Material Recovery Facilities and Transfer Stations

Material Recovery Facilities and Transfer Stations

National Expert: Ken Armentrout

Waste sorting and segregation benefit communities by removing recoverable materials from the waste stream. Solid waste transfer stations, material recovery facilities (MRFs), construction and demolition debris recycling facilities, and composting facilities are solving the problems associated with local landfill closure and limited landfill airspace. Both efficiency and dollars are lost when packer-truck drivers spend more time on the road to the landfill than they do on their routes.  As states and communities seek to reduce the amount of organic waste disposed of in landfills and use them as a resource, organics management and diversion is increasing around the country.

Transfer stations and MRFs are cornerstones of effective solid waste management and recycling and diversion programs. Transfer stations and MRFs designed by SCS Engineers range in size from 50 to over 5,000 tons per day and operate in a wide range of conditions.

SCS provides engineering solutions for MRFs, transfer station projects, and other related solid waste transfer facilities by addressing your economic concerns, operational challenges, and permitting/regulatory issues.  With our extensive landfill, solid waste, and organics management experience, SCS is able to help you select the most cost-effective approach and offer you options. Our solutions are based on your diversion goals, regional regulatory compliance issues, and traffic and public safety concerns, to name a few.

SCS maintains full architectural and engineering capabilities that have been developed specifically for the planning, design, and construction of various types of solid waste facilities. These capabilities include:

  • Waste collection studies
  • Facility feasibility assessments
  • Asset valuations
  • Transfer station versus long-haul transport evaluations
  • Fleet management and vehicle acquisition planning
  • MRF contract assessment and operations
  • Waste conversion feasibility studies

SCS Engineers has been the design engineer of record for more than 100 design and construction projects involving solid waste facilities. Many of the transfer stations we design involve waste processing, including conveyors, basic sorting, compacting/baling, and loading cranes. MRFs typically include a full range of design technologies, from utilizing manual labor where appropriate to high-tech designs if there is a favorable benefit/cost for employing automation and mechanization.  We can help with public issues that need to be addressed in urban settings, neighborhoods, rural communities, and highly regulated states where water and air compliance are especially stringent.

SCS also offers the experience and capability to assess whether new and existing buildings can be designed and upgraded to qualify for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. We have several in-house LEED AP certified professionals.

Assess – Design – Permit – Build – Monitor.  SCS Engineers offers a suite of individualized services as well as turn-key solutions to address your particular needs.