Lorain Recycling Complex Hosts Open House

Republic Services Inc., based in Phoenix, hosted an open house Sept. 17, 2013 at its Lorain County Resource Recovery Complex in Oberlin to showcase its recent investment in upgraded processing technology at the facility. The company says the upgrade demonstrates its commitment to the local community and the environment.

“Through expansion and redesign, this impressive complex uses advanced sorting equipment to identify and separate materials, increasing efficiency and maximizing recycling efforts,” said Eric VanHouten, general manager of Republic Services in Elyria. “This investment shows Republic’s dedication to our local environment, creates sustainable jobs in the community and allows us to enhance and expand the recycling efforts made by our customers.”

The upgrades included retrofitting the complex with advanced technologies from The CP Group, San Diego, that enable more efficient and cleaner sorting processes as well as minimizing the amount of residual waste. The newly upgraded complex has been designed to run at 35 tons per hour and can process 150,000 tons of recyclables per year, nearly triple the previous capacity.

Technologies throughout the complex have been upgraded to include custom manufactured and installed conveyors, separation screens, magnets, eddy current operators, optical sorters and balers. In addition, the complex added 12,000 square feet of warehouse space.

As a result of the upgrades, the complex now accepts additional types of recyclables, most notably plastics Nos. 1 through 7. Paper products, cardboard, glass, aluminum and steel are also accepted.

The Lorain County Resource Recovery Complex serves customers from Cuyahoga, Erie, Geauga, Lake, and Lorain counties. It originally opened in 1992.