Single-Stream Recycling -- Leading the Way to Zero Waste

Boulder County Recycling Center, Boulder, Colorado presents "Single-stream Recycling-Leading the Way to Zero Waste." A 15:15 minute video offering an in-depth look at the single-stream recycling process at the Boulder County Recycling Center. The tour begins at the curbside recycling bin and follows the single-stream materials to the tipping floor of the Boulder County Recycling Center. Mr. Can, the star of the show, continues the recycling journey into the high-tech world of single-stream processing. Newspaper and office paper; corrugated cardboard; aluminum cans; glass bottles and jars; plastic bottles, tubs, jugs and jars; magazines and catalogs; and phone books are separated by a series of conveyors, pre-sorts, screens, cross-belt magnet, air classifier, Eddy current separator, glass cleaning system, organic separator, and finally a fines screen and vacuum. Action video explains each step of the way and provides a behind-the-scenes, up-close view of the equipment in action. The Boulder County Recycling Center is doing its part to help Boulder County become a Zero Waste Community by 2025. Because we're all in this together, remember to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Compost!

Transcript available here:
http://www.bouldercounty.org/find/library/avtrans/singlestreamrecyclingaudiot...

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• recycle equipment
• recycling facility

[morebeauty]

0 waste mofos! Yes We Can.

[hunthicks]

@hunthicks And the items are required to be bagged. Most modern state of the art facilties can recycle plastic bags/film.

[hunthicks]

The most modern single stream facilities can sort anything - my city allows pretty much all "dry" items not classed as hazardous into the recycling stream.

[chefgiovanni]

It is good to see Boulder Co., has a firm grip on recycling. Cheers and Hats off to you.

[DC9848]

Have to say your system seems really confusing. I see two options

1) Better pre sorting at homes (like in EU): Paper (green boxes), Bottles&Cans (pant system), BioWaste and then the rest of the garbage

2) I've also seen several system that shred the garbage to so tiny pieces that they can sorted by machinery (magnets, IR and weight based sorting)

[pmredbear]

What a brilliant system! Particularly the KSP unit is very elegant and functional. That sort of automation is bound to be the cornerstone of next generation fully-automated recycling. This sort of technology must be spread. Only question left unanswered: how much energy does the system dissipate to carry out the process?