Recovers dry waste for reuse in new ways
New equipment at the Metro Central Transfer Station diverts trash from going into landfills and doubles the recycling rate.
Four months after taking over management of the Metro Central Transfer Station in northwest Portland, Recology Oregon Recovery, Inc. is close to meeting its first-year goal of doubling the recycling rate, diverting trash hauled to the facility from going to landfills.
When the company took over the contract to operate the publicly-owned Metro Central Station on April 1, the annual average recycling rate was just over 17 percent. At the end of July, the rate had increased to just over 26 percent. Recology is working towards a waste recovery goal of 34 percent by November.
Recology installed a new, elevated sorting line at the facility in June, greatly improving the ability of workers to pull materials from the waste stream. The recovered waste is being sent to other local processors and the company’s own facilities in the Portland area for recycling.
The firm also is working hand-in-hand with the Portland-based, sustainable, green construction non-profit organization, The ReBuilding Center, and St Vincent De Paul foundation in an effort to divert residual materials and discarded items.
The diverted residual material includes cardboard from packaging, along with renovation, demolition and construction debris like wood and yard debris, metals, glass, sheetrock, plastics, carpet and carpet padding; and inert material such as concrete, brick and tile.
Recology employs 12 sorting personnel to staff the operation six days per week for eight hours each day. Sort line employees help divert an estimated 26,000 tons of dry waste per year.
