MRF (Pronounced MURF)

What the heck is a MRF? 

MRF stands for Materials Recovery (or recycling) Facility.  I prefer 'recovery', because the actually recycling happens somewhere else.  MRFs are where our big dump trucks bring our recycling to be sorted into different categories.  What many facilities are going to is a (almost completely) mechanized system that uses incredible technology to separate our waste.  

The technology ranges from vacuums that suck up and plastic bags that shouldn't be mixed in with recycling (they can get caught and tangled in the machine, and cause temporary shutdowns) to lasers that can tell what the type/thickness is of a plastic and shoots an air stream at it to separate different plastics.  

ANYWAYS --- If you get the chance, I strongly suggest you take a trip to your local MRF and check out all the neat things going on.  

NOW. Recycling is a much more intense and involved process than you may think.  There is a company called ReCommunity which runs many MRFs throughout the country, and is a leader on R&D of recycling and facilities.  They have an INCREDIBLE education website that makes understanding the recycling process very easy, and will soon be releasing an interactive MRF, where you can go on and see each part of the separating process and learn just how it works.  It also includes videos on how each material is broken down and recycled. 

What really gets me is when I hear people that don't believe that recycling actually happens.  It is understandable since it takes place behind the scenes, and it goes against our culture to re-pulp and re-use materials.  Recycling is a HUGE industry, and one that is worth a fair chunk of change.  Our facility here in Rhode Island gives back to the municipalities by sharing a percentage of their income, based on the cities that recycle the most.  Last year, Providence received $200,000 from the RI Resource Recovery Corporation!

Another tid-bit: Per ton, recycling creates 10 times more jobs than landfilling. TEN TIMES! Recycle more, so we can get this country back on track! :) 


Please check out some videos on the website, they're very well done and helpful in understanding how recycling is possible! 




12/04/2012:  Check out this video made by Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation.  It walks you through their new single stream technology, plus the narrator is a Gator!! :) 

And some pictures of how recycling starts out, and the final product at the MRF that they sell to recyclers. 

Tipping Floor after collection from curbside.

The product is bales of separated materials, ready to be picked up by recyclers.