Sims opens standard-setting MRF in New York

United States – Sims Metal Management and its Sims Municipal Recycling division have officially opened the Sunset Park Material Recovery Facility. The 11-acre set-up will serve as the principal processing facility for all of New York City’s kerbside residential metal, glass and plastic recyclables as part of a long-term contract with New York City Department of Sanitation.

The facility has the capacity to process 1000 tons of material a day and will ship sorted commodities to markets all around the world. Both the city of New York and Sims have invested US$ 110 million in the building of the facility, which will play a key role in Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s PlaNYC 2030 for a ‘greener, greater New York’; the objective of the plan is to divert 30% of New York’s waste from going to landfills in other parts of the country at ‘an ever-growing cost’.

‘We can’t help but boast about the new Sims municipal recycling facility; a sustainably built, job-creating hub for our city’s recycling efforts on Brooklyn’s vibrant waterfront,’ noted Brooklyn Borough president Marty Markowitz. The location was chosen so the plant can transport the majority of recyclables via barge besides utilising the newly-renovated freight rail for export of processed recyclables.

Bob Kelman, president of the Sims North America Metals business unit, anticipates that the new plant will ‘dramatically enhance’ the recycling efforts of New York City. ‘We see ourselves as leaders in the global recycling industry and there is no better place to set a new standard than in New York City,’ he commented.

Tom Outerbridge, general manager of Sims Municipal Recycling, stressed the long journey to get to this point. ‘The Sunset Park facility has been nearly 10 years in the making,’ he pointed out. ‘We think the result is something everyone can be proud of. We look forward to being a part of this community, and to serving the entire city as it continues to build a world-class recycling programme.’

For more information, visit: www.simsmunicipal.com