ECCO Recycling – From C&D to Single Stream

When Calgary, Alberta-based ECCO Recycling decided to broaden the scope of its operation to process single stream materials, it also chose to add that capability within their existing, high production C&D MRF footprint. Today, thanks to a combination of good planning, open communication between ECCO and equipment supplier Sparta Manufacturing, skilled craftsmen and solid equipment performance, the company is handling a solid 16,000 tpy of single stream material and is eyeing substantial growth down the line.

Despite a total building area of more than 500,000 sq. ft., much of ECCO’s space was already taken by the existing C&D line, tip areas for a variety of materials, baling operation and bale storage, etc.  Teams from both ECCO and Sparta worked closely to optimize every inch of available space to accommodate the single stream operation.

“They would send us a rendering of the change, we would look at it with them on the line, and tell them what, if any, additional changes were needed,” said Bryan McCulloch, ECCO’s manager of corporate development. “We got that same level of cooperation through both design and installation; that was precisely what we were looking for in an equipment supplier.”

Today, ECCO’s once-dedicated C&D line shares space with a Sparta-designed single source recycling (SSR) system. The SSR, which utilizes a three-position picking station, incorporates both Sparta components and those from other manufacturers. ECCO is currently outfitted to recover and bale OCC, mixed plastics (including PET and HDPE), metals and mixed paper.  They are currently taking in about 200 trucks of single stream waste from residential haulers per day but, as minor tweaks are made to the system, additional volumes can be accommodated.

“We have our eyes on additional tonnage and, thanks to a great effort with Sparta on the new SSR, we now have the infrastructure to efficiently handle single sort recyclables,” said McCulloch. “And, since we already know that we can beat out some of our competition, we are poised for growth and excited as we move forward.”