A MRF is where recyclables are transported to after our Split Collection Vehicles have emptied your bin.

At the MRF all of your co-mingled recyclables are sorted by both hand and mechanical processes.

After your recyclables have made their way through the MRF they are baled and transported to recycling companies.

Here in the Tweed Shire your garbage and recyclables are collected simultaneously by our Split Collection Vehicles.

Simultaneous collection of garbage and recyclables is possible because just like your bin, the collection vehicles are split into two compartments. The same way your bin has a divider down the middle, the collection vehicle has a divider within it which keeps the recyclables separated from the garbage.

The two rear doors allow for emptying of the garbage at separate locations. Your garbage goes to landfill and your recyclables to the MRF.

The mechanical processes roughly sort the recyclables based on weight and size after which all recyclables are hand sorted into the various material types. This sorting process consists of six basic steps which are:

1. Receiving of the recyclables

2. The primary sorting of recyclables in the trommel

3. The removal of the steel items by the magnet

4. The segregation of recyclables on the basis of weight by the air classifier

5. The manual sorting of the individual recyclables

6. The baling and preparation of recyclables for transport

Step 1 - Receiving the Recyclables

The split truck that collects the split bins in the Tweed Shire is divided into two sections. When collected the bin divider strikes the truck divider and forms a chute for the recyclables in the back of the bin to be directed to the right side of the truck and the garbage in the front, is directed into the left side of the truck.

The recyclables from the right side of the truck are delivered to the MRF for sorting and segregation.

Step 2 - Primary Sorting of Recyclables

The primary sorting of the recyclables is undertaken by the primary trommel. A trommel is a large cylinder (barrel) with holes and slots in the sides. It is positioned horizontally and rotates. The recyclables are tumbled in the trommel, with the bottle, jars, cans and containers falling out through the holes.

This initial process separates the bottles, cans, jars and containers from the larger paper and cardboard. The bottles cans, jars and containers continue through the MRF on one conveyor belt, with the paper and cardboard on another.

Step 3 - Removal of Steel Items

The recyclables that have fallen through the trommel are then passed under a magnet. This lifts the steel cans off the conveyor belts and flicks them into a hopper (large cage) for storage. The cans are flicked off the magnet by a conveyor belt that continually rotates around the magnet.

Step 4 - Material Classifiers

After passing under the magnet the containers, bottles and jars enter the air classifier. Here a strong air current is used to lift the light recyclables (plastic and aluminium cans) onto a separate belt, while heavier recyclables such as glass fall onto a second conveyor.

Step 5 - Manual Separation

All the recyclables that have passed the magnet are hand sorted into material types. The mechanical processes have created three different types of recyclables to sort; the large recyclables - mostly paper and cardboard, the smaller heavy recyclables like glass bottles or jars, and the lighter recyclables like plastic bottles, containers and aluminium cans. Each of these are hand sorted to collect the different material types and place them into chutes that take them off into large baskets or hoppers.

Step 6 - Baling and Preparation for Transportation

Each of the material types have a final hand check before being prepared for transport to reprocessors. Plastic bottles, steel cans, aluminium cans, paper and cardboard are baled in large presses into blocks of raw recyclables for remanufacture. The glass bottles are crushed and loaded into large skip bins for transport to glass reprocessors. Crushing the glass means that more can be transported in each skip, but it is important that the glass is not broken and crushed until the end of the sorting process.