By Hallie Witmer, Intern, Division and Conference Programs Department, SWANA
The SWANA office staff took a field trip to some solid waste facilities December 2nd, 2011, to learn more about the hands-on work of solid waste management. The facilities we visited were some examples of new and innovative technology.
Our first stop was a MRF, the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station. We got a tour of the recycling plant which was fascinating to observe. A stream of collected recyclable moved up a conveyor belt and went through several stages of screening by people and machines to separate the different materials. The outcome was huge bales of compressed materials such as soda/water bottles, HDPE, and aluminum cans. There were also piles of crushed glass separated by color. At this facility, people can drop items off such as electronics, used oil, and household hazardous materials. We saw one man drop off a flat screen TV—too bad you can’t do your own recovery of materials once they’ve been brought to the facility.
Next we went to the Montgomery County Composting Facility. At this site was a project which naturally processed collected leaves and grass to create a soil conditioner. There were huge, long, steaming piles of leaves that were churned by windrow turners. Once the piles have sat and decomposed long enough, the material went through a sifter to remove the twigs and sticks. What remains is bagged and sold under the names Leafgro and ComPro.
Next door to the composting facility was the Covanta Montgomery, Inc Waste-to-Energy Facility. We heard from the Manager about the process of this particular plant, and how they work to cut down on harmful emissions that are inherent to combustion. We also got to see some of the machinery in action, but were required to wear stylish safety gear: hard hats, safety glasses, and ear plugs. First, we viewed the large arcade-type claw that picked up the garbage. Then we saw inside the boilers- one that was working, and one that was currently empty.
It was a very fascinating and enlightening experience. For those of us who don’t work in the facilities themselves, it is easy to become detached from what actually goes on. It was a good reminder of the hard work that goes into processing our solid waste, and how grateful we are for it.