A materials recovery facility (MRF) is a place where solid wastes are

delivered to be separated, processed and stored for later use as raw

materials for remanufacturing and reprocessing. In the summer of 1999, the
Bureau of Waste Prevention, Reuse and Recycling of the Department of
Sanitation (DOS) sponsored an investigation of the technical and economic
aspects of a single, city-owned MRF. The study, described in this report,
examined the design and operation of a 150 tons per hour (876,000 tons per
year) facility that could handle all of New York City’s recyclables. The
operations within the MRF are designed to be as automated as possible to
increase speed of operation, reduce costs and improve recovery. The
proposed MRF would be a more cost-effective alternative compared to the
currently utilized waste management system. The MRF would require
approximately 16 acres of land and cost approximately $127 per ton of
diverted material. This would correspond to nearly $46 million of savings for
the city in waste management costs annuall