They Are Walking The Walk

The other day I got the opportunity to visit Republic Services CVT Regional MRF in Anaheim, CA and I must say that I was extremely impressed with their operation.  As an industrial leader in recycling services the company has two primary goals; one is to keep reusable materials out of the landfills, the second is to return them to a useful purpose.
Republic has been recycling for more than 50 years and was the first company to established a residential collection program of solid and co-mingled waste in California.  Their state-of-the-art technology allows them to reduce the amount of waste that is going to landfills by removing recyclables. Their newest investment is a 15m dollar conveyor belt that sorts (source separates) different plastics, paper, and metals. Once sorted these materials are baled, placed on a truck, and shipped mainly to China where they are processed back into a reusable product.
The MRF is massive in size and can process up to 6,000 tons per day.  It is open to the public and offers a variety of services. Two of the services they offer is environmental consulting and turn-key waste equipment. These services provides companies with specialists and equipment that will help them design recycling programs that are profitable and environmentally sound.
One of the things that impressed me was the way they recognized and awarded their committed employees.  Another thing was many of their trucks burn LNG and CNG fuel to help minimize their own environmental footprint.
After the tour, it was clear to see that Republic is facing the "need to go green" head-on and the supportive services they offer can help educated companies on how to do it effectively.