Our Balers Help Tucson Recycle & Compact Waste

The high recycling rate in Tucson, AZ — 90% of residents in the city and 92% outside where Waste Management provides the service — is offset by its 20% contamination rate, says Sherri Ludlam, environmental specialist with the city’s Environmental Services Department. That means 20% of what ends up in recycling bins should go in the trash. “It’s much higher than we would like,” Ludlum told the Daily Star, adding, “15 % is the industry standard.”

At ReCommunity Inc., the machinery has to be shut down every three hours in a workday so the contaminants can be cleaned out. “We process 200 tons of material a day in an eight- to nine-hour shift,” Manager Doug Jennings said. “Three times a day, we clean out the wrappage, the plastic bags, the Garden hoses, the ropes, the cords, anything that can wrap up around a shaft.”

Recyclable Sorted and Compressed
ReCommunity, which has had the city contract since 2012, can separate glass, cans, plastics, paper and cardboard automatically. Sensors separate aluminum from heavier metals and from plastic and glass. At the end, the materials are compressed and bundled to be sent to the various locations where they will be processed for reuse. 

Bramidan and its channel partners are helping to keep waste streams uncontaminated by separating recyclables at the source. The Ritz Dove Mountain is a great example. The luxury resort installed a B6030 and saved thousands of dollars in its first few months of use. Spearheaded by Jesse Long, a complete analysis of the savings was presented to Marriott management showing that their efforts which included the Bramidan baler were wildly successful and are helping ecologically and economically.

Bramidan offers various machines for different waste fractions and volumes of waste.