7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

1/168

EPAUnited StatesEnvironmental ProtectionAgency

Office ofResearch and DevelopmentWashington, DC 20466

HandbookMaterial Recovery

EPA/625/6-91/031September 1991

Faci I ti.es forMunicipal Solid Waste

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

2/168

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

3/168

HANDBOOK

MATERIAL RECOVERY FACILITIESFOR MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE

byPEER CONSULTANTS, P.C.Dayton, Ohio 45432

andCalRecovery, Inc .Richmond, CA 94804

Cont rac t No. 68-03-3490Work Assignment 3-13

EPA 625/6-91/031September 1991

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

4/168

NOTICEThis document i s in tended to a s s i s t r eg iona l , s t a t e , and l oca lcommunity personne l , as wel l as indiv iduals or corporat ionscons ider ing th e es tabl i shment o f a mater ia l recovery f a c i l i t y

(MRF) . This document i s not a r egu la t ion and should not be used assuch:. The user s of th i s handbook must exerc i se t h e i r disc re t ion inusing th e informat ion contained herein as well as o ther re levan tin format ion when evaluat ing MRFs. The development and compi la t ionof the guidance and informat ion contained in t h i s handbook has beenfunded wholly or in p a r t by th e United Sta tes EnvironmentalProtec t ion Agency through Cont rac t 68-03-3490 to PEER Consul tants ,P.C .Mention of t rade names o r commercial produc ts does notc ons t i t u t e endorsement o r recommendation fo r use.

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

5/168

ABSTRACTThe purpose o f t h i s document i s to address t he t echn ica l andeconomic aspects of mater ia l recovery f a c i l i t y (MRF) equipment andtechnology in such a manner t h a t the document may be of ass i s t ance

to so l id waste planners and engineers a t th e l o c a l community l e ve l .This document po in t s out what t echn ica l ly can be done, whatmater ia l spec i f ica t ions can be achieved, and what th e d i f f e r e n tmanual and mechanical mater i a l s separa t ion and recovery approachescan c o s t .This handbook i s designed fo r use pr imar i ly by engineer ing oro ther t echnica l ly t r a ined personne l who are engaged in some aspectof des ign , s pe c i f i c a t i on , purchase , or implementat ion o f MRFs.

Sources of informat ion fo r t h i s document inc lude th e designengineer ing community, vendors of equipment, and var ious s tud iesfunded by th e u.s. EPA. Of course , many presen t ly operat ing MRFsalso served as prime sources of in format ion .

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

6/168

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

7/168

CONTENTS

NoticeAbst rac t iiivFigures . . . . . . . . . .Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v i iv i i iAcknowledgement . X1 Int roduct ion . 1-12 Spec i f i c A p p r o a c h e ~ to Mater ia ls Recovery . 2-12 .1 Int roduct ion . . . . . . . . . . . . .... 2-12.2 Concept Descr ip t ion . . . . . . . . 2-12.2 .1 Basic MRF . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22.2.2 V a r i a t i o n ~ from th e Basic MRF . . ... 2-52.3 Technica l . . . . . . 2-52.3 .1 Waste Charac ter iza t ion . . . 2-52.3 .2 Mass Balance . . . . . . . . 2-72.3 .3 Technology Considera t ions fo r a Basic MRF . 2-9

2.3.4 Fin ished Product Spec i f i ca t ions . . 2-92.3.5 Flow Chart and Mass Balance--Low2.3.62.3 .7

Technology . . . . . . . . .Flow Chart and Mass Balance--HighTechnology--Paper Line . . . .Flow Chart and Mass Balance--HighTechnology--Commingled Container Line .2.3.8 Flow Char t s /Genera l Comment . . .2.3.9 Mater ia l Dens i t i e s ....... .2.3 .10 Fixed Equipment . . . . . .2.3 .11 Rol l ing Equipment ... .2.3 .12 Human Factors ...2.3.13 Acceptable Waste2.3.14 Raw Mater ia l Storage ...

. 2-92-162-162-232-232-252-552-572-642-64

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

8/168

3

2 .7

CONTENTS (Continued)

Marketing . . . . . . .2 . 7 . 1 Market Concerns2 . 7 . 2 Market ConcernsConta iners2 . 7 . 3 Market Concerns2 . 7 . 4 Market Concerns

fo r Recovered Wastepaperfo r Recovered Stee lfo r Recovered Glass .fo r Recovered Aluminum

General MRF Concerns . . . . . . . . .3.1 Si t ing and Permit t ing Concerns .....3 . 2 Cont rac t ing I ssues . . . . . . . . . .3.2 .1 Cont rac tual Arrangements . . .3 . 2 . 2 Flow Control ............ .

2-832-832-842-872-90

. . 3 -1. 3 -13-4

3 -5. . 3-8

Appendix A - Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1Appendix B - Lis t o f Mater i a l Grades and Spec i f i ca t ions B-1Appendix C - Examples of Maintenance Procedures . . . . C-1Bibl iography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BB-1

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

9/168

Number2-12-22-32-42-52-62-72-82-92-102-112-122-132-142-152-162-172-182-192-202-212-222-232-24

FIGURES

Flow Chart Source Separa ted Mater ia ls . . . . . . 2-3Summary Flow Chart and Mass Balance . . . . . . . 2-10Flow Char t and Mass Balance--Low Technology--Paper Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13Flow Char t and Mass Balance--Low Technology-Commingled Container Line . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14Flow Char t and Mass Balance--High Technology--Paper Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17Flow Char t and Mass Balance--High Technology-Commingled Container Line . . . . . . . . . . . .Flow Chart- -High Technology--Ferrous Module . . .Flow Chart- -High Technology--Glass Module . .Flow Chart- -High Technology--Plas t ics ModuleFlow Chart- -High Technology--Aluminum ModuleTrough Type Bel t Conveyor . . . . ... o Bel t Conveyor with Skir tboards ........ .Mult ip le Magnetic Drum . . . . . . . .Magnetic Head Pul ley . . . . . . . . . .Magnetic Bel t . . . . . ...Disc Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tremmel Screen . . .Vibrat ing Screen . . . . . oVer t i ca l A ir Class i f i e r sTypical Range of Dimensions fo r can Dens i f i e r sTypica l Range o f Dimensions fo r Can Fla t tene rsTypical Range of Dimensions fo r Glass Crushers

2-182-192-212-222-242-292-292-362-362-372-372-392-392-412-432-44

(with Infeed Conveyor) . . . . . . . 2-46Baler . . . . . . . . . . . . .... o 2-46Typica l Range of Dimension fo r Single Ram

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

10/168

Number2 .12 .22 .32 .42 .52 .62 .72 .82.92.102.112.122.132.142.152.16

TABLES

Example of Composit ion of Res iden t i a l CurbsideRecyclables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6Common Design Considera t ions of Low Technologysystems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11Common Design Considera t ions of High TechnologySystems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Fac to r s Af fec t ing Mater ia l Recovery RateAverage Dens i t ies of Refuse Components . . . . .Fixed Equipment Which May be Employed in aMater ia l s Recovery Fac i l i t y . . . . . . .Approximate Conveyor Bel t Capac i t i e s (20 Trough)

2-122-152-262-27

( TPH) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3 0Approximate Conveyor Bel t Capac i t i e s (35 Trough)( TPH) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3 1Approximate Conveyor Bel t Capac i t i e s (F la t Belt)( TPH) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3 2Approximate Conveyor Bel t Capac i t i e s (F la t Bel twith 6- in . High Ski r tboards) (TPH) . . . . . . . 2-33Typica l P roduc t ion Rates ( lb /hr ) and Horsepowerfo r Aluminum can Dens i f ie rs . . . . . . . . . . . 2-43Typica l P roduc t ion Rates ( lb /hr ) and Horsepowerfo r Aluminum Can Fla t t ene rs . . . . . . . . .Typica l Product ion Rates (TPH) and Horsepowerfo r Glass Crushers . . . . . . . . . . . . .Typica l OCC Product ion Rates and Horsepower fo r

2-442-46

Hor izonta l Ba le rs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-48Typica l Dens i t i e s and Weights (45"x30"x62") fo rBaled Mater i a l s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-49Mater i a l Recovery Eff i c i enc ie s fo r Separa t ing

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

11/168

Number2.282.292.302.312.322.332.342.352.363 .1

3.2

TABLES (Continued)

Est imated Const ruc t ion Cost Range by ThroughputCapaci ty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-75Typical Uni t Equipment Costs . . . . . . . . . . 2-76Est imated Equipment Cost by Throughput Capaci ty . 2-77Est imated Tota l Capaci ty Cost Range by Through-pu t Capaci ty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-78Typica l MRF Labor Requirements . . . . . . . . . 2-80Typica l MRF Uni t Operat ing and Maintenance Costs 2-80Est imated Annual O&M Costs by ThroughputCapaci ty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-81Waste Paper Recovery Figures . . . . . . . . . . 2-85U.S. Aluminum UBC Recycl ing Rates . 2-90Sample Table o f Contents fo r an RFP (To Receive,Process , and Market Household RecyclableMater ia l s ) . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6Sample Table of Contents fo r a Proposal . . 3-9

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

12/168

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTThis document was prepared in p a r t i a l fu l f i l l m e n t of Contrac t68-03-3490, Work Assignment 3-13 by PEER Consul tants , P .C. , undersponsorship of the U.S. Environmental Pro tec t ion Agency. Edwin

Barth o f th e Center fo r Environmental Research Informat ion ,Cinc inna t i , Ohio, was th e Technical Pro jec t Manager respons ib le fo rth e prepara t ion o f t h i s document. Acknowledgement i s given toSteven J . Levy of the Office of Sol id Waste and Lynnann Hitchins ofth e Risk Reduct ion Engineering Laboratory , who provided guidanceand suppor t . Spec ia l acknowledgement i s given to :Ms. Darlene Snow and Mr. Jack Legle r , Na t iona l Sol idWaste Management Assoc ia t ion;Mr. James Meszaros and Mr. Robert Davis; Browning Ferr i sIndus t r ie s ;Mr. Jess i e Buggs, Prince Georges County, MD, Res iden t ia lPrograms;Mr. Chaz Mil le r , the Glass Packaging I n s t i t u t e ;Mr. Richard Kattar , New England, CRinc. ;Mr. Bi l l Moore and Mr. Dan Kemna, Waste Management, Inc . ;andMr. Mike McCullough, Ohio EPA,

a l l o f whom se rved as advisory committee members andjor t echn ica lreviewers and con t r ibu to rs .Pa r t i c ipa t ing i n the development of t h i s document were Dr. Joseph

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

13/168

SECTION 1INTRODUCTION

The purpose of t h i s document i s to address t he t echn ica l andeconomic aspec t s o f mater i a l recovery f a c i l i t y (MRF) equipment andtechnology in such a manner t h a t th e document may be of ass i s t anceto so l id waste planners and engineers a t th e l oc a l community l eve l .This document poin ts o ut what t echn ica l ly can be done, whatmater ia l s pe c i f i c a t i ons can be achieved, and what th e d i f fe ren tmanual and mechanical mater i a l s separa t ion and recovery approachescan c os t .

This technology t r a n s f e r document i s a handbook intended fo r usepr imar i ly (but not exc lus ive ly) by engineer ing or o the r t echn ica l lyt r a ined personnel who a re engaged in some aspec t o f s pe c i f i c a t i on ,purchase , o r implementat ion of MRFs. It should be noted t h a t t h i shandbook of f e r s some des ign- re l a t ed informat ion , b u t i s notintended to be a des ign guide . For t h i s document, a MRF i s def inedas a c e n t r a l operat ion where commingled andjor source separa tedrecyc lab les a re processed mechanica l ly or manual ly . Here, asepara t ion and/or benef i c i a t ion of r ecyc lab les prepares them tomeet market spec i f ica t ions fo r s a l e . Sources of in format ion fo rt h i s document inc lude th e design engineer ing community, vendors ofequipment, and U.S. Environmental Pro tec t ion Agency (U.S. EPA) ando ther f edera l agency documentation of process eva lua t ions fo r MRFs.Of course , many presen t ly operat ing MRFs a l so served as primesources of in format ion .

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

14/168

requ i rements ; redundancy requirements ; and a l l aspec ts necessaryfo r the development of performance and equipment sp e c i f i c a t i o n s .The key focus i s on th e pe rcen t waste reduc t ion (ef f ic iency) andcos t s . The document i s in tended to give guidance to the eng ineeras to what should be incorpora ted in to s t a r tup , implementa t ion andacceptance t e s t i ng of any equipment and systems to be included inth e MRF.

MRFs a re r e l a t i ve l y new in th e so l id waste management f i e l d , b utt h e i r popu la r i ty i s f a s t increas ing . In th e ea r ly 1980s, the f i r s tMRF was es tab l i shed in Groton, Connect icut . This f a c i l i t y waspr imi t ive by t oday ' s s tandards (not f u l l s c a l e ) . The Grotonf a c i l i t y today i s opera t iona l , b ut it does not accept any of th ep ap e r o r p l a s t i c s t reams , which a re v i t a l and i n t e g ra l componentso f any fu l l - sca l e MRF. Recent ly 104 MRFs were i de n t i f i e d in theU.S. with about one- th i rd opera t iona l , about ha l f (51 percen t ) ine a r l y o r advanced s tages o f planning, 11 pe rcen t undercons t ruc t ion , and 4 MRFs t emporar i ly shutdown or undergoings i g n i f i c a n t r e t ro f i t t i n g (GAA, 1990).

An obvious ques t ion to many pa r t i e s i s th e sudden increasedi n t e r e s t in th e MRF as an approach to process ing s o l id waste.I n t e r e s t stems from:des i re to reduce MSW going to l a n d f i l l ;ach ieve t h i s reduc t ion by maximizing recycl ing; andMRFs s impl i fy gene ra to r requirements , and thus increasepa r t i c ipa t ion in recycl ing .

The probable p r i n c i p a l reason i s t ha t as s o l id waste di sposa l cos t skeep r i s i ng , a gre a t e r impetus develops in th e favor of recyc l ing ,and th e development o f more MRFs. For example, when l a n d f i l l cos t swere l e s s than $10 p e r ton , recyc l ing most of th e waste s t ream wasno t economical ly a t t r ac t ive to th e waste indus t ry . However, now

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

15/168

th e curb sor t ing mater i a l s o r emptying severa l con ta ine rs .F ina l ly , most advocates be l ieve t h a t mater i a l s processed throughMRFs a re more marketable . They f e e l t h a t th e products o f MRFs arecleaner , can b e t t e r meet indus t ry s tandards , and t h a t th ec o n s i s t e n t volume of mate r ia l t h a t they can genera te he lps toassure a market .

The design of MRFs must be such t h a t commingled r ecyc lab les canbe separa ted , and th e separa ted mater i a l s processed in to marketablecommodities . Most MRF vendors have t h e i r own bas ic des ign concept ,but they main ta in th e f l e x ib i l i t y to modify t h e i r des ign dependingupon th e spec i f i c requirements of the ind iv idua l MRF. In o th e rwords, vendors can respond to the needs o f th e community and t r y toprovide a system t h a t w i l l process the r ecyc lab les t h a t a re commonto t h a t community.

Even though many of the MRF systems a re highly mechanized, t he rea re still many jobs t h a t a re b e s t done by humans. For example,near ly a l l of th e sys tems presen t ly in use hand s o r t g lass byco lo r . This approach i s still th e most r e l i ab l e way to ensurequa l i t y . In any case , th e t r a de -o f f between th e manual andmechanical MRFs i s cap i t a l c o s t versus operat ing c o s t . The highlymechanical sys tems have a cap i t a l cos t t h a t ranges from 75 to 100percent h igher than those for the manual systems. A l i f e -cyc l ec o s t ana lys i s over th e opera t iona l l i f e of th e f a c i l i t y may showt h a t th e highe r opera t iona l cos t s for labor in tensive manualsys tems w i l l become more important than th e i n i t i a l highe r cap i t a lcos t s fo r mechanical systems. However, operat ing exper ience fo re i t h e r type system i s still too l imi ted to allow independenteva lua t ion o f the ac tua l usefu l l i f e of such f a c i l i t i e s .The c h ie f process ing problem in any MRF i s separa t ing th e mixedbo t t l e s and cans . Most of the MRF systems u t i l i z e a magnet to pu l lth e s t e e l cans from th e mixed mater i a l s . Once the f e r rous mate r ia l

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

16/168

mixed glass in a commingled, source-separa ted stream) and somemater i a l s which cannot be proper ly recognized by the so r t mechanismused in th e MRF. The amount of res idue depends heavi ly upon theprocess ing e f f ic iency o f th e f ac i l i t i e s , and th i s i s governed inmany ins tances by how wel l th e community has separa ted i t srecyc lab les , and by what col lec t ion method i s used. For example,if re s idents p e r s i s t in dispos ing of nonrecyclable mater ia l in thesystem, then understandably the amount of res idue increases .

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

17/168

SECTION 2SPECIFIC APPROACHES TO MATERIALS RECOVERY

2.1 INTRODUCTIONThe purpose of t h i s sec t ion i s to provide th e r eader with abas i s fo r unders tanding , comparing, and eva lua t ing th e r e l a t i vemer i t s o f d i f f e r e n t approaches and so lu t ions to th e problems ofmater i a l s recovery . The informat ion presented here in should be ofva lue to those pub l ic o f f i c i a l s charged with review and dec i s ionmaking r e spons i b i l i t i e s as wel l as to those ind iv iduals respons ib lefo r MRF planning and des ign .

2.2 CONCEPT DESCRIPTIONSevera l approaches have been proposed fo r the recovery ofmater i a l s from municipal wastes over th e pa s t 40 years . Theproposed schemes range from low-technology ( i . e . , lo w capac i ty ,r e l a t ive ly s imple , l abor - in tens ive , minimum hardware) processes tohigh-technology ( i . e . , high capac i ty , r e l a t ive ly complex,mechanical - in tens ive , high cap i t a l and operat ion and maintenancecos ts ) concepts . Simi la r ly , a myriad o f devices have beensugges ted fo r segregat ing one o r more mater i a l s from th e waste

st ream. The dec i s ion to s e l e c t one approach versus another one i sa f fec ted by a number of fac tors . Some o f these fac to rs inc lude :s i ze ; cos t ; l oca t ion ; environmental impacts; and economiccondi t ions of the p a r t i c u l a r area . There a re a l a rge number of

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

18/168

process ing , and shipping of the recovered mater i a l s . Thecond i t ions fo r each of these i tems a re as fol lows:1 . Incoming Waste

The f a c i l i t y receives only source separa tedmater i a l s . The mater ia l s are de l ive red in twod i s t i n c t forms. One stream cons i s t s of paper andth e o ther o f commingled con ta iner s . Mater ia ls t h a t would be de l ive red to th e f a c i l i t yin th e commingled con ta iner s t ream inc lude : fe r rous

meta ls , aluminum, g l a s s , PET, and HDPE.Recyclable mater ia l s a re de l ive red to th e fac i l i tyv ia commercial col lec t ion vehic les .The f a c i l i t y i s not designed to accommodates e l f -ha u l veh ic les .

2. Storage , Process ing , and Shipping For each of the two incoming f rac t ions ofr ecyc lab le mater i a l s , the f a c i l i t y w i l l provide rawmater ia l s s to rage , means for separa t ion andprocess ing , s torage fo r f in ished produc ts , andmeans fo r shipping the f in ished products in themost appropr ia te form. A desc r ip t ion of thesecondi t ions i s presented in Figure 2-1. The types of f in ished products from th e incomingpaper s t ream inc lude: newspaper; mixed paper ; andsome corruga ted .

The types o f products from th e commingled

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

19/168

tvIw

Curbside --ll"'"" IncomingSourceSeparatedMaterialsPaper

CommingledContainers

..... ... Ship: ~ : : ~ : ) ) : : : > > > > : I a ./ F . l d ~ ~ ~ ~ : :

: : : r . r 6 d u d ~ : :. . . ; . - : 4 - ~ - ; . . : . ; . - ~ - ~ - ~ - : . . . . .

} \ f t O . r : a ~ ; e : :

Residue to Landfill

Ship

Figure 2-1. Flow char t source separated mater ia l s .

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

20/168

Current ly markets do not e x i s t fo r a l l of the mater ia l s t h a t can berecovered from th e waste st ream. In those markets t h a t do ex i s t ,th e market spec i f ica t ions are va r ied . Some of the forms andcondi t ions app l icab le to th e f in ished products inc lude : PaperSepara ted by gradeBaled (bale s ize andjor weight speci f ied) , or looseDry (or may inc lude wet)Clean (or contaminated or not weathered) Ferrous Conta iners

Fla t t ened , unfla t tened , or shreddedLabels removed (or not)Clean (or with l imi ted food contaminat ion)May o r may not inc lude bimeta lLoose, ba led , or densi f ied in to b i s c u i t form withba le or b i s c u i t s ize and/or weight spec i f i ed Aluminum Conta iners

Fla t t ened , shredded, ba led , o r densi f ied in tob i s c u i t form with bale or b i scu i t s ize andjorweight spec i f i edFree of mois ture , d i r t , s t ee l , f o i l , l ead , p la s t i c ,glass , wood, grease , o i l , or o the r fore ignsubs tances

PET and HDPE (handled s imi lar ly)

Glass

Baled, granula ted , o r looseSeparated by co lo r o r type or mixedWith o r wi t hou t capsSepara ted by co lo r andjor mixedSize of c u l l e t (maximum and/or minimum) spec i f i ed

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

21/168

2 .2 .2 Var ia t ions from th e Basic MRFIn th e t e x t to fol low, r e fe rences and comments w i l l be made todes igns of MRFs which vary from th e "bas ic" MRF. The comments aremade because the re a re some f a c i l i t i e s t h a t have been designed int h a t manner . In add i t ion , th e c u r re n t c l imate in the indus t rypo in t s in t hose d i r e c t ions . These va r i a t i ons inc lude :1. The f a c i l i t y r ece ives only source separa ted mater i a l s ina s ingle incoming waste s t ream.2. The f a c i l i t y also r ece ives o ther source separa tedmater i a l s such as yard waste , wood waste , t i r e s ,corruga ted , mixed meta ls , used motor o i l , lead andb a t t e r i e s , used c lo th ing , appl iances , o ther p l a s t i c s ,e t c .3. The f a c i l i t y r ece ives mixed municipal so l i d waste (MSW)in addi t ion to source separa ted mater i a l s .4. The f a c i l i t y r ece ives only mixed MSW.5. In addi t ion to r ece iv ing recyc lab les andjor mixed MSWfrom commercial haulers , the f a c i l i t y r ece ives mixed MSWfrom s e l f -ha u l veh ic les .6. In addi t ion to th e recovery of recyclables , th e f a c i l i t yproduces a r e fuse der ived fuel (RDF) .7. In addi t ion to th e recovery of recyclables , the f a c i l i t yprepares a compostable feeds tock .

2.3 TECHNICAL

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

22/168

TABLE 2 .1 . EXAMPLE OF COMPOSITION OF RESIDENTIALCURBSIDE RECYCLABLES*

NewspaperMixed Paper

Mater ia l

To ta l PaperGlass Bot t l e sClearGreenBrownTin CansAluminum CansPlas t i c Conta inersPET

HDPETota l commingled Conta inersTOTAL

~ 0 by weight3341

7411444

1

11

26100

* Not to be considered as e i t h e r average o r t yp i c a l .

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

23/168

5. Community mandated and enforced r ecyc l ing programs versusvoluntary recycl ing programs.6. Rela t ive ease (o r d i f f i cu l t y ) of par t i c i pa t i ng in acurbs ide r ecyc l ing program.7. Tipping fee d i f f e r e n t i a l s between those a t d isposa lf a c i l i t i e s and a t a MRF andjor th e banning o f somecomponents ( e . g . , t i r e s , yard waste) from d isposa lf a c i l i t i e s may b ias th e composi t ion of th e incoming wastestream a t those f a c i l i t i e s .

2.3 .2 Mass Balance2.3 .2 .1 In t roduc t ion and Pre l iminary Considera t ions- -In addi t ion to determining th e r e l a t ive qua n t i t i e s o f th evar ious components in th e incoming waste s t reams in order toprovide for the s torage , separa t ing , and process ing of th e rawmater i a l s as wel l as fo r the handl ing of res idue and fo r thes to rage and shipping of f in ished produc ts , it i s necessary todetermine th e ant ic ipa ted amounts o f each of these components.The process by which t h i s i s accomplished i s ca l led a "massbalance" ana lys i s . A proper mass balance ana lys i s cons ide rs thena tu re o f th e incoming waste s t reams , th e l e v e l o f t echnology to beemployed in th e separa t ion and process ing o f mater i a l s , th e markets pe c i f i c a t i ons fo r the end produc ts , th e economic j u s t i f i c a t i o n fo rsepara t ing and process ing mater i a l s , and th e l eg i s l a t ed o r pro j e c tdes igna ted waste d iver s ion l eve l s which must be met . An importantfac tor to cons ider before beginning th e mass balance ana lys i s andth e subsequent s iz ing o f th e MRF and i t s subsystems, i s th eant ic ipa ted t o t a l tonnage which th e f a c i l i t y wi l l be ca l led upon tohandle . It i s impera t ive t h a t t h i s t o t a l be i den t i f i ed and def inedas accura te ly as poss ib le . Lacking such i den t i f i ca t i on anddef i n i t i on , it i s highly improbable t h a t th e f a c i l i t y w i l l perform

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

24/168

However, it i s a l so r ea l i zed t ha t with in each pa r t i c ipa t ing averagehousehold, only 80% of the poss ible recyclab le mater ia l s wi l lac tua l l y be placed a t curbs ide fo r co l l ec t i on , then :

32,500X 0.826,000

TPY maximum ava i l ab l ehousehold i n t e r na l pa r t i c ipa t ion r a t eTPY col l ec t ed a t curbs ide and de l ive redto f a c i l i t y .

A MRF may be planned to opera te 52 weeks per year , 5 days per~ ' l e e k , or 260 days per year . When a hol iday f a l l s on a weekday t ha tday may be made up on th e weekend, then :

26,000 TPY260 daysjyr = 100 TPD col l ec t ed a t curbs ide anddel ivered to MRF.

Care must be t aken t h a t an t ic ipa ted growth in th e popula t ion andth e probable corresponding change in the waste stream quan t i t i e sa re al lowed fo r . This does not mean t h a t th e f a c i l i t y must beb u i l t to deal with th e waste stream 20 years from now, bu t it doessugges t t h a t some planning needs to be car r i ed ou t fo r t ha t fu turerequirement . Scheduled l eg i s l a t ed waste divers ion r a t e s a lso havea bear ing on f a c i l i t y s iz ing .

I f th e f a c i l i t y i s to be properly s ized , then the f a c i l i t ycapac i ty must be def ined fo r the t i pp ing f loor as wel l as fo r theprocess ing l i ne s (schedule for rece iv ing may be d i f f e r e n t fromprocess ing ) . In addi t i on , the in tended number of hours p er day(e .g . , 8,12,16) and days per week (e .g . , 5,6 ,7) for rece iv ing andprocess ing waste must be def ined . Fur ther , th e s ize of the producta reas should r e f l e c t th e f requencies of th e shipping schedules .Also, th e peak th roughput capaci ty of th e f a c i l i t y must be s e t tocompensate fo r surges in throughput exper ienced a f t e r spec ia l

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

25/168

2 .3 .2 .2 Process Flow Char t and Mass Balance--For th e purpose o f example, it i s assumed t h a t th e f a c i l i t yw i l l rece ive 100 TPD o f paper and commingled recyc lable con ta ine r si n t he propor t ions according to Table 2.1 . The ove r a l l f lows andmass balance may be represen ted on a summary flow cha r t asi l l u s t r a t e d in Figure 2-2 . A 90% recovery ra te has been assumedwhich r e su l t s in 10 TPD of res idue to be l and f i l l ed . The designershould r ea l i z e t ha t the gr ea t e r th e separa t ion of mate r i a lca t egor i e s t h a t occurs a t the source , the higher th e probablerecovery r a t e of those recyc lables a t the MRF.2.3 .3 Technology Considera t ions fo r a Basic MRF

The sepa ra t ion and process ing s t eps requi red or des i red a t aMRF are in f luenced by market requi rements , by th e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c sof the feeds tock , and by the economics assoc ia ted with sepa ra t ion ,process ing , and t r ans po r t a t i on . Addi t iona l ly , in geographicala reas where l abor wages are h i s to r i ca l l y low and unemployment high,there i s gr ea t e r reason to favor a l abo r i n t ens ive approach thanthere i s in those a reas where l abor i s sca rce and l abor wages high.The t o t a l quant i ty of mate r i a l s and th e r e l a t i ve percentages ofmate r i a l grades o r ca tegor i e s wi l l have an e f f ec t upon the methodsemployed fo r recovery and process ing , and most ce r t a in ly upon th eequipment se lec ted to recover and process th e var ious mater ia l s .

Tables 2. 2cons ide ra t ionscombinat ions ofend.and 2 .3 address some of the more common designo f low- and high- technology sys tems. Thelow and high technologies a re v i r t ua l l y without

2.3 .4 Finished Product Spec i f i ca t ionsA se l ec t list of grades and de f in i t ions adapted from the ScrapSpec i f i ca t ions C i rcu la r 1990 as i ssued by the I n s t i t u t e of Scrap

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

26/168

NI......

0

100....

Jill"CurbsideMaterials

_ Q u a ~ ~ ~ i e s shown in T P ~

. :: i ~ l i ~ ~ t a l r t ~ r ~7.44 66.99PaperRecovered ....JolllC o : : ~ : e r s 1 i ' i ' i j i l ! l i ' ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ' l l j 1 ' ' ' ?~ ~ ~ ; ; : ~ ~

2.5610Residue toLandfill

Figure 2-2 . Summary flow char t and mass balance .

90 ---..Recyclablesto Markets

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

27/168

TABLE 2 .2 . COMMON DESIGN CONSIDERATION OF LOW TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS

Material

Paper

CommingledContainers

BasicFeedstock

Mixed wet &dry paper,includingnewsprint,old corrugatedcontainers(OCC), high-grades, books,magazines, &contaminantsTin, bimetal, &aluminum cans,plastic, & glasscontainers, &contaminants

TippingFloor

HandpickOCC&contaminants

Handpickcontaminants

In eedConveyor

HandpickOCC&contaminants

Handpickcontaminants;magneticseparator forferrous

SortingConveyor(or room)Handpickocc,magazines,high-grades,mixed paper,etc.

Handpickplastic,aluminum,contaminants

InterimStorage

In piles onprocessingfloor or inbins

Preparation Finishedtor Shipping Product

StorageShip loose, as In piles onis, or baled processingfloor, in bins,

or compactedor baled intransportvehicles

In piles, bins, Ship loose,or containers as is In piles, bins,containers, ortransportvehicles

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

28/168

~ . r i a l

~ r i a l

FtfTOUSc r n ~ l l S )

TABLE 2 .3 . COMMON DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS OF HIGH TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS

BasicFH

storeIn bales onprocessing flooror outdoors

Bale

BiscuitCompress inadensifier andpalletize

MechanicaKy or pneumatically fromperforator 10 auto-tie baler

storeIn stacks on the proe

stern

In stacks or bales on proe

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

29/168

NIf-lw

33.08....,...Newspaper

74.43Total

41.35 Paper....Ill"'Other

Paper

Quantities shown in TPD

= Alternate process

....II"" Sorting Station

7.44,,

Residueto Landfill

r---------I 129.77 ~ - - - - - - - :I I

IBaler 1-----l!ifJo--1-,.....Newspaper

...

37.22 Paper Products.... Shipped LooseIll""'Mixed (or in Compactor Trucks)

Paper to Markets

Figure 2-3. Flow char t and mass balance- - low technology-paper l i n e .

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

30/168

tvI1-'..,.

A22.78Total Recovered

Materialsa

0.46 2.08 0.10 0.24 0.95 2.03 16.92Bimetal Tin Bimetal Tin Alum. PET/ GlassHOPE

Sorting 0.23 ::: ( (-tation 218.80 ...Glass .... A>l

2.773.46 a..Ferrous p 25.57 22.8 ... ,, 2.79.. Magnetic1.05 .... Commingled """ Separation ..... Sorting Station 1 ResidueAluminum .. Containers to LandfillCans

2.26 ...

Quantities shown in TPD

Figure 2-4 . Flow cha r t and mass balance-- low technology-commingled conta ine r l i n e .

~

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

31/168

products . The system can be designed to accommodate such changeswith minimal cap i t a l expendi ture .In the case of th e commingled conta ine r l i ne , Figure 2-4 , iti s a l so poss ib l e to increase or decrease th e number o f mater ia lca t egor i e s separa ted from th e incoming s t ream. For example, glasscan be sor ted by color , if warranted; o r t in cans , if no market i sava i l ab l e , are permi t ted to jo in th e res idue to be l and f i l l ed . Ineach case depic ted in Figures 2-2 through 2-4 , a 90% mate r i a lrecovery r a t e has been assumed. In ac tua l prac t i ce there a re manyf ac tor s which have an in f luence on t h i s recovery r a t e . Some of

t hese f ac tor s are l i s t ed in Table 2.4 .TABLE 2.4 .

Factor

Market Specifications

Contamination ofIncoming Materials

Glass Breakage

Relative Quantities perSorter

FACTORS AFFECTING MATERIAL RECOVERY RATEExplanation

"Loose" ( i .e . , unconstrained) specifications potentiallyincrease recovery rates over those recovery rates that ar eattainable in the case of "tight" ( i .e . , constrained)specificationsThis factor is closely related to that of market specificationsin that some markets will accept products which other marketsconsider as unacceptable because of contaminationThis factor applies to glass containers and i t is influenced bythe manner in which the containers ar e se t out, collected,transported, sorted, and handled at the Facility. Broken glassis more difficult to sort than unbroken glassOver a given period of time, the greater the number of units ofany given recyclable a sorter must separate from th e wastestream, th e lower the recovery rate. Conversely, recovery canutilized

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

32/168

2.3 .6 Flow Chart and Mass Balance--High Technology--Paper LineUsing th e propor t ions of recyc lab le mate r i a l s as shown inTable 2.1 , th e flow c h a r t and mass balance fo r th e paper l i ne areshown in Figure 2-5. With reference to t h i s flow char t , theincoming paper i s conveyed to a trammel (a ro t a t i ng c y l ind r i c a lscreening device) so designed t h a t l a rge mater ia l (newspaper andcorrugated) w i l l pass through t he cy l inder (overs ize mate r i a l , or"overs") while smal l mater ia l (mixed paper) w i l l f a l l through thesc reen openings as unders ized mater ia l ( "unders") . Provis ionshould be made a t th e trammel i n l e t to manually dive r t ex t ra - la rgep ieces of corruga ted which may ja m the system. It should be noted

t h a t th e t rammel may also be designed to remove g r i t and grave l ando the r components smal le r than mixed paper t h a t would contaminateth e end produc t .At s o r t i ng s t a t i on #1, unacceptable mate r i a l s a re removed fo rl and f i l l i ng . In addi t ion , corrugated and mixed paper a re separa tedfrom th e newspaper stream. The trammel "unders" ( i . e . , mixedpaper) a re conveyed to so r t ing s t a t i on #2 where unacceptablemate r i a l s a re removed fo r l and f i l l i ng . The remaining paper j o ins

th e corruga ted removed from sor t ing s t a t i on #1. Newspaper andmixed paper a re co l l ec t ed separa t e ly and accumulated in ind iv idua lb ins . Each paper ca tegory i s separa te ly processed through an au to t i e ba le r as condi t ions warrant fo r shipment to markets .As a va r i a n t t o t h i s scheme, the trammel as wel l as so r t ings t a t i on #2 could be el iminated . This opt ion , of course , would puta gre a t e r burden on th e manual separa t ion e f f o r t a t so r t ing s t a t ion#1.

2.3 .7 Flow Chart and Mass Balance--High Technology--CommingledContainer LineContinuing with th e example, and using the propor t ions of

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

33/168

1.\.)II- '--.]

33.08Newspaper

41.35Mixed Paper

74.43Total 1Paper 1

Trammel Sorting Station 19.83):_--- -- - - ' ' - - - - - - ------- __ . ' - - - - - . . .By-pass forExtra Large

occ 30.43Mixed Paper

4.4

Sorting Station 23.04

7.44'Residueto Landfill

- 27.39Mixed Paper

Baler 1 ~ Baled Paperto Market

l Quantities shown in TPDFigure 2-5. Flow cha r t and mass ba lance - -h igh t echnology- paper l i n e .

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

34/168

[\ )If-l t6.9200 GlasaCullat

,-,;,;.;,- -, ,- -Nr- - -, 11norShteddet : - - ~ Clao$illc:" : ----....I 2.s}------ l . - - ~ - - -

1 Th I ,t AesldJa3.1t

.Ott.09('" Amber

.ot3.29

5.2t

7.33 ~0.35Residue I Residua 2.2t

Rest. : ato L.andllll

,.------,I BalMer 1------ ....- - - - - - ~ Oono1!1er 1L. _ _ _ _ _ _IIIIII

Perforator

Granulated HOPE

' - - - - - - - '

0.25,___ _ , Baled PET

~ i e s shown In TPD Il_-:_ = Alternate process

0.95Aluminum

(a) Trammels are only needed if market requiresfor the removal of paper labels and caps.(b) Depending upon quantnles, glass may beprocessed through a single crusher and trammel.

Figure 2-6. Flow chart and mass balance--high technology-commingled container l ine .

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

35/168

NII-'\0

r----- r-----1 I r

...._1 Flattener ...._ 1 A' Cl 'f' m I!>

,... .,..., or Shredder r -IJP'I If aSSI ler r - -I L ____ J L __ r_.J2.55Tin I 'f Residue'V

~ SortingStation 1 0.56 Baler, Flattener 3.11Bimetal or Densifier Tin and/or Bimetal~errous t~luminum 25.572.26 Commingled

Plastics Containers18.80 IllGlass

Quantities shown in TPD--1!_ _ j == Alternate processI ; : d== Equipment necessaryfor other modules

3.39 i .......2.77 Ferrous r l r t

MagneticSeparator

22.8

J l l , . i . ! ' l l , ~ l ~ ~ - . ' 1 1 1 1 1 1 ' 1 117

.16

~ 1 1 . ~ ~ ~ ~ 1 ~ ~ ~ ~ 1 1 , 1 2.980.33 13.16 0.69 AluminumPlastics Glass ,7 Ferrous 'P 't--'&Alum.

Sorting I 62Station 2 Fe0.10Aluminum

.........

Figure 2-7 . Flow char t - -h igh t echnology- - fe r rous module.

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

36/168

magnet ic separa to r whose funct ion i s to e x t r a c t a l l fer rousmater i a l s from th e r e s t of the commingled con ta iner stream. Thee f f ic iency with which t h i s t a sk i s accomplished i s a func t ion ofth e design of the magnetic separa tor , the bed depth of themater i a l s subjected to th e magnetic f i e l d , th e r a t io o f fe r rousconta iners to other mater ia l s and the propor t ion of fe r rousconta iners which a re f i l l e d o r p a r t i a l l y f i l l ed with food, l iqu idor o the r subs tances .

Once separa ted from the o ther con ta ine r s and depending uponth e markets , the fer rous conta iners a re manually sor ted (sor t ings t a t ion #1) in to two s t reams, i . e . , bimeta l and t i n . Residue i scol lec ted and t ransported to l a n d f i l l . Bimetal conta iners may bef l a t t e ne d , baled , or densi f ied in to b i s c u i t form. Tin cans may bef l a t t ened o r shredded and in t roduced to an a i r c l a s s i f i e r fo r th eremoval of l abe l s loosened by th e f l a t t en ing , o r shredding process .Al te rna t ive ly , t i n cans may be f l a t t ened , baled or densi f ied witho r without bimeta l cans. Ferrous cans t h a t are not removed by themagnetic separa to r from th e commingled conta iners stream areconveyed to a sor t ing s t a t i on where manual separa t ion takes p lace .The cans removed manually are re turned, by means of conveyors, toj o in t he fer rous removed by the magnetic separa tor .2.3 .7 .2 Flow Chart- -High Technology--Glass Module--Flow char t , Figure 2-8, i s .an enlarged view of t h a t por t ion ofFigure 2-6 which per ta ins to the separa t ion and processing ofg la s s . Afte r magnetic separa t ion of fer rous from th e commingledcon ta ine r stream, th e remaining conta iners pass over a screen whichenables much of the broken g lass to be removed as "unders . " The"overs" e n te r a t r ave l ing chain cur ta in which separa tes p la s t i c andaluminum con ta iner s from the g lass conta iners . The g lassconta iners are then conveyed to a sor t ing s t a t i on . Glassconta iners are hand sor ted by color with each color pass ing througha glass crusher . Depending upon market spec i f ica t ions , each c u l l e t

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

37/168

NIN1-'

3.46Ferrous1.05

2.26

18.80Glass

Quantities shown in TPD_ _! =Alternate process

I I= Equipment necessaryfor other modules(a) Trommels are only needed if market requiresfor the removal of paper labels and caps(b) Depending upon quantities, glass may be

processed through a single crusher and trommel.

.A

22.8 Screen

5.64

W W : r ( ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ J : : / l : 2"98 ~J . . - - - - - , . . , ! C n i n . i f Q M ~ H ~ ; : : Plastics and= : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : ~ : = ; = = = . Aluminum

,.,_,'

1.10Amber

Ferrous---,

1

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

38/168

NINN

Ferrous ...

1.05Aluminum I 25.57

2.26Plastics J

18.00Gl35$

I uantities shown in TPDI--,L _ 1 =Ntemate processIJJ= Equipment necessaryfor other modules

Figure 2-9.

SortingStation 3

0.25PET

Granulated HOPE

0.25Perf01ator'------1 Baled PET

Flow char t - -h igh t echnology- -p las t i c s module.

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

39/168

substream from th e a i r c l a s s i f i e r o r t r a ve l ing chain cur ta in arehand separa ted a t th e glass sor t ing s t a t ion and t r a ns f e r r e d to th ep l a s t i c s s o r t i ng s t a t ion fo r PET/HOPE separa t ion .PET con ta ine rs a re col lec ted , per fo ra ted and baled . HOPEconta iners can be granula ted . The p la s t i c granules a re loaded in togaylords fo r shipment to market . Al te rna t ive ly , HOPE conta inerscan be baled ins tead of granula ted . Residue i s col lec ted andt ranspor t ed to l a n d f i l l .

2.3 .7 .4 Flow Chart- -High Technology--Aluminum Module--The flow c ha r t , Figure 2-10, i s an enlarged view of t h a tpor t ion o f Figure 2-6 which pe r t a ins to the separa t ion andprocess ing o f aluminum cans . Afte r separa t ion of aluminum cansfrom p la s t i c conta iners by th e eddy c u r re n t device which employs anelect romagnet ic f i e ld to repe l nonferrous metals , the cans a ref l a t t ened and pneumat ica l ly conveyed to a t r a ns por t t r a i l e r .Alte rna t ive ly , the cans may be baled or den s i f ied in to b i s c u i t formto meet market s pe c i f i c a t i ons . Trace aluminum which may haveescaped separa t ion from th e p la s t i c s by th e eddy c u r re n t device i srouted from the p la s t i c s sor t ing s t a t ion to th e can f l a t t ene r ,ba le r , or dens i f i e r as appl icable .2.3 .8 Flow Char t s /Genera l Comment

With regard to the flow char t s i l l u s t r a t e d in Figures 2-3through 2-10 fo r low and high technologysys tems, th e r eader shouldrecognize t h a t the re a re almost l imi t l e s s combinat ions andmodif ica t ions of the systems presented . For example, Figure 2-6inc ludes a t r a ve l ing chain cur ta in (or o ther automat ic sor t ingdevice) to s o r t glass from th e r e s t of the waste s t ream. I f th i soperat ion d id no t ex i s t , then th e sc reen "overs" would be d i rec tedto the eddy c u r re n t device fo r aluminum ext rac t ion with th eremainder di rec ted to a sor t ing s t a t ion which would combine the

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

40/168

t'VIt'V"""

Aluminum2.26 JComminglod

Plastics .,.JI Containers ~ - - - - . . . . J '16.80----rn;;;-"'

I Quantities shown In TPD I-_ = Ntomate procoss

[JJ = Equipmont necessaryfor other modules

Figure 2-10.

--- ,_ _ _ ..,.f Baleror ._ __I L ~ ~ . . !II.{. I

TraUar

Flow char t - -h igh technology--aluminum module.

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

41/168

True Densi ty: Weight of the mate r i a l in i t snatura l form (e .g . , g la s s , r a the r than glassbot t les ) divided by i t s volume.Compressed Densi ty: Weight of ma te r i a l div ided byi t s volume during or a f t e r having been exposed tocompressive forces in a conf ined space . Cel lu los icmate r i a l s can be compressed t o dens i t i e s as high as75 lb jcu f t .Densi t ies o f seve ra l ma te r i a l s rece ived , handled, processed, ands tored a t MRFs a re l i s t ed in Table 2.5.2.3 .10 Fixed Equipment

The purpose of t h i s subsect ion i s to provide guidance to ther eader who i s involved in the review and se lec t ion process of f ixedequipment as employed in a MRF.2.3 .10 .1 Fixed Equipment Commonly Present in a MRF--A comprehensive list of var ious types o f f ixed equipment whichmay be included in a MRF i s presented in Table 2.6.2 .3 .10.2 Fixed Equipment Descr ip t ions - -The fol lowing equipment descr ip t ions a re provided to give thereader a br i e f overview o f machinery commonly employed in a MRF.Since new spec ia l purpose machines cont inue to be developed toserve t h i s growing indus t ry , the list should not be regarded asa l l - i nc lu s ive . The f ac i l i t y planner /des igner should bepar t i cu la r ly caut ious in plac ing r e l i ance upon unproven technology.

In the review and se lec t ion process of ind iv idua l i tems off ixed equipment, it should be recognized t h a t t hese i tems must notonly compatibly i n t e r r e l a t e with one another , bu t also with th evar ious co l lec t ion vehic l e s which de l i ve r th e incoming mate r i a l s as

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

42/168

TABLE 2 .5 . AVERAGE DENSITIES OF REFUSE COMPONENTS

Component Density

Refuse Densities lb/yd3LooseAfter dumping from compactor truckIn compactor truckIn landfillShreddedBaled in paper baler

Bulk DensitiesoccAluminum cansPlastic containers ,Miscellaneous paperGarden wasteNewspaperRubberGlass bottlesFoodTin cans

True DensitiesWoodCardboardPaperGlassAluminumSteel

100-200350-400500-700500-900600-900

800-1200lb/tt31.872.362.373.814.456.19

14.9018.4523.044.90

lb/ft33743

44-72156168480

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

43/168

TABLE 2 .6 . FIXED EQUIPMENT WHICH MAY BE EMPLOYED INA MATERIALS RECOVERY FACILITY

Material Handling EquipmentBelt ConveyorScrew ConveyorApron ConveyorBucket ElevatorDrag ConveyorPneumatic ConveyorVibrating Conveyor

Separating EquipmentMagnetic SeparatorEddy Current Device (aluminum separator)Disc ScreenTremmel ScreenVibrating ScreenOscillating ScreenTraveling Chain CurtainAir Classifier

Size Reduction EquipmentCan ShredderCan Densifier/BiscuiterCan FlattenerGlass CrusherPlastics Granulator

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

44/168

Some o f th e most important fac tors to be considered in conveyorse lec t ion inc lude : capac i ty ; length of t r ave l ;

lift; cha rac t e r i s t i c s of th e mater i a l ; and c os t .The most common types o f conveyors used in a MRF are the b e l tconveyor, th e apron conveyor, and th e screw conveyor. A shor tdesc r ip t ion o f each fol lows.B e l t ConveyorIn a MRF, th e b e l t conveyor i s employed in severa l forms.Some of these forms inc lude :

Trough Type: In genera l , the t rough type b e l t conveyor w i l l uset roughing i d l e r ro l l s which cause th e conveyor b e l t to form aconcave contour wi th i t s s ides s loping a t 20, 35, or 45 with ahor izon ta l plane (see Figure 2-11) . The purpose of t h i sc ross - sec t iona l concavi ty i s to re ta in f ree flowing mater ia l s( e . g . , aluminum cans , bo t t l e s , crushed g l a s s , e t c . ) , and tominimize o r prevent s p i l l a ge . In o rde r to fu r t h e r minimizesp i l l age problems, s k i r t boards (see Figure 2-12) a re of ten used a tb e l t t r a n s f e r po in t s .

The Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Associa t ion (CEMA)provides a design handbook fo r b e l t conveyors. Tables 2.7 and 2.8have been adapted from informat ion publ ished by the CEMA fo r somespec i f i c mater i a l s genera l ly handled in a MRF.

The des igner i s re fe r red to th e most r ecen t i s sue of ASME/ANSI

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

45/168

Figure 2-11. Trough type be l t conveyor.

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

46/168

TABLE 2 .7 . APPROXIMATE CONVEYOR BELT CAPACITIES(20 0 TROUGH) 1, 6 (TPH)Belt Width (lnches)2

Component3 18 24 36 48 60 72

Glass Bottles4 6.0 11.6 28.3 52.2 83.4 121.8Plastic Bottles4 0.8 1.5 3.7 6.8 10.8 15.8Aluminum Cans4 0.8 1.5 3.7 6.8 10.8 15.8Newss 3.9 7.5 18.1 33.3 53.1 77.5aces 1.2 2.2 5.3 9.8 15.6 22.8Loose Refuses 3.5 6.7 16.0 29.4 46.9 68.4Refuse from Compactor Trucks 8.7 16.6 40;0 73.6 117.2 171.0

EXAMPLE: To find capacity at other belt speeds: New belt speed = 20 FPM; Plastic Bottles,36 in. belt width; TPH = 20 FPM/100 FPM x 3.7 TPH = 0.7 TPH . .

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

47/168

TABLE 2 .8 . APPROXIMATE CONVEYOR BELT CAPACITIES(35 TROUGH) 16 (TPH)

Belt Width (lnches)2Componenf3 18 24 36 48 60

Glass Bottfes4 8.9 17.2 41.7 77.0 122.9

Plastic Bottles4 1.2 2.2 5.4 10.0 16.0Aluminum Cans4 1.2 2.2 5.4 10.0 16.0Newss 4.7 9.0 21.6 39.7 66.3aces 1.4 2.6 6.3 11.7 19.5Loose Refuses 4.1 7.9 19.0 35.0 58.5Refuse from Compactor Trucks 10.4 19.8 47.6 87.5 146.2

72

179.423.323.392.227.1

81.3203.3

EXAMPLE: To find capacity at other belt speeds: New belt speed = 20 FPM; Plastic Bottles,36 in. belt width; TPH = 20 FPM/1 00 FPM x 5.4 TPH = 1.1 TPH

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

48/168

TABLE 2 .9 . APPROXIMATE CONVEYOR BELT CAPACITIES(FLAT BELT) 16 (TPH)

Belt Width (lnches)2Componenfl 18 24 36 48 60

Glass Bottles4 1.1 2.2 5.1 9.4 14.9Plastic Bottles4 0.1 0.3 0.7 1.2 1.9Aluminum Cans4 0.1 0.3 0.7 1.2 1.9News5 2.4 4.6 10.9 19.9 31.6aces 0.7 1.3 3.2 5.9 9.3Loose Refuses 2.1 4.0 9.6 17.6 27.9Refuse from Compactor Trucks 5.3 10.0 24.0 43.9 69.8

72

21.82.82.8

46.1

13.640.7

101.7

EXAMPLE: To find capacity at other belt speeds: New belt speed = 20 FPM; Plastic Bottles,36 in. belt width; TPH = 20 FPM/1 00 FPM x 0.7 TPH = 0.14 TPH

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

49/168

TABLE 2 .10 . APPROXIMATE CONVEYOR BELT CAPACITIES(FLAT BELT WITH 6-IN. HIGHSKIRTBOARDS) 16 (TPH)

Belt Width ( lnchesfComponent3 18 24 36 48 60 72

Glass Bottles4 34.0 47.4 75.1 104.1 134.4 165.9Plastic Bottles4 4.4 6.2 9.8 13.5 17.5 21.6Aluminum Cans4 4.4 6.2 9.8 13.5 17.5 21.6Newss 13.6 19.9 34.7 52.1 72.3 95.1OCC5 4.0 5.9 10.2 15.3 21.3 28.0Loose Refuses 12.0 17.6 30.6 46.0 63.8 83.9Refuse from Compactor Trucks 30.0 44.0 76.5 114.9 159.4 209.8

EXAMPLE: To find capacity at other belt speeds: New belt speed = 20 FPM; Plastic Bottles,36 in. belt width; TPH = 20 FPM/100 FPM x 9.8 TPH = 2.0 TPH

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

50/168

Most f l a t b e l t conveyors re ly upon th e f r i c t i on force betweenth e head pul ley (dr ive pul ley) and th e conveyor b e l t to dr ive theconveyor. Where par t i cu l a r l y heavy loads a re an t i c ipa ted (e .g . ,MSW), cha ins a re at tached to th e unders ide and to each s ide of theb e l t fo r the f u l l length . This conf igura t ion usual ly i saccompanied by c l ea t s at tached to the car ry ing sur face of th e b e l tas wel l as f u l l length sk i r tboards to r e t a i n mater ia l on theconveyor. ASME/ANSI B 20.1 Safety Standard i s equa l ly app l icab leto f l a t b e l t conveyors as it i s to th e t rough type as previous lydiscussed .

Apron ConveyorAn apron conveyor cons i s t s o f s t e e l pans ( f l a t o r contoured)supported by chains and i s used in appl ica t ions in which th econveyor may be sub jec t t o s ubs t a n t i a l impact and abuse. Guidero l l e r s r id ing on s t e e l r a i l s minimize th e f r i c t i o n a l forces .Cleats may be incorpora ted on th e pans fo r i nc l ined app l i ca t ions .Apron conveyors a re of ten employed as infeed conveyors and may beloca ted in a p i t below f loo r l eve l . Ample provis ion should be madefo r access fo r c leanout and maintenance. Sec t ion 6. 5 of theASME/ANSI B 20.1 Safe ty Standard i s spec i f i ca l l y app l icab le toapron conveyors .Screw ConveyorThe screw conveyor (or auger) may be used to t r a n sp o r t dry,dense, f ree flowing mater i a l s (e .g . , t in cans formed as nuggets ) .Screw conveyors have also been used fo r b in discharge and asmeter ing feed devices . These un i t s are not designed to t r a n sp o r ts t r i ngy , abras ive , or very wet mater i a l s .Pneumatic Conveyor

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

51/168

Magnets may be e i t h e r of the permanent or th e e lec t romagne t ic type .They a re ava i l ab le in th ree conf igura t ions , namely, th e drum(Figure 2-13) , th e magnetic head pu l ley (Figure 2-14) , and th emagnetic b e l t (Figure 2-15) . They may be assembled and suspendedin l i n e , c ros s be l t , or mounted as conveyor head pu l l eys . Themagnet ic head pul ley conveyor i s arranged so t h a t in i t s operat ion ,t he mate r i a l to be sor ted i s passed over t he pu l l ey in such amanner t h a t th e nonferrous mater ia l wi l l f a l l along a d i f f e r e n tt r a j ec t o ry than wi l l th e fer rous mater i a l . The drum magnetassembly can be i n s t a l l ed fo r e i the r overfeed or underfeed andd i rec t s th e fer rous along a t r a j ec t o ry o ther than t h a t t aken by th enonfer rous mater i a l . The magnet ic b e l t , in i t s s imples t form,cons i s t s of s ing l e magnets mounted between two pu l leys t h a t suppor ta c lea ted conveyor b e l t mechanism. The e f f ic iency of magneticsepara t ion i s a f fec ted by th e bed depth of th e waste s t ream. Formore complete removal of f e r rous , a secondary magnetic separa to rmay be cons idered . Conveyor and hopper components in th e v i c i n i t yof the magnet ic f i e l d should be cons t ructed of nonmagneticmater i a l s . Addi t iona l in format ion on magnetic separa t ion can beobta ined in References 1 to 7.

Eddy current Device (Aluminum separator)An aluminum separa to r employs e i the r a permanent magnet ic ore lec t romagne t ic f i e l d to genera te an e l e c t r i c a l cur ren t (eddy)which causes aluminum cans (nonferrous metals) to be e jec ted andsepara ted from o ther mate r i a l s . Aluminum separa t ion may take p lacei n the form of a conveyor head pu l ley or in th e form of an inc l ineds t a i n l e s s s t e e l p l a t e . Addi t ional in format ion on aluminumsepara t ion can be found in References 7 to 10.Disc screenA disc sc reen cons i s t s of pa ra l l e l mul t ip le s ha f t s a l l

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

52/168

Magnet i l )Commingled Containers 0 ~

0 00 .:;,-- " " ' ~ . Magne(1)Qr ~ ~ ' \ ~ Ferrous 0 . . .\ . . ' . _ _ ~ - - - - - - - " - - ' J,-, Produc t q

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

53/168

Figure 2-15. Magnetic be l t .

....Large Material

...

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

54/168

Trommel screenThe trommel i s a ro ta ry c y l ind r i c a l screen, genera l ly

downwardly i nc l ined , whose screening surface cons i s t s of wire meshor pe r fo ra ted p l a t e . A diagram of a t yp i c a l trommel sc reen i spresented in Figure 2-17. The tumbling act ion of the trammele f f i c i e n t l y br ings about a separa t ion of ind iv idua l i tems o r piecesof mate r i a l t h a t may be at tached to each other , or even of onemater i a l contained within another . Large trammels (8 to 10 f t indiameter , and up to 50 f t long) have been used to separa te l a rgeOCC and/or newsprint from mixed paper o r commingled conta iners(par t i cu la r ly from glass con ta ine rs ) . Small trammels (1 to 2 f t indiameter , by 2 to 4 f t long) have been used to separa te l abe l s andcaps from crushed glass . These smal l un i t s a re sometimes used inconjunc t ion with an a i r stream to a id in the separa t ion .

Two-stage trammels have also been used in waste process ing.In two-s tage t rammels, the f i r s t s tage ( the i n i t i a l length ofscreen) i s provided wi th smal l aper tu res (e .g . , 1 in . diameter)~ ' l h i c h permi t broken glass , g r i t , and o ther small contaminants to beremoved. The second s tage i s provided with l a rge r aper tu res (e .g . ,5 in . diameter) which allow g lass , aluminum, and p la s t i c conta inersto be removed from th e waste s t ream. In the par t i cu l a r types ofMRFs discussed in t h i s document, th e overs ize mater ia l s (overs)might c ons i s t pr imar i ly o f occ and news, depending upon the make-upo f th e incoming waste s t ream.

Many fac to rs inf luence the separa t ion e f f i c i ency of a trammelinc luding: cha rac t e r i s t i c s and quan t i ty of the incoming mater i a l s ; s i ze , propor t ions , and inc l ina t ion of the cyl inderscreen;ro ta t iona l speed; and s i ze and number of screen openings.

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

55/168

Side View M.otor

Screen Surface

End View

Figure 2-17. Trammel screen .

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

56/168

O s c i l l a t i ng sc reenAn osc i l l a t i ng sc reen i s conf igured in a s i m i l a r fash ion as a

v ib ra t i ng sc reen except t h a t th e motion i s o f an o r b i t a l nature inth e plane o f th e screen deck. The same comments as those presentedfo r v ib ra t i ng sc reens apply .Trave l ing Chain cur ta inThe t r ave l ing chain cur t a in cons i s t s of one o r more rows ofcommon cha in each suspended from a cont inuous ly revolv ing l ink- typeconveyor chain descr ib ing a somewhat e l l i p t i c a l o r b i t around a

v e r t i c a l axis . The cur ta in provides a b a r r i e r t o l e s s dense (e .g . ,aluminum and p la s t i c ) con ta iner s while permit t ing denser mater ia l( e . g . , g las s ) to pass through on a downwardly inc l ined su r face .The e f f ic iency of th e t r ave l ing chain cur ta in can be grea t lyinf luenced by th e feed r a t e in to th e un i t . Excessive qua n t i t i e s ofincoming mater i a l may cause l i gh te r mater ia l s to push through th ecur ta in r a t he r than to be d i rec ted to one s ide . Detai leddiscuss ions about sc reens commonly used in the waste process ingf i e ld can be found in References 6, 7, and 11 to 16.A ir C l a s s i f i e rA ir c la s s i f i ca t ion employs an a i r stream to separa te a l i g h tf rac t ion ( e . g . , paper and p la s t i c ) from a heavy f rac t ion (e .g . ,metals and glass ) in a waste stream. Variables o ther than dens i ty ,such as p a r t i c l e s i z e , surface area , and drag , also a f f e c t theprocess o f mater ia l s epara t ion through a i r c l a s s i f i ca t i on .Consequent ly , aluminum cans , by v i r t ue o f a high drag- to-weightr a t i o , may appear in th e l i g h t f rac t ion , and wet and matted paper

may appear in th e heavy f rac t ion .A ir c l a s s i f i e r s may be provided in one of a number of des igns .

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

57/168

LightFract ion .6.! t A ir

IIIII

Air- /)1Heavy

Frac t ion

Air'\Light Fract ion \\II

Shreddedr.- MSW Feed

Shredded/MSW Feed

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

58/168

Can ShredderA can shredder i s employed to reduce aluminum cans to

pa r t i c l e s o f smal l s ize ( l e ss than 1 i n . ) . The process increasest he dens i ty and the reby conserves on t r anspor ta t ion cos t s .Shredded aluminum may command a premium pr ice . The shredder i soften suppl ied complete with infeed conveyor, magnetic separa to r ,blower, and dus t c o l l e c to r . Due to th e cos t s involved i n s i zer educ t ion , p r i o r to th e i n s t a l l a t ion and opera t ion of a canshredder it i s espec ia l ly impor tant to determine if thes pe c i f i c a t i ons c a l l fo r shredded aluminum.Can Dens i f i e r jB i scu i t e rA can dens i f i e r i s used to form aluminum cans i n to b i scu i t sgenera l ly weighing on th e order of 40 lb each. The capaci ty of adens i f i e r may be inc reased by placing the de ns i f i e r in se r i e s withand fo l lowing a can f l a t t ene r . A de ns i f i e r o f f e rs a v iab le opt ionto bal ing aluminum cans . As with th e can shredder , it i s impor tantto ve r i fy t h a t th e market w i l l accept and pay fo r th e b i scu i t -shaped produc t . The t yp i c a l range o f f loo r area requi rements fo r

aluminum can de ns i f i e r s commonly used in MRFs i s i l l u s t r a t e d inFigure 2-20. Product ion r a t e s as a func t ion of horsepower fo raluminum can de ns i f i e r s are presented in Table 2.11.Can Fla t t e ne rA can f l a t t e n e r i s a device used fo r f l a t t en ing aluminum ort i n cans . It i s of ten provided complete with i n l e t hopper, b e l tconveyor, magnetic separa to r and pneumatic discharge . The crushingmechanism genera l ly cons i s t s of a s t e e l drum with hardened c l e a t sro ta t ing aga ins t a pressure p la t e , or vulcanized rubber pressuredrum, o r one o r more se t s of s t e e l crushing ro l l s o r drums.Overload pro tec t ion and prov i s ions for separa t ing any l i qu ids t h a t

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

59/168

10'-0" to17'-0"

L_______L_______________'------'-------..1.-j8'-0" to 12'-6" I!"o'-Q"

Figure 2-20. Typica l range o f dimensions fo r can dens i f i e r s .

TABLE 2.11 . TYPICAL PRODUCTION RATES ( lb /hr ) ANDHORSEPOWER FOR ALUMINUM CAN DENSIFIERS

Wt. ofLb/hr Biscuit (lb) HP

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

60/168

3'-0" to6'-0"

_y ____

----1'-0" to 18'-0" IFigure 2-21. Typica l range of dimensions fo r can f l a t t ene r s .

TABLE 2.12. TYPICAL PRODUCTION RATES ( lb jhr ) AND HORSEPOWERFOR ALUMINUM CAN FLATTENERS

HorsepowerLb/hr Blower Flattener Conveyer

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

61/168

Glass crushers are un i t s t h a t t yp ica l ly requi re r e l a t i ve ly highmaintenance because o f the abras ive nature of the g la s s . Spec i f i ca t ions from t he use rs should be checked before glass c rusher s a reincluded i n t he des ign of a MRF s ince some buyers pre fe r to performt h e i r own crush ing . Glass crushing i s a dus t producing opera t ionand provis ion should be made to address t h i s cond i t ion .

Figure 2-22 i l l u s t r a t e s the t yp ica l range of f loor arearequi rements fo r glass crushers used in MRFs. Clearance should beprovided fo r maintenance a l though most c rusher s a re r e l a t i ve lyl i g h t and por t ab le and thus could be r ead i ly moved, if necessary ,to another l oca t ion for maintenance. Typica l product ion r a t e sversus horsepower fo r glass crushers commonly used in MRFs a represented in Table 2.13 .

Pla s t i c s GranulatorA p la s t i c s granula tor i s used to s i ze reduce PET andjor HDPEconta iners to a f l ake - l ike condi t ion . The granula ted p l a s t i c i sgenera l ly shipped in gay lo rds . Due to th e r e l a t i ve ly l a rgereduct ion in volume, s ubs t an t i a l savings in sh ipping can be

r ea l i zed when p l a s t i c granu la t ion i s employed. Plas t i c sgranula t ion i s an opera t ion t h a t requi re s a r e l a t i ve ly high degreeof maintenance and may be prone to dus t genera t ion . As withcrushed g la s s ' markets should be checked t o ve r i fy t h a t thes pec i f i ca t i ons c a l l fo r granula ted mate r i a l . Some po ten t i a l buyersmay wish to mainta in c lose cont ro l over the type of p l a s t i c theyr e c e i v ~ and bel ieve t h a t they are b e t t e r able to do so by requi r ingt h a t th e p l a s t i c be baled r a the r than granu la ted .

Pla s t i c s PerforatorTechnica l ly , a p la s t i c s pe r f o r a to r i s not c l a s s i f i ed as ap iece o f s ize reduct ion equipment. However, i t s use i s so

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

62/168

L__ ---J.,.II 9'-6" to 15'-9"I4'-0" to5'-9"

_f._

Figure 2-22. Typica l range o f dimensions fo r glass crushers(with in feed conveyor) .

TABLE 2.13 . TYPICAL PRODUCTION RATES (TPH) AND HORSEPOWERFOR GLASS CRUSHERS

HorsepowerTPHa) Crusher Conveyor

1 -3 1/33 -4 1 to 2 1/25 -6 1 to 2 1/2

15 7-1/2 1/2a) Most glass crushers will accept 1 gal glass jars

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

63/168

ba le r t o ba le more than one mater i a l , it i s extremely importantt h a t th e ba le r se lec ted be spec i f i ca l l y designed fo r t h a t purpose .The market s pe c i f i c a t i ons which must be met should be determinedbefore a ba le r i s se lec ted . Not a l l automat ic t i e devices area l i ke . The number and s ize of ba l ing wi res , as wel l as th eava i l ab le wire t ens ion , must be adequate fo r the par t i cu l a rmater i a l s to be baled .

Figures 2-24 and 2-25 dep ic t the t yp i c a l range of f l oo r arearequirements fo r s ingle -ram and two-ram ba le r s respec t ive ly ascommonly used in MRFs. Clearance should be provided fo rmaintenance and accumulat ion o f f in i shed ba les . Table 2.14 l i s t st yp i c a l produc t ion r a t e s fo r occ versus horsepower fo r hor izonta lba le r s commonly employed in MRFs. Typical dimensions, dens i t i e s ,and weights of ba les fo r a va r i e ty o f mater i a l s a re given in Table2. 15. A cons iderable amount of research as wel l as t e s t andeva lua t ion o f s i z e reduct ion equipment has been ca r r ied out duringth e p a s t 20 year s . Some sources of in format ion inc lude References6, 7, and 23 to 33.

2.3 .10 .2 .4 Equipment fo r environmenta l c on t ro l - - In orde r topro t e c t th e hea l th and sa fe ty o f th e work force as wel l as to gainth e goodwil l and to meet environmenta l requirements of thecommunity in which th e MRF i s loca ted , it often i s necessary toprovide environmenta l equipment above and beyond t h a t whichnormally i s suppl ied with the mate r ia l handl ing , separa t ion , and jo rs ize reduct ion equipment. Ti t l e 29 of th e Code of Federa lRegula t ions , Par t 1910, presen t s the Occupat ional Safety and HealthAdminis t ra t ion (OSHA) Standards which must be met to provide fo rth e sa fe ty and hea l th of the workers. Local and jo r r eg iona l codeso r l eg i s l a t i on often address th e environmenta l r e l a t i ons h ip of af a c i l i t y with in the community. In th e planning and des ign phase ofth e f a c i l i t y it i s wise to review those opera t ions l i ke l y to caused i s t r e s s to e i t h e r th e worker o r to th e community (or both) , and

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

64/168

~ ~ < I L - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~ ~ = 1 , _ - ::,L~ - - 18'-6' to 39'-0"Figure 2-24. Typica l range of dimension fo r s ing le ram ba l e r s .

L- - - - - - - -1 136'-0"to 47'-0"

16'-8"1023'-0"

-'-

Figure 2-25. Typica l range o f dimension fo r two ram ba l e r s .

TABLE 2.14 . TYPICAL OCC PRODUCTION RATES* AND HORSEPOWERFOR HORIZONTAL BALERS

TPH HP

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

65/168

TABLE 2 .15 . TYPICAL DENSITIES AND WEIGHTS (45"x30"x62" BALES)*FOR BALED MATERIALS

BaleDensi ty WeightCompone.nt ( lb jcu f t) ( lb)

Corrugated 25 - 33 1200 - 1600News 30 - 40 1450 - 1940PET 24 - 32 1160 - 1540Aluminum Cans 15 - 46 730 - 2230S t e e l Cans 30 - 60 1450 - 2900Sol id Waste 38 - 54 1840 - 2610

* Bale s izes j volumes and weights may vary by b a l e r manufacturer ,model, mode of opera t ion , moisture con ten t , and o ther fac tors .worker) or may requi re sound muff l ing .equipment and/or soundproof ing a t spec i f i c work l oca t ions o r throughout th e bu i ld ing , o ri so l a t i on of spec i f i c p ieces o f equipment.

Odor Control EquipmentOdor con t ro l i s not genera l ly a problem a t a MRF unless the

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

66/168

Heat ing, ven t i l a t ing , and A ir condi t ioning (HVAC)The geographical loca t ion (and the assoc ia ted c l imat ic

condi t ion) of the f ac i l i t y has a major inf luence on the HVAC systemrequi red , as does the very bui lding design i t s e l f . Some MRFsincorpora te enclosed sor t ing s ta t ion rooms in which HVAC systemscan be more e f fec t ive than fo r open s ta t ions . Area hea te r s andce i l ing and wall insu la t ion may a lso be employed. Adequateven t i l a t ion must be provided to cont ro l fumes which may begenera ted by mate r i a l handl ing vehic les , inc iden ta l incominghazardous mater ia l s , and inc iden ta l welding opera t ions .2 .3 .10.3 Fixed Equipment Capaci ty- -The process of MRF design should inc lude t h a t themanufacturer ' s r a ted capaci ty and maximum capac i ty , genera l lyexpressed in tons per hour (TPH) for conveying, separa t ing, andprocess ing equipment, be es tabl ished and guaranteed. For equipmentin a system in which there i s no redundancy, it i s wise toincorpora te ex t ra capac i ty , i . e . , surge or maximum capaci ty, inorder to compensate for t he inev i t ab le downtimes. Al te rna t ive ly ,the equipment may be ca l led upon to operate on an over t ime bas i s .Example:A paper ba le r has the following charac te r i s t i c s fo r a spec i f icgrade of paper :

Rated Capaci ty:Maximum Capaci ty: 25 TPH27 .5 TPHThe ba le r w i l l have the following schedule fo r normal opera t ion:

Number of hours per day: 8

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

67/168

The fol lowing opt ions can be followed in order to makeup thedef ic iency:Option 1The ba le r could be operated fo r 7. 3 hours o f over t ime a tmaximum capac i ty {27.5 TPH).

200 tons = 7 .3 hrs x 27.5 TPHOption 2The ba le r could be operated fo r 8 hours a t r a ted capac i ty {25TPH).

200 tons = 8 hrs x 25 TPHOption 3The b a l e r could be operated fo r 80 r egu lar hours a t maximumcapac i ty .

200 t o n s = {80 hrs X 27.5 TPH) - {80 h rs X 25 TPH)200 tons = 2,200 tons - 2,000 tons2.3.10.4 Fixed Equipment Mater ia l Recovery E ff i c i enc ie s - -As discussed in Subsect ion 2. 3. 5 and l i s t ed in Table 2. 6,there a re var ious f ac tor s which a f f ec t the recovery r a t e ofmater ia l s . As shown in Table 2. 16, the i n t e rac t ion of thesef ac tor s r e s u l t in a f a i r ly broad range of ma te r i a l recoverye f f i c i enc i e s .

In each case , the low end of t he e f f i c i ency range i nd ica t ed inTable 2.16 may be reached when th e feed r a t e i s heavy and the t ime

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

68/168

TABLE 2.16. MATERIAL RECOVERY EFFICIENCIES FOR SEPARATINGEQUIPMENTTypical Range of Mater ia lMachine Recovery Eff ic ienc ies (%)

Magnetic Separator ( ferrous) 60 - 90Eddy cur ren t (aluminum) 60 - 90Disc Screen 50 - 90Tremmel Screen 80 - 90Vibrat ing Screen 60 - 90Trave l ing Chain cur ta in 60 - 90Air Class i f i e r 60 - 90

Source: CalRecovery, Inc .

fo r r epa i r , maintenance, pluggage clearance , power outage, e t c . , 5%o f th e t ime t h a t it might otherwise be running) . Las t ly , assumet h a t th e ava i l ab i l i t y of each o f the conveyors i s 0.99. Then, theava i l ab i l i t y of th e t o t a l system ( i . e . , th e process l ine) on awors t -case bas i s ( i . e . , any given machine or conveyor i sunava i lab le when a l l others are ava i lab le ) , i s :

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

69/168

proper system design which an t i c i pa t e s jam andpluggages , par t icu la r ly a t entrance , t r ans fe r , anddischarge poin ts (e .g . , conveyors , discharge chutes , anybends in system, e tc . ) and provides fo r t he i r r e l i e f ore l iminat ion;t r a ined operat ing personnell imi ta t ions of the equipment; who understand the

t ra ined maintenance personnel who can read i ly addressdowntime problems;preven ta t ive maintenance program;supply of spare par t s with pa r t i cu l a r a t t en t ion to longlead i t ems; and

awareness , in the design phase, of the i n t e r re l a t i onsh i po f equipment so tha t the discharge from one machine i scompat ible with the operat ions o f downstream equipment( i f capac i t i es don ' t match, some s o r t of surge capaci tyneeds to be included) .2.3 .10 .6 Fixed Equipment Redundancy--Problems re l a t ed to capaci ty and ava i l ab i l i ty can besubs t an t i a l l y reduced by providing mult ip le machines andjorprocess ing l i ne s . This concept i s known as redundancy. Judic ioususe of redundancy in a design impl ies t h a t if a machine o rprocess ing l i ne i s out of se rv ice fo r any reason, another machineor l i ne can be brought in to opera t ion . Provis ion fo r redundancy,however, i s of ten accompanied by a requirement fo r increasedcap i t a l expendi ture , not only for the dupl ica te equipment bu t alsofo r the addi t iona l bui ld ing space necessary to house t h a tequipment.

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

70/168

Markets may be ava i l ab le which sugges t t h a t redundancy insome equipment .. should be of minor importance. Forexample, there may be a market fo r PET in ground or baledform. However, even a t some pr i ce reduc t ion fo r thef i na l product , it may be wise to plan on se l l ing thebaled product a t th e lower pr i ce r a the r than incuraddi t iona l cap i t a l and opera t ing cos t s which may beassoc ia ted with the granula t ing process .

Redundancy i s a very important concept i n t he design of MRFs.Redundancy i s par t i cu la r ly important a t poin t s o r sec t ions of asystem t h a t a re c r i t i c a l to the continuous opera t ion o f the p lan t .The implementa t ion of redundancy must be ca r e f u l l y balanced wi thpr a c t i c a l i t y and f inanc ia l v i a b i l i t y .2.3.10.7 Siz ing o f Fixed Equipment--The considera t ions of recovery ef f i c iency , capac i ty ,ava i l ab i l i t y , and redundancy discussed i n t he preceding sec t ion inaddi t i on to an t ic ipa ted f luc tua t ions in the dai ly quant i t ies ofmater ia l s rece ived , the s i ze of t he t i pp ing f loor , t he number ofs h i f t s planned fo r opera t ing , budgetary cons t ra in ts , and the degreeof r i sk one i s wil l ing to accept , a l l in f luence the design andse lec t ion of individual pieces of f ixed equipment. It must beemphasized t h a t average dai ly tonnages ca lcula ted by simplydividing the annual tonnage by the number of opera t ing days (seeSubsect ion 2. 3. 2, Mass Balance) can be qui te misleading whendes igning and se lec t ing equipment.

I f one ignores budgetary cons t ra in t s , a capaci ty safe ty fac toror mul t ip l i e r , ranging from 1 to 2 on the maximum dai ly tonnages ofmater ia l s an t i c ipa ted , should be considered. For example, amul t ip l i e r of un i ty would be reasonable fo r equipment s iz ing if thef a c i l i t y were designed wi th t o t a l redundancy (with each piece ofequipment capable of handl ing the f u l l load) , high equipment

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

71/168

to those examples i l l us t r a t ed in Appendix C fo r b e l t conveyors,magnet ic separa tor , trommel screen , can f l a t t ene r , and ba le r servenot only to iden t i fy and evalua te the amount and qua l i ty ofmaintenance requi red but also to a l e r t th e des igner to thoseequipment components to which access must be provided.2.3 .11 Rol l ing Equipment

The review and se lec t ion process of ro l l i ng equipment fo r usein a MRF employs much of the same r a t iona le as t h a t out l ined fo rthe review and se lec t ion process fo r f ixed equipment. Thefol lowing observat ions concern some s pec i a l considera t ionsassoc ia ted with ro l l i ng equipment.2.3 .11 .1 Rol l ing Equipment Commonly Found in a MRF--

binsconta iners f loor scrubberf o r k l i f t f ront -end loadermanul i f t skid s t e e r loadersteam c leane r vacuumjsweeperjmagnetic pick-up yard t r a c t o r

2.3.11.2 Rol l ing Equipment Capaci ty- -Rol l ing equipment (most of which i s mate r i a l handl ingequipment) must, of course , be adequate to perform the tasksrequi red to feed the plan t , perform in te rmedia te mater ia lt r an s f e r s , and to load out th e products . Equipment must bese lec ted of adequate power, speed, and s ize to handle the tonnagesan t ic ipa ted . I f the equipment i s too smal l , the productive

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

72/168

TABLE 2.17 . EXAMPLES OF FRONT-END LOADER CAPACITIES

Average Loose Bulk Densitya) Approximate TPH per cu yd BucketComponent (lb/cu yd) Capacity of Front-End Loaderb)Whole ContainersGlass 500 7.50Plastics 65 1.00Aluminum 65 1.00News 170 2.60occ 50 0.75Loose Refuse 150 2.30Refuse after 375 5.60dumping fromcompactortrucka) The values used are averages of a range of available data for each component.b) For other front-end loader capacities, multiply the relative bucket size.Bucket size =2-1/4 cu yd. Glass =7.5 TPH/cu yd x 2.25 = 16.9 TPH.

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

73/168

2.3.11.4 Rol l ing Equipment Redundancy--The requirement fo r redundancy in ro l l i ng equipment i s not assevere as t ha t fo r f ixed equipment. Standard models of var iousp ieces of ro l l ing equipment a re of ten read i ly ava i l ab le fo rtemporary or emergency use from a loca l dea le r sh ip . Often, as p a r to f a maintenance jservice cont rac t , a ro l l ing equipment dea le r w i l lmake ava i l ab le a replacement un i t i n t he event t h a t a pa r t i cu l a rmachine must undergo extensive r epa i r . Addi t iona l ly , var iousat tachments to bas i c machines may provide a degree of redundancythrough mult i -purpose use .2.3.11.5 Rol l ing Equipment Se lec t i on - -

In the review and se lec t ion process of ind iv idua l i t ems ofro l l ing equipment, j u s t as fo r f ixed equipment, it should berecognized t ha t t hese i tems must not only compatibly i n t e r r e l a t ewith one another , but a l so with the manner in which the rawmate r i a l i s to be rece ived , the in -process mate r i a l t ransfe r red ,and th e product loaded fo r shipment. Specia l care should be givenas to whether o r not the vehic l e i s to be used exclus ive ly indoorso r outdoors , o r both , par t i cu la r ly in regard to exhaus t fumegenera t ion .2.3.12 Human Factors

The purpose of t h i s sec t ion i s to explore a few of thepsychologica l and phys ica l r e l a t i ons h ips t ha t a r i s e as workersi n t e r ac t with machinery in a MRF environment.2.3.12.1 Staf f ing Requirements--Whether a MRF u t i l i z e s a low- or high- technology systemconf igura tion o r some in termedia te system, there i s a need for theemployment o f manual l aborer s . In another sec t ion o f t h i sdocument, job descr ip t ions , employee re la t ions , hea l th and s a f e ty ,and othe r top ics w i l l be discussed . The information presented in

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

74/168

TABLE 2.18. APPROXIMATE RANGE OF STAFFING REQUIREMENTSFOR MATERIAL RECOVERY FACILITIESTons per Week

Personne l 500 1,000 1,500 2,000Off iceP lan t Manager 1 1 1 1Scalemaster jBookkeeper 1 1 1 1Clerk 0 1 1 2 2 - 3 2 3J an i t o r 0 0 0 1Plan tForeman/Machine Opera tor 1 2 2 - 3 3 - 4 3 - 4so r t e r s 13 - 25 16 - 27 19 - 32 25 - 38Forkl i f t /FEL Opera tors 2 3 3 - 4 4 - 5 5 - 6Maintenance 1 2 3 4

TOTAL 19 34 26 - 40 33 - 49 42 - 58Source: CalRecovery, Inc .

TABLE 2.19. MANUAL SORTING RATES AND EFFICIENCIES

Approximate RangesMaterial Containers/lb Containers/Minute/ Lb/Hr/Sortera) RecoverySorter Efficiency (%)

to manually e x t r a c t from the g las s s t ream than whole glass

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

75/168

conta ine rs .Sor t ing s t a t ions should be arranged so t h a t the so r t e r s a re

not competing with one another fo r the same i tem. Some designersaccomplish t h i s by pos i t i on ing the sor te r s on only one s ide of thesor t ing b e l t and by ass ign ing spec i f i c mater ia l s to be handled byeach so r t e r . Other designers loca te the so r t e r s on both s ides ofthe sor t ing be l t . In t h i s pa r t i cu l a r s i t ua t i on , the sor t ingpos i t ions a re s taggered along th e b e l t l ength in orde r to avoidcompeti t ion by more than one so r t e r over the same i tem. Appropriatewidths fo r sor t ing be l t s , se lec ted to minimize personnel fa t igueand consequent los s o f ef f i c iency , a re given in Table 2.20. Theworking he igh t of the sor t ing b e l t should be between 36 in . and 42in . from th e platform l eve l . A working he igh t of 42 in . al lows fo rth e i n s t a l l a t i on of temporary r i s e r s fo r sho r t e r workers .

Sort ing be l t s should be ou t f i t t ed with var iab le speed devicescapable of con t r o l l i ng the b e l t speed between 0 and 100 FPM. Thehigher b e l t speeds would be ut i l i zed under condi t ions where most o ra l l of the mate r i a l i s an t ic ipa ted to be negat ive ly sor ted . Foraverage sor t ing condi t ions fo r both paper sor t ing and commingledconta ine r sor t ing , a maximum b e l t speed o f 30 FPM i s consideredappropr ia te . Sor t ing ra tes and manual mate r i a l recoveryef f ic ienc ies may be fu r ther enhanced by providing the sor t ing areawith complete environmenta l cont ro l ( i . e . , hea t ing , ven t i l a t ion ,and a i r condi t i on ing) . This approach w i l l also reduce personnelexposure to process noise and dus t .Sample Calcula t ions (Paper)Refer to Figure 2 -5 , Paper Line - sor t ing s t a t i on #1Incoming p a p e r = 44 TPD (5.5 TPH)Design capac i ty = 1.5 x 5 .5 TPH = 8.25 TPH

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

76/168

TABLE 2 .20 . RECOMMENDED MAXIMUM SORTING BELT WIDTHS

Sorting Process

Paper (OCC or ONP)Commingled Containers

Recommended Maximum Belt Width (in.)Sorting Stationson One Side

4230

Sorting Stationson Both Sides

7248

TABLE 2 21. FLAT BELT CAPACITY8 >

Capacity at 100 FPM (cu ft/hr)Surcharge AngleBelt Width(in.) 50 100 15 20 25

18 120 246 372 498 63024 234 465 702 942 118830 378 756 1137 1527 192636 552 1112 1677 2253 284442 768 1542 2322 3120 393648 1014 2037 3072 4128 5208

30

76214462340345047766318

TABLE 2.21. FROM TABLE 2.21 AND SURCHARGE ANGLE = 30

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

77/168

Belt Width (in.)42 48 54 60 72

Cu ft/hr at 100 FPM 4n6 6318 8076 10050 14640Cu ft/hr at 30 FPM 1433 1895 2423 3015 4392Lb/hr at 30 FPM and 7394 9n8 12503 15557 226635.161b/cu ItTPH at 30 FPM and 3.7 4.9 6.3 7.8 11.35.161b/cu It

Safety factors based on 5.5 TPH nominal feed rate:54 in. belt with 6.3 TPH/5.5 TPH =1.160 in. belt width 7.8 TPH/5.5 TPH = 1.472 in. belt width 11.3 TPH/5.5 TPH =2.1

TABLE 2. 21. FROM TABLE 2.21 AND SURCHARGE ANGLE = 5o

B ~ l t Width (in.)24 30 36 42 48

Cu ft/hr at 100 FPM 234 378 552 768 1014Cu ft/hr at 30 FPM 70 113 166 230 304

Conclusion

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

78/168

In the example chosen, a width of 72 in . for the sor t ing b e l ta t a speed o f 30 FPM i s an opt ion which would provide su f f i c i en tcapac i ty to accommodate mate r i a l surges of 50% of the nominal feedr a t e . Consequent ly , lacking budgetary cons t ra in t s , t h i s be l t i sth e recommended choice fo r t h i s p a r t i c u l a r appl i ca t ion .Sample Calcula t ion (Commingled Containers)Refer to Figure 2-6, Commingled Container Line - - sor t i ng s ta t ion #2Incoming conta iners = 14.18 TPD (1.77 TPH)Design capac i ty= 1 .5 x 1.77 = 2.66 TPHTo f ind combined dens i ty :Glass (18.45 lb jcu f t ) x 11.35 TPD = 209.4Ferrous (4.9 lb jcu f t ) x 0.62 TPD = 3.0Aluminum (2.36 l b j cu f t ) x 0.10 TPD = 0.2Pla s t i c (2.37 lb jcu f t ) x 0.23 TPD = 0.5Residue (150 lb p er cu yd/27) x 1.88 TPD/14.18 TPD =10.4 /223 .5

Average d e n s i t y = 223.5/14.18 = 15.76 l b j cu f tConclus ionIn th e example chosen, a width of 48 in . for t he sor t ing b e l topera t ing a t 30 FPM i s th e only poss ib i l i t y which would provides u f f i c i e n t capac i ty to accommodate any mater ia l surges (and t ha twould be approximate ly 36% over th e nominal feed r a t e ) . It i s notsuggested t h a t a wider be l t be used s ince t h a t would reduce workere f f i c i ency . I f necessary , fo r shor t per iods o f t ime, the b e l tcould be opera ted a t a higher speed (2.66 TPH/2.4 TPH x 30 FPM = 33FPM) in order to reach a 50% surge capaci ty .

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

79/168

developing a sense o f pr ide and accomplishment in th emind of each worker fo r a d i f f i c u l t t a sk wel l done; andmainta in ing the MRF in such a manner as to make it aspleasan t a p lace as poss ib l e in which to work.

2.3.12.4 Physica l Factor s - -As i s t rue with many process ing andjor manufactur ing plan ts ,workers in a MRF must i n t e r ac t with both f ixed and ro l l ingequipment on a con t inua l bas is . In a MRF, the incoming mater ia l s ,pa r t i cu l a r ly bo t t l e s (broken glass) and cans (sharp, ragged edges) ,presen t phys i ca l dangers to th e worker as does the equipmentemployed in handl ing and processing t ha t mater ia l .

In addi t i on to th e a t t en t ion which must be paid to providingeach worker with safe ty c lo th ing and equipment and otherwiseadhering to the genera l i ndus t r i a l safe ty prac t i ce s (OSHA), therea re a few spec ia l precaut ions to observe in the des ign andopera t ion of a MRF. They inc lude , among other s : incorpora t ing a system in which th e worker moni tors th e

machine. This i s to ensure t ha t the machine opera tes asintended and i s no t over loaded;incorpora t ing a system in which the machine monitors theworker. This i s to ensure t ha t should the worker, fo rwhatever reason , not perform the t a sk as in tended , themachine w i l l i ssue a warning o r shu t down;

adopt ing an opera t ing philosophy t ha t the worker i s no tin compet i t ion with the machine, bu t r a t h e r t h a t theworker and machine complement one another in order tobes t perform the t ask ;

employment of pa r t - t ime seasonal workers t yp i c a l ly required in

7/27/2019 30004DDZ (1)

80/168

r e s o r t a reas .2.3 .13 Acceptable Waste

Acceptable waste may be def ined as t h a t mater ia l which the MRFi s des igned to r ece ive and process fo r th e markets i de n t i f i e d . Fort he bas ic MRF as descr ibed in Subsect ion 2 .2 .1 , acceptable waste i si den t i f i ed as source separa ted mater i a l s a r r iv ing a t th e f a c i l i t yin two waste s t reams, i.e., paper and commingled con ta iner s .Var ia t ions from t he bas ic MRF which broaden th e list of acceptablewaste a re discussed in Subsec t ion 2 .2 .2 .The qua l i t y of th e incoming waste mater ia l s i s highlydependent upon th e unders tanding, coopera t ion , and pa r t i c ipa t ion o fth e pub l i c . In o rder to increase t he p robab i l i ty of the f a c i l i t yr ece iv ing acceptable waste , it i s wise to publ ish a list, not onlyo f acceptable waste and how to prepare it, b u t also of waste t h a ti s unacceptable . One such list i s shown on Table 2.22.

2.3 .14 Raw Mate r i a l StorageThe design of most MRFs incorpora te s u f f i c i e n t s torage area toaccommodate th e equivalent of a t l e a s t one day ' s supply of rawm a t e r i a l . Severa l fac to rs inf luence the decis ion regard ing theamount o f f l oo r space to a l loca te to raw mater i a l . They inc lude: Redundancy. A f a c i l i t y with redundant process ing systemshas l e s s need fo r raw mater ia l s to rage space. Processing vs receiv ing hours . A f a c i l i t y open to

r e c e ip t of raw mater ia l ou t s ide o f scheduled process ingt imes must provide s u f f i c i e n t s torage capaci ty for theraw mater i a l . In th e case where scheduled process ing

TABLE 2 .22 . MATERIALS TO BE COLLECTED FOR RECYCLIN