EDCO makes updates to its Lemon Grove, CA C&D facility to assist local jurisdictions in diverting more waste from landfills and achieving long-term zero-waste goals. The facility has been operating since 2006, processing 1,000 tons per day of construction debris and achieving landfill diversion rates of 72%. New equipment was added in early 2019 to help boost diversion rates to 78% by 2020, in accordance with new California state mandates.
The existing system and facility upgrades were supplied by Van Dyk Recycling Solutions of Norwalk, CT, and include several C&D screens to sort by size and three air density separators. The three air density separators automatically sort the material into various fractions, and an optical sorter identifies and ejects wood from the stream. New equipment also includes a size reducer to grind bulky debris and prepare it for sorting, and multiple magnets to remove nails and other ferrous metals. The upgrades are projected to increase efficiency and overall diversion quality.
The upgrade accomplished various targets such as increasing the plant’s capacity from 30 tph to 70 tph. The size reducer creates a more homogeneous material (smaller than 3 ft) that will be easier and safer to sort manually and automatically. Size reduction also liberates materials and thereby enables much easier separation downstream.
Size separation captures 0-3/8”, 3/8-2”, 2-12” and 12” and over. Only light materials larger than 12” will be sorted manually. Air density separation enables automated separation of inerts, wood, ADC and light fuel feed stock materials. Additional fine screening and air separation allow for a more effective separation of clean dirt and fines.
To improve cleanliness and visibility on the plant grounds, EDCO also purchased a new product from Van Dyk called BeeFoam. BeeFoam is a dust suppression system whose formula binds to materials to weigh down dust, without making particles too wet. Material (even fines) can be properly separated for almost 2 weeks after a single application. EDCO estimates a 50% reduction in onsite dust since installing BeeFoam. In addition to the BeeFoam solution, EDCO has installed a network of dust suction pickup points that recirculates air through three independent dust collection filters and captures airborne particles in enclosed bag houses with clean air exhausts.