Posted on 1st July 2019 by Hintons
A waste transfer station acts as temporary storage for municipal solid waste. This happens during the course of its journey to landfill or to a waste-to-energy facility. Typically, bin lorries are unloaded, pre-screened and inappropriate items, such as car batteries are removed. Rubbish is then compacted and reloaded onto larger, more suitable vehicles and sent to their final destination. Trucks, trains and barges all act as transportation in this process.
Benefits of Waste Transfer Stations
- Cost-effective component of solid waste transportation
- Reduces wear on the road and lessens air pollution due to fewer vehicles utilising the roads
- Provides rubbish and recyclable material pick-up and drop-off locations for the public
- Reduces traffic congestion as a result of transferring the rubbish to larger and more efficient vehicles
- Improves safety at landfill and at the waste-to-energy facility
- Screens incoming rubbish for unsafe and inappropriate items, removing hazardous waste or recovering materials which could be recycled
Inside a Waste Transfer Station
Here’s what happens on a daily basis at a waste transfer station:
Arrivals and scale – firstly, inbound commercial vehicles are directed to the scale house where their loads can be weighed. Sometimes, a waste transfer station may allow for the public to drop-off waste, to do so, a separate queue is usually formed, so as to separate commercial and domestic waste drop-offs.
Tip, process, reload – typically, vehicles are unloaded at the main transfer building. Solid waste can either be put into a pit, dropped onto the floor or immediately transferred to another vehicle. The waste is then screened by transfer station employees, in search for unauthorised material. Sometimes, a compactor may be used to further crush the rubbish into a compact pile, thus increasing the payload of outbound vehicles.
Facility – typically, the facility will include a scale location, along with an enclosed building where rubbish tipping and transferring usually takes place. The facility requires adequate space to be able to conduct their work, as well as accommodating for large commercial vehicles approaching both inbound and outbound. It may be that additional property is required for the storing of unauthorised materials that have been removed from the general waste. Some facilities provide a space for members of the public to drop-off recyclable or green waste.
Equipment – apart from the scales, equipment such as front-end loaders, conveyors, walking floors, cranes and compactors are used to make the process as quick, easy and efficient as possible.
Employees – waste transfer stations will require customer service specialists, scale house operators, traffic controllers, equipment operators, maintenance mechanics and other technical and management staff in order to be a fully operational waste transfer station.
Waste Transfer Station London
There are several waste transfer stations located in the London area, one of which operates in north west London, taking care of waste coming out of the city. However the on-site recycling centre we have here at Hinton’s Waste can quickly and efficiently recycle up to 90% of the waste we collect from our customers. Materials we’re able to recycle include:
- Aggregates and concrete
- Plastic
- Wood
- Commercial Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)
- Metal
- Plasterboard
- Renewable fuels
Waste-to-Energy
These facilities provide a modern waste treatment process, meaning your rubbish will be used to generate both heat and power. The waste collected at Waste-to-Energy facilities are used instead of coal, oil or gas, making it an incredibly environmentally friendly process.
There are numerous facilities that have been placed around the country, including Severnside Energy Recovery Centre (SERC) located just north of Bristol, and Lakeside Energy from Waste Ltd. which is located near to Heathrow airport. Around 96% of west London’s waste is sent to both of the aforementioned facilities.
Landfill
Some large or hazardous items aren’t suitable for energy recovery, such as asbestos. Instead, if there aren’t any ways to reuse, reduce or recycle them, then those materials will be sent to landfill. Here at Hinton’s Waste, we aim to send as little rubbish as possible to landfill.
Here at Hinton’s Waste, we’re proud to recycle up to 90% of the waste materials we collect from our clients, all at our on-site recycling facility. We provide a comprehensive range of waste and recycling management services to customers throughout Croydon and the surrounding area. To find out more, get in touch with us today – we’re always happy to help.