Originally published February 26 2006
Municipalities use advanced machines to sort trash
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The giant trash sorters use several methods such as magnets, sifting screens and optical sensors to help communities move to "single-stream" recycling systems that allow people to put all their recyclables into one bin.
With Americans recycling more and more every day, many municipalities have begun using advanced, multimillion-dollar machines to sort through the deluge of soup cans, beer bottles and newspapers.
These giant, next-generation trash sorters utilize everything from magnets and sifting screens to optical sensors and weight detectors to make sure that all the waste goes where it's intended.
"When you give people the option and make it easier on them, you find that people will recycle on a much higher level," says Lynn Brown, Waste Management's vice president of corporate communications.
Some of Waste Management's most successful programs have been on the West Coast, but the company recently opened operations in Denver and Orlando, Florida.
Until recently, only the largest municipalities were willing to invest the necessary cash to get these programs up and running.
But things are changing now that the need for recycling, and recycling's potential for profit, have become more apparent.
Towns with populations as low as 17,000 are now finding that single-stream recycling programs can be cost-effective and even profitable.
This is due not only to the machines' increased efficiency but also to plain old supply and demand: Countries such as China are desperate for raw materials and are finding recycled U.S. trash to be a good source.
Machines installed at the center last year use vibrating screens to sort paper from wood and cardboard, and magnets to pull tin and steel from piles of aluminum and plastic.
In addition to the new sorting machines, Rochester has begun using bar-coded trash bins to track and monitor the city's trash flow.
Although fairly low-tech compared to the recycling centers of large West Coast cities, the upgrades have dramatically increased Monroe County's efficiency level.
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