California waste authority to break ground on $120M in facility upgrades

The Western Placer Waste Management Authority (WPWMA) of Placer County, California, is scheduled to break ground on a multiyear facility improvement project that will increase recycling rates, waste diversion efforts and jump start a local circular economy to benefit the region.

The agency says the $120 million in improvements will help the county keep pace with growth in the area.

Work on the first phase of WPWMA’s improvements, which will focus on construction and demolition (C&D) operations, will begin at an April 13 groundbreaking. The C&D facility recycles materials such as lumber, metals, carpet, drywall, concrete and other C&D materials.

The WPWMA anticipates Placer County residents and businesses will dispose of approximately 115,000 tons of C&D debris this fiscal year. The WPWMA’s existing C&D facility, completed in 1995, can process about 75,000 tons of material annually.

“These facility improvements will ensure our member agencies maintain local control, stable rates and that we can foster economic growth,” WPWMA Executive Director Ken Grehm says. “This first phase of our project reflects the tremendous growth our region has experienced and the proactive efforts of the WPWMA’s board of directors to best prepare us to meet the recycling needs of the region’s planned and anticipated development.”

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According to WPWMA’s projections in the Renewable Placer Waste Action Plan, Placer County is on track to double its population over the next 30 years because of a recent housing boom in the western portion of Placer County. With increased commercial and residential construction, the demand for C&D processing has increased. As homes are built and families move in, the volume of residential waste also is increasing while the WPWMA’s existing facilities are operating at or above maximum capacity.

The WPWMA says the upgraded C&D facilities should be able to process 238,000 tons of waste per year and achieve a minimum diversion rate of 65 percent, which complies with the CalGreen diversion standards that require diversion of at least 65 percent of the construction waste generated during most new construction projects.

Houston-based FCC Environmental Services LLC (FCC) and Cambridge Cos. Inc., Scottsdale, Arizona, are helping to design and construct the upgraded facilities. WPWMA says FCC was selected by its board of directors to design and operate the WPWMA’s facilities in late 2021 following a competitive bid process.

“Our Board has much to be proud of and to celebrate,” WPWMA Board Chair Scott Alvord says. “These facility improvements will ensure we are able to meet the current and future needs of our community in a sustainable way that also prioritizes innovation and economic growth.”

WPWMA plans to shift its reliance on manual sorters to machinery, including optical sorters, 3D trommel screens, robotics and other modern waste management technologies.

The upgraded MRF also will feature a ColdOx machine from Sweden-based Centriair which is designed to oxidize volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and eliminate odors through the use of high-intensity ultraviolet light. Centriair says the system can reduce odors by 85 to 95 percent.

The facility also will include RoBB infrared artificial intelligence-powered robotic sorting machines provided by Bollegraaf. These machines simultaneously sort up to four different materials and recover up to 70 recyclable items per minute, WPWMA says.

Since 1995, WPWMA has operated its facility as a dirty MRF as a convenience to residents and businesses who place their garbage and recyclables in a single bin. This mixed-waste processing approach will continue following the renovations and expand waste diversion efforts to achieve the state-mandated SB 1383 compliance, reducing the amount of organic waste that is disposed in landfills by 75 percent and doubling the amount of material that is recovered from the waste stream for recycling.