The facility layout will include the unloading area for the delivered materials, the presorting area and tipping floor, the area requirements for the unit garbage separation operations, the storage and transporting areas, the sizing for the parking and traffic flow patterns for the facility, and additional buffer space. Scales will be utilized to weigh both incoming and outgoing materials, and there will be a queuing area for trucks at both the entrances of the scale and the facility. The unloading area will be large enough to accommodate a few days worth of material in case problems occur within the facility. Large volumes of materials may need to be stored to gain better leverage in the market or during periods when the markets are poor.
The interior of the facility will be large enough to allow changes in interior layout and the addition of new equipment to accommodate increases in population and the possibility for program expansion. There should be a minimum number of interior columns to allow maximum flexibility for equipment placement and the possibility to rearrange the layout in the future. The ceiling should be high enough to accommodate equipment specification. Conveyor lines, air classifiers, shredders and other processing equipment can be as tall as forty feet in larger MRFs. The design of the facility will also include space for employee facilities and possible touring and meeting areas.
The facility will be enclosed to control noise. Since shredding, baling and screening are dust-producing operations, dust collection systems and fans will be incorporated into the facility design. To combat the odors that result within the enclosed facility, a filtered ventilation system will be installed. Air emissions controls will be installed to prevent any pollution that could negatively impact the environment. Automatic sprinklers and control devices will be installed throughout the facility to suppress and prevent fires from spreading within the facility. Facility workers will be required to use hearing protection, hard hats, and dust masks for their protection.