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Comprehensive Review of S olid W aste Collection and Disposal Options v2.1 126 10/22/12 9.0 DISPOSAL OPTION – SITE/ CONSTRUCT A NEW MATERIAL RECOVERY FA CILITY 9.1 EVALUATE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW M ATERIALS R ECOVERY F ACILITY SCS evaluated the feasibility and assessed the potential benefits of the Town developing a new Town-only materials recovery facility (MRF). A MRF is generally described as a facility that accepts source-separated materials for purposes of recovering recyclable materials which will be transported to secondary markets for reclamation or processing. Waste collection vehicles unload recyclables or select wastes that are believed to have some reclamation value onto a tipping floor where they are sorted and segregated. For further distinction, a “dirty” MRF is a transfer station that receives nonsegregated solid waste, sorts and separates the waste into recoverable and disposable materials, and processes these materials accordingly. The analysis provides the following:  Summary of the challenges and obstacles to siting a new MRF in the Town.  Summary of the benefits of siting and operating a MRF in the Town (e.g., potential increase in materials that can be recycled and the decrease in disposal costs).  A cost estimate for the site selection, permitting, design, capital construction, and operation for a Town-operated MRF. 9.1.1 MRF Siting Challenges, Advantages, and Disadvantages SCS and the Town recognize that there are two major obstacles to the construction and operation of a stand-alone MRF in order to receive and sort the waste materials generated within the Town that are suitable for recycling. The first is related to the costs associated with a MRF and the scale of operations necessary to achieve economic viability. Based on SCS’s experience, a MRF typically requires an investment of several million dollars (even small MRFs usually cost in excess of $3 million). Typical minimum, stationary equipment required for a MRF include a conveyor, a mechanical materials sorter, various mechanical separators, and baler. An example schematic depicting a typical MRF operation and applicable equipment is presented in Exhibit 9- 1. 9.1.1.1 Summary Economy of Scale As documented in Section 2, the current recycling material quantities attributed to being generated within the Town is approximately 7,500 tons per year, of which approximately 41% (3,100 tons) comprises the urban curbside collection program and multi-family contribution, and 22% comprises the commercial food waste program. Another 20% of the Town’s recycling material is collected at the remote drop-off sites and convenience centers and separate from the dedicated Orange County curbside collections; while another 10% comprises the commercial recycling contribution.