WM’s New Cleveland, OH-Area Plant will Test if Plastic Bags Can be Recovered from Recycling Stream

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): WM’s plant recently opened off Interstate 271 in Oakwood, OH. The supermarket-sized, shed-like building takes in recyclable materials from all over the region. Its expansive conveyor system inside employs magnetics, optical scanners and other devices that will allow it to process 144,000 tons of material a year.

It’s also designed to do something new – capture plastic film, including those pesky single-use grocery bags that don’t belong in the recycling stream, but often wind up there anyway. “I’m confident we’ll get it to work,” said Aaron Johnson, Waste Management’s Great Lakes area vice president of the technology. “It’s something new that we’re piloting. Most plants do not have this. I’m not sure if any plants in Ohio have it right now.”

The conveyor system also comes with reengineered screens and rollers that are thicker and shaped differently than before so that they are less likely to snag a plastic bag or piece of shrink wrap as they move through the system, Johnson said. When plastic film gums up the works it can result in costly shutdowns. It’s why recycling advocates continue to admonish consumers to keep those items out of the recycling stream.

 Courtesy: www.wasteadvantage.com