Meridian Waste operates seven transfer stations and/or Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) in our service areas. Let's learn about them today.
First, safety:
Staying Safe at the Transfer Station/MRF
- Be Visible
- Use three points of contact when exiting cab
- Always wear PPE (Personal Protection Equipment)
- Know your danger zones
- Be observant of hazards when walking around truck
- Only one person out of the collection vehicle while in transfer station.
- Drivers stay within 6 feet of vehicle while in transfer station.
- Never walk behind or in front of another vehicle unless you have made contact eye contact and received confirmation of intended movement.
Meridian Waste's newest MRF in Christiansburg, VA. Opened June 1, 2020
Safety is great, but what is a Waste Transfer Station?
Waste transfer stations are industrial facilities where municipal solid waste, or MSW, is temporarily held and sorted before heading to a landfill or waste-to-energy plant. Garbage trucks that run city routes drop off their trash here before it’s loaded onto larger vehicles and shipped off.
Transfer stations often operate hand-in-hand with material recovery facilities, or MRFs. This allows them to remove recyclable items from the trash. Items processed at these waste management stations can be taken to the following end points for disposal:
- Landfill
- Incinerator or Other Waste-to-Energy Plant
- Hazardous Waste Facility
- Recycling Center
Transfer stations / MRF's are permitted to accept MSW and/or C&D as designated by their state permit.
More about Transfer Stations:
Transfer stations are key to cost-effective solid waste transportation for cities and municipalities. Transferring waste from the small, local collection trucks onto larger vehicles such as a train or barge significantly reduces the transportation cost and environmental impact of moving trash from homes and businesses to the landfill.
Other Benefits Include:
- An opportunity to recover recyclable items and take them out of the waste stream.
- Doubling as a drop-off center for local residents to take bulk items or recycling.
- Delivering fuel savings and reducing road wear since garbage trucks run shorter routes with lighter loads.
To read more about Meridian Waste's newest transfer station/MRF in Christiansburg, Va., click here to visit our News Room.
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