Waste Pro breaks ground on Florida MRF

The waste collection, recycling, processing and disposal company Waste Pro, Longwood, Florida, has broken ground on a new 14,000-square-foot material recovery facility (MRF) in Sarasota, Florida. The MRF will be able to process 2,000 tons of dry recyclables per month.

“Waste Pro’s expansion is a wonderful addition to the southern end of Manatee County,” says Manatee County Commissioner Robin DiSabatino.

The facility originally opened in 2008 after a major renovation.

“As promised, we are creating jobs in Manatee County,” says Sean Jennings, Waste Pro Division Manager. “We are proud to have partnered with Manatee County on this recycling effort.”

The project is a direct result of the need to process the large volume of recycled materials collected curbside by Waste Pro’s vehicles. “We are expecting the overall amount of recyclables to increase due to the added convenience and the larger capacity of the new carts customers will be receiving,” says Waste Pro Regional Vice President Keith Banasiak. “Currently, many residents and businesses often throw recyclables in the trash when they don’t fit into bins.”

The MRF was designed by Tom Walter of the Walter Group of Sarasota and constructed by Metropole Construction of Fort Myers in preparation for Manatee County’s conversion to single-stream recycling Oct. 1, 2016. The MRF will process mixed glass, metals, plastics, paper and cardboard from residential and commercial sources throughout unincorporated Manatee County.

The facility is equipped with single-stream technology and safety advances from San Diego-based CP Manufacturing, a recycling equipment manufacturer.

The equipment will include a bucket loader to transport recyclables onto in-feed conveyors and into the sorting system; a conveyor line where contaminates and bulky recyclables area removed; disc screens that detect and mechanically separate recyclables based on material, size and density; and a high-capacity baler.

The implementation of a single-stream recycling program will enable customers to dispose of their recyclables in a larger bin without the hassle of sorting through materials manually, the company says. In addition, the advanced technologies integrated into Waste Pro’s new sorting line, as well as a team of 20 employees, will ensure that the majority of the materials collected can be salvaged.