Operational Improvements at Transfer Stations SWANA Northwest Regional Symposium April 26, 2017 1 1
Presented by: Neal Bolton, Blue Ridge Services Patrick Peck, South Central Solid Waste Authority Tom Parker, CH2M 2
Agenda Efficient Customer Unloading Procedures Process and Improvements Tools to Streamline Operations How to Optimize Payloads How to Increase Throughput Integrating Recycling At Your Transfer Station 43
Efficient Customer Unloading Procedures Establishing a standard procedure Where to park for unloading? Two brief polls 4
Poll No. 1 You are driving a garbage truck where would you park to unload? 2 1 5 3
Poll: Transfer Station 1 Where did you park? 1. Space No. 1 2. Space No. 2 3. Space No. 3 6
Poll No. 2 You are driving a garbage truck where would you park to unload? 1 2 3 7
Poll: Transfer Station 2 Where did you park? 1. Space No. 1 2. Space No. 2 3. Space No. 3 8
Where Did We Park? Did we all decide to park in the same place? What is the result of this variability? 9
Ideas for Solution? This variation in regard to parking keeps everyone guessing This creates a safety issue unloading area is a dangerous location It also creates inefficiency the flow of material and machines is reactive rather than proactive = Efficiency Safety 10
What is This? 改善 11
Kaizen 改善 Kaizen: A Japanese term for: Continuous Improvement 12
Key to Improvement SOP Why do you do, what you do, the way you do? A standard operating procedure, or SOP, is a written set of step by step instructions compiled to help workers carry out routine operations. SOPs aim to achieve efficiency, quality output and uniformity of performance. Examples of SOP s Open Pit, Daily Inspections, PPE, Pre and Post Trip Inspections, Confined Space 13
How to Optimize Payloads What types of equipment are used at transfer stations? Many different types 14
Lots of Loaders 15
Other Loaders 16
Bigger Loaders 17
Stationary Compactors 18
Grinders & Screens 19
Excavators (for tamping) 20
Pushers/Tampers 21
Compactors 22
Excavators/Conveyors 23
Transportation Costs So, now you have the trash in a transfer trailer what next? 24
Two Critical Factors Need to transport, dump and return quickly and economically. This boils down to 2 things: 1. Cycle Time 2. Payload 25
How to Increase Throughput How can a facility handle more than it was designed to handle? By now you d better know the answer 26
Process and Improvements Tools to Streamline Operations At a transfer station, economical waste handling is essentially a material-handling operation like an assembly line at a factory. 27
The Process Direct Unload Sort Load Transport Dump Return 28
It s Like a Pipeline Each step in the process has its own production rate and cost Must have an understanding of these to optimize the overall process 29
Watch the Pipeline We ll sketch out the flow of material (i.e., a pipeline) as we go through the next 4 steps of the process. 30
The Process1 The unloading area 45 tph 31
The Process2 Floor Sorting 36 tph 32
The Process3 Loading 42 tph 33
The Process4 Hauling 7 tph 34
The Process1-4 A look at the total system 35
Poll Question Where is your bottleneck during peak times? 1. Unloading Area Tipping Floor Size 2. Loading Trailers Equipment 3. Hauling Not Enough Trailers 36
Mass Diagram Road builders use a mass diagram to determine the quantity of cut/fill along the proposed road alignment At a transfer station, it helps identify where material is flowing adequately and where it s backing up 37
The Process1-4 How the System Changes During the Week 38
The Process Measure Productivity Find the Constraints (bottlenecks) Improve Productivity 39
Damn the torpedo's, full speed ahead In my younger years I might have told the drivers to speed.today what are the tricks for efficiency? Flat tires first thing in the morning Trucks running in packs (then waiting) Scale operations Break downs Employees on cruise control (c) 2011 Neal Bolton 40
Integrating Recycling at Your Transfer Station What are your goals? Generate Profit? Divert Recyclables? One or the other both? 41
Poll Question- 3 Most transfer stations have added recycling that the facility was not originally designed for. Is your recycling effort causing crowding that makes your transfer station less safe? 1. 2. 3. No, recycling is not impacting TS safety Can t identify any change Yes, recycling is impaction TS safety 81
What Do You Think? Is recycling better than landfilling? Generally, yes But every facility has a break-even point 43
Know the Waste Stream Before you can start a recycling program, you ve got to know your waste stream 44
How Much Diversion? Is this load worth sorting? Figure - This load was destined for the landfill. 45
How to Sort Material from High Value Loads (Roll-Off Trucks) 46
Worth Sorting? Here is the load dumped on the floor Guess how many tons diverted Figure - Recyclable wood removed from "landfill" load. 47
The Results of Measuring Remember, You can t manage what you don t measure Results of Re-sorted Load Gross wt: Less tare wt: Total net wt: 52,100 (gross) 34,040 (tare) 18,060 (net) Recovered wood was weighed separately in 3 (10-wheeler) loads: Load 1 (net): 5,440 lbs Load 2 (net): 5,900 lbs Load 3 (net): 4,940 lbs 16,280 lbs The load contained over 90% wood (by weight) Wood wt: 16,280 lbs 90.1% Trash wt: 1,780 lbs 9.9% Entire Load: 18,060 lbs 100.0% 48
What Makes Sense for You? Recycling is generally a good thing. Use common sense and target materials that make sense. 49
Money Isn t the Only Issue I have a friend who works on large waste projects in 3rd world countries. Some international projects don t fail because the technology isn t sound or the system costs too much. Sometimes it s just the wrong system, wrong place or wrong time. Some systems succeed without making money because residents want it. 50
Establish Recycling Goals Determine what you are trying to accomplish with you recycling program Identify the revenue v. cost Does it make sense for your facility 51
Match Recycling to Facility Here s an example: Floor sorting can be effective 52
But You Need Room to Work Floor sorting may not work in this situation 53
Recycling Options and Issues Impacts to Operations Visibility Trucks and Employees PPE Training Slips Trips Falls Lock Out Tag Out Others? Noise 54
Summary Questions or Comments? 55