Greenstar Opens Des Moines MRF

Greenstar North America has celebrated the opening of its new Des Moines, Iowa, materials recovery facility (MRF) with a visit from that city’s mayor.

The single-stream facility has the capacity to process five times more material per hour than the system it replaces, according to the Houston-based company.

Greenstar conducted an opening ceremony for the plant on May 19, with Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie, Metro Waste Authority Chairman Gary Welch and Greenstar CEO Matt Delnick taking part in the event.

“Des Moines is leading the Midwest in innovation and best practices in recycling,” remarked Delnick. “Today’s grand opening demonstrates the commitment that has been made to increasing recycling rates – which is the right choice - preserving natural resources and reducing carbon emissions.”

Participants in the Des Moines metro area have responded favorably to the introduction of the single-stream system, according to Greenstar, with the company reporting 30 percent growth in its volume collected since single-stream collection was launched.

Before the new single-stream equipment was in place, Greenstar was hand sorting materials at a rate of 2 to 3 tons per hour. With the new $4 million automated system, Greenstar can process 15 tons of recyclables per hour and has hired 21 new employees at its expanded facility, says the company in a news release.

The program has room to grow. The recycling participation rate in Des Moines is 56 percent while the nearby community of Urbandale has a participation rate of 66 percent and the town of Grimes a 77 percent rate.

“Greenstar is committed to working with our city and commercial partners to invest in technology that brings recycling solutions and reduces program costs,” says Kelley McReynolds, general manager of the Des Moines Greenstar plant. “We look forward to continued growth and progress in recycling here in Des Moines.”

Greenstar, a subsidiary of Ireland’s NTT plc, entered the United States market in 2007 and has been growing through acquisition and new construction. The company handles 2 million tons per year of recyclables through a network of 16 processing facilities. More information on the company can be found at www.greenstar-na.com.