October 10th Tour of RI Resource Recovery Corporation, 9:30 – 11:30. 15 OSBC members and 2 members of the public participated in this highly informative and provocative tour of the RIRRC site, land fill, viewing of a video presentation about and look at the multistream recycling facility (MRF). We had plenty of opportunity to ask questions. A ½ hour bus tour with Carol, our guide and Sean, our bus driver,took us to the top (500 ft elevation) of the landfill area, past the area where preparations are underway for a new landfill area, to the Small Vehicle Area where residents can drop off a variety of recyclable materials (e.g. hazardous wastes, metals, Styrofoam, ,electronics, tires, appliances, mattresses, etc), and past the extensive composting areas. We learned that the amount and source of trash delivered to the landfill is meticulously recorded each day. The placement of each day’s deposits are specified by RIRRC engineers, and each day’s deposits are covered with gravel, that only trash and recyclables from RI can be brought to the site, and that Cities and towns in RI pay $32 per ton for trash delivered to the site. RIRRC generates profits from the sale of recycled materials and shares the profits with RI cities and towns based on the amount of recyclables delivered annually. “On Sept. 29, RIRRC issued profit-sharing checks totaling $551,700 to the 39 cities and towns across the state for profits gained from the sale of recyclables in 2015.” 10/7/2015 Valley Breeze
We also learned that the current landfill area in use and under preparation will be at capacity (at the current rate of use) by 2038. It was a surprise to learn that the landfill is water and airtight so that the trash doesn’t decompose. After the bus tour, which took about ½ hour, we went inside the recycling facility for discussion, review of proper deposition of various types of materials, and viewed a film showing how the multistream recycling process works which is impressive! We highly recommend that others take the time to go on a tour which can be scheduled by going to http://www.rirrc.org/resident/tours-at-rirrc/tours-for-small-groups-needing-transporation/ Visits scheduled during the week give an opportunity to see the MRF in action. RIRRC also does school tours and presentations and can schedule public presentations. If you have questions about what to do with specific materials, consult their A – Z list http://www.rirrc.org/questions/a-to-z-list/ .
We also learned that the current landfill area in use and under preparation will be at capacity (at the current rate of use) by 2038. It was a surprise to learn that the landfill is water and airtight so that the trash doesn’t decompose. After the bus tour, which took about ½ hour, we went inside the recycling facility for discussion, review of proper deposition of various types of materials, and viewed a film showing how the multistream recycling process works which is impressive! We highly recommend that others take the time to go on a tour which can be scheduled by going to http://www.rirrc.org/resident/tours-at-rirrc/tours-for-small-groups-needing-transporation/ Visits scheduled during the week give an opportunity to see the MRF in action. RIRRC also does school tours and presentations and can schedule public presentations. If you have questions about what to do with specific materials, consult their A – Z list http://www.rirrc.org/questions/a-to-z-list/ .