What is “processing?”
Processing refers to work tasks that are required to turn a large quantity of mixed (commingled) recyclables into commodities that can be sold at market. When recyclables are collected from residential or commercial areas, they are delivered as commingled containers and commingled fibers. First, these materials must be sorted into recyclable commodities, and all contaminants must be removed. Once materials are separated into clean, marketable commodities, most are baled (compacted into bales that can be handled for storage) and transported to market. All of these activities together is called “processing.”

CCC operates the only processing facility—or Materials Recovery Facility (MRF)—in Berkeley, and processes all of the recyclables collected in the City of Berkeley’s recycling programs. At the present time, CCC is processes about 1,625 tons per month of recyclables at the Berkeley Recycling Center, almost 20,000 tons per year.

Residential and commercial materials
CCC receives about 1,000 tons per month of recyclables from EC’s residential curbside program and the City’s commercial program. Those materials are delivered in two streams: one stream is fiber which is sorted into cardboard, mixed paper and newspaper; and another stream is containers which is sorted into aluminum cans, glass bottles, plastic and tin. Once sorted into recyclable commodities, materials are further processed for sale to market.

Fiber stream sorting
CCC utilizes an elevated fiber sorting system that sorts large quantities of commingled fibers into the three recyclable categories for compacting into bales which are loaded into containers for transporting. Most fibers are exported from the Oakland port for shipment to various international destinations.

Container stream sorting
CCC utilizes a container sorting system that removes contaminants and separates commingled containers into ten different categories: aluminum cans; bi-metal cans; tin cans; aluminum foil; brown, green, clear and 3-mix glass; PET and HDPE plastic. All materials except glass are temporarily stored in forklift and roll-off bins for later compacting into bales for transport to market. Glass is sorted into four large bays by color.

Baling
Baling is the heart of CCC's processing operation, baling about 80 percent of all recyclables handled at the center. CCC bales about 16,000 tons per year of fibers and containers which equals about 25,000 bales per year which have to be stored by commodity for later loading onto trucks for shipment to market. Without baling, these materials could not be handled for storing, loading and transporting.