New MRF in Newfoundland, Canada, begins operations

Central Newfoundland Waste Management  (CNWM), in collaboration with systems and equipment supplier Machinex Group, Plessisville, Quebec, Canada, opened its new material recovery facility (MRF) Aug. 27, 2015.

Keith Hutchings, Newfoundland minister of the Department of Municipal and Intergovernmental Affairs, officially opened the new facility—the second Machinex MRF in the province. The first facility, in St. John's, opened in 2010.

The MRF and associated infrastructure were constructed at a total cost of CA$22 million (US$17 million), CNWM reports. Located at the site of central Newfoundland's landfill, the plant is built to process up to 12 tons per hour of dry residential and commercial waste.

Machinex, which designed the MRF’s processing system, says it offers a cost-effective balance between manual labor and automated sorting equipment and includes a bag opener, a trommel, a MACH ballistic separator, a ferrous magnet, three plastic perforators and a nonferrous separator. The system also features the supplier’s new MACH Hyspec optical sorting unit and a Machinex horizontal II-ram baler.

The plant features elevated tour platforms within the building to provide a safe environment for the public to view the system in operation.

Machinex says the facility offers the operational flexibility to process a wide composition of material while focusing on the recovery of recyclables such as paper, cardboard, ferrous, nonferrous, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), mixed plastics, wood, film and textiles.

“We here at Central Newfoundland Waste Management are very pleased to be working with the professionals of Machinex," says Ed Evans, chief analytics officer of Central Newfoundland Waste Management. "Their expertise in innovative recycling solutions is another piece of the environmental responsibilities that our group has in Central Newfoundland. The performance of Machinex sorting equipment has exceeded our expectations, and they continue to improve our operations with their leading edge recycling technologies."

Jonathan Menard, project director at Machinex, says, “It was indeed a pleasure to work with the people at CNWM during the design and implementation of Machinex equipment in Central Newfoundland. This being the second Machinex facility in Newfoundland shows the Machinex commitment to quality and excellence. We are indeed honored to be part of this state-of-the-art facility which includes the latest technologies developed by Machinex."

Central Newfoundland Waste Management, managed by the Central Regional Service Board, includes seven waste management facilities and one regional waste disposal site.