste Management of Orange County (WMOC) to unveil a new $1.7 million state-of-the-art recycling sort line using the latest eco-technology. The new sort line, located at the company's Irvine Processing and Transfer Facility, will make Orange County more sustainable by reducing landfill deposits and carbon emissions by increasing the facility's waste diversion to 30,000 tons processed, annually.
"Our new sort line is a win for our customers, the environment and Orange County," said Bill Bixler, district manager of Waste Management of Orange County. "We now have the capability to recover even more reusable materials, making our carbon footprint even smaller in Orange County. We've also found that investing in green technology makes good business sense, even in this economy as we see a growing demand from our customers."
From office paper to cardboard to metals and plastics, the new recycling sort line was designed to process commercial recycling loads, yet also has the capability to sort recyclables from regular municipal solid waste streams. The line features state-of-the-art TiTech infrared optical sorting capabilities for the processing of dry recyclables, specialized OCC screens and sorting mechanisms including drum feeders. Fully staffed, the line can process up to 15 tons per hour of materials.
Continued Bixler, "With a construction and demolition sorting line already in place at the Irvine facility, the new sort line will complete our goal to make Orange County even more sustainable by recovering more recyclables each year."
The new recycling sort line is part of WMOC's recent environmental initiatives, including: Waste Management's new solar-powered trash and recycling compactors soon to be available in Orange County; GreenOps Tracking Stations, or reverse vending machines in Tustin; and food waste recycling machines in Laguna Beach. WMOC also offers a healthcare solutions community program that helps its customers dispose of medical waste.
"We commend Waste Management for their continued leadership in finding innovative solutions to divert materials for reuse," said Rosalie Mulé, Board Member with the California Integrated Waste Management Board. "This sort line will provide yet another opportunity for additional recycling by both residents and businesses alike, and will ultimately conserve Orange County's precious resources."
In an effort to reduce its carbon footprint on the road and around the county, WMOC uses lower emission trucks compared to vehicles that are fueled by standard gasoline or diesel. The reduced emissions total from WMOC's fleet of natural gas collection vehicles is the equivalent of removing approximately 10,000 cars from Orange County roadways every day.
Recognized as an environmental leader in the community, WMOC was recently named a partner of a new regional food waste diversion pilot program with the City of Mission Viejo. The program, approved by the County Board of Supervisors, will also incorporate the cities of Laguna Beach and Irvine, as well as the unincorporated areas of Las Flores and Ladera Ranch and is set to launch next year.
Additionally, WMOC provides businesses a resource for turn-key sustainability with its Green Squad™. The team of eco-consultants works to assess a company's green practices – water efficiency, energy efficiency, general sustainability and waste to resource management – and develop a comprehensive sustainability strategy. The Green Squad also provides construction and demolition consulting services to businesses and contractors to manage waste materials from determining the best options for diversion to coordinating the entire process from collection to hauling.
About Waste Management of Orange County
As North America's largest provider of waste and environmental services, Waste Management is on a quest for environmental performance, to maximize resource value and minimize environmental impact. Waste is a valuable resource. WM takes innovative steps to maximize and recover the resource that is in waste. To learn more visit www.wmorangecounty.com and www.thinkgreen.com.
For Waste Management of Orange County
Audrey Doherty/Jordan Cole
619-236-8397
mixitup@prchemistry.com.
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