Materials Recovery Facility (MRF)
A brand new ‘clean’ Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) has been built at Longley Lane in South Manchester.
Why use a MRF?
Using this system, less than 5% of the material that enters the MRF leaves it as waste, significantly reducing the amount that ends up going to landfill. The MRF has to recover 95% of the ‘input tonnage’ that goes into it.
Why is it called a clean MRF?
This MRF will prepare and sort the materials that most of us recycle in a single container (co-mingled) at the kerbside: cans, glass and plastic bottles. It uses a range of state-of-the-art preparation and separation technologies to make sure each bale of steel, aluminium and plastic bottles, as well as glass, which is stored loose, is in the best possible condition ready for recycling – hence the term ‘clean’
Materials Recycling Facility.
What are the advantages of a ‘clean’ MRF?
• High processing efficiency
• Revenue from the sale of materials
• High quality recyclate
• Good for achieving high recycling rates
• Proven technology
• Can take material from both kerbside collections and bring sites
• Provides work opportunities
What happens to our waste when it gets to the MRF?
First it goes into a pre-sort cabin, where any unwanted items are removed. From there an over-band magnet separates out any steel cans. Obviously, the magnet does not
pick up glass, which goes through a breaker screen and then onto a clean-up system where it is refined further and sorted according to colour. A metal separator is used to remove aluminium foil and cans, which are baled separately ready for recycling.
Did you know?
Cans are processed at the MRF using a piece of equipment called a can
densor – a machine that sorts, separates and squashes them into 2,500lb bundles.
All the plastic bottles go into another separator unit that has the capability to divide them into the following different types: mixed plastic, HDPE and clear PET.
The separate streams of plastic are inspected before heading for the storage silo, ready for baling. Before it completes its journey the plastic bottles pass through an additional piece of equipment, to squash and flatten the bottles to improve their storage capacity.
To find out more information on the official opening then please see the press release Spikey Says "Stick It In the Right Bin"As He Launches Recycling Campaign in Greater Manchester!
