Balcones Resources Inc., Austin, Texas, has broken ground on a new material recycling facility (MRF) in that city. The new $20 million facility, scheduled to be open by the third quarter of 2012, will be sited on 10 acres. When fully operational, Balcones says the MRF will be able to process 25 tons of recyclables per hour.
Balcones was recently awarded a 20-year contract by the city of Austin that calls for the company to process 60 percent of the single-stream curbside recyclables the city collects from its 177,170 residential accounts. Balcones says the MRF has been designed so it can be expanded as the company’s partnership with Austin grows.According to the company, Bulk Handling Systems, Eugene, Ore., will manufacture the equipment to be installed at the MRF.
BHS says the plant will feature screening and optical sorting technology that will allow Balcones to recover material, including cardboard, newsprint, mixed paper, PET (polyethylene terephthalate), HDPE (high-density polyethylene), mixed plastics, mixed office paper, glass and metals, at a recovery rate in excess of 95 percent with minimal labor.
Getter says BHS was selected as the supplier for its high-quality construction, customer service and support and industry expertise.
The recyclables to be processed will come from residences and businesses in the area.
The MRF also will have direct access to a rail line, which, Balcones will use to ship much of the material processed at the plant.
At the groundbreaking ceremony, Kerry Getter, Balcones CEO, said, “This will be the largest capital investment by a privately held recycling company in the state of Texas and one of the most significant in the United States in the coming year. This truly is an exciting time for Balcones, and we couldn’t be happier with the progress we have made and the relationships we have built with the city and the county.”
Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell said, “Our partnership with Balcones Resources is something the city is very proud of. We are thrilled to see this project come online. The new MRF will not only help decrease the amount of waste we send to landfills but it will also help the city achieve its zero-waste goal much sooner.”