18/04/2017 DemandGrowsForFoodWasteCollectionTrucksBioCycleBioCycle

DemandGrowsForFoodWasteCollectionTrucks

Moretrailerandliftmanufacturersaredesigningequipmentspecificallyforcollectionand
transportofsourceseparatedfoodwaste.PartI
NoraGoldstein
BioCycleAugust2014,Vol.55,No.7,p.41

Wetandheavy.Thosetwoadjectivesprettymuchsumuptherealityof
collectingandtransportingsourceseparatedfoodwasteespeciallyfromthe
commercialandinstitutionalsectorsthatsetoutprimarilyfoodscrapswith
minimalamountsofgreenwasteandpaper.Wetandheavytranslatesinto
leakproofsealsontrailersandliftattachmentsstrongenoughtoheftaton
ormoreoffoodwasteatonetime.

Somemanufacturersoffoodwastetruckshavealonghistoryofservicingthe
animalrenderingindustry,thushaveexperiencedesigningtrailersforwetter
andheavierfeedstocks.Becauseofthequantityofproduceinthefoodwaste
stream,however,somecustomizationhasbeennecessarytomakebodies
liquidtightanddesignliftingarmsthataremoreefficient,durableandcan
bearmoreweight.

Mostrecently,atruckmanufacturerbegansellingaunitspecificallydesigned
forfoodwastecollection.NewWay,adivisionofScrantonManufacturing,
introducedtheRotopac,afullyautomatedsideloaderorganicscollection
truck.Itisamobilecompactorwithaleakprooftruckbodythatusesan
augerinsteadofaramtomovematerialfromthe4cubicyard(cy)receiving
hopperintothetruckbody.Conventionalsideloadgarbagetrucksusually
have6cyhopperstoretainwhateverisbeingpickedupwhiletheram
continuouslypacksuntilthehopperiscleared,explainsPhilAllen,vice
presidentofsalesatNewWay.TheRotopaconlyneedsa4cyhopperbecausetheaugersthroughputis7cy/minute,
whichisabout20percentfasterthanaram.

Whileitcanbeusedforcollectionofcommercialorganics,NewWaydiscoveredtheRotopacisidealforcommunities
addingsourceseparatedorganics(SSO)collectiontoanexistingtrashcollectionservice.Theinitialconceptwasfor
organicscollectiononly,butwefoundoutinR&Dtestslastyearthatitworksjustaseasilyfortrashcollection,adds
Allen.TheideaisthatcommunitieswithSSOcollectiondonthavetobuyasecondtruck.Instead,theycancollect
organicswiththeRotopaconcertaindaysoftheweek,andtrashontheothers.

The27cybodycancarryalegalpayloadof25,000lbs.The
automatedarmcanliftupto500lbsatitsmaximumreachof
12feet,thusitcanbeusedtoservicecommercialand
institutionalaccountsonacartsystem.Customersalsolike
havingtheaugerthatisselfcleaning,especiallyasiteliminates
theneedtocleanoutbehindtheramthatmostpackertrucks
use,addsAllen.Basically,operatorscanjustopenupthe
tailgateandhosethebodydownattheendoftheday.

TacklingTheWeight
OrganixRecycling,LLC,basedjustoutsideofChicago,collects
foodwastein29statesandPuertoRico.Themajorityofits
customersareretailersinthesupermarketsector.Over95
percentofwhatwecollectispreconsumerfoodwaste,although
wedoserviceafewrestaurantsandmanufacturers,saysRick
Shipley,chiefoperatingofficer.Muchofwhatwecollectisused
toproduceanimalfeed.

Shipleyfindsthatthebestcomfortzoneforhiscompanyand
theretailersservicedisuseofa3cycontainerforfoodwaste
collection.Wethinkthatistheperfectspot.Wetriedother
sizesbuttheweightofthematerialwearedealingwithgottoo
heavywithlargercontainers.Withthe3cy,wecanputinmore
thanonecontaineratalocation,whichaddsenoughcapacity
thatthestorecanextendoutservicetogettoagoodpricepoint
todiverttheirfoodwaste.
NewWaysnewRotopac(1)isafullyautomated
sideloadingorganicscollectiontruckthatcanbe
doublepurposedforcurbsidetrashcollection.It
featuresa4cyhopperequippedwithanauger(2)
thatfeedsmaterialintothetruckbody(3)atarate
of7cy/minute.ImagescourtesyofNewWay

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Toservicethecontainers,OrganixRecyclinghasfoundthatmodifiedrenderingtrucksequippedwithliftingarmsthat
canbeartheweightworkbestforitspurposes.Andthisiswherehavingasolidworkingrelationshipwithitstrailer
manufacturershasbeenkeytoitscollectionandtransportsuccess.OrganixRecyclinghasseveralTravisTrailersanda
coupleofMacTrailers,butprimarilyworkswithBrownIndustrial.Thisgoesbacktotheproductwearedealingwithand
itsliquidnature,notesShipley.Whenwestarted,nooneknewwhatweweregettinginto.Asitturnsout,itisvery
importanttoputextrastrengthintothearmsandforkstheelementsthatgointotheliftingbecauseofthe
weightandliquidshiftinginthecontainer.

BrownIndustrialisathirdgenerationcompanythathasbeen
workingintherenderingindustrysincethe1940s.Toservice
haulerscollectingfoodwaste,itcustomizeditsrenderingtrailers
forthatpurpose.Overtime,basedonfeedbackfromcustomers,
BrownIndustrialhasmademodifications.Wehavedonealotof
refining,mostlysmallchangesthatourcustomerspickupon,
notesCraigBrown,coownerofBrownIndustrial.Forexample,
wefoundthatthearmsattachedtotheshaftcouldliftthefood
wastecontainers,butwewereseeingweldfailureswherethe
armsattachtothecrossshaftontrailersthatwereonlythreeto
fouryearsoldthatwewouldnormallynotseeforatleast10
yearsonourrenderingtrailers.Thatresultedfromliftingmore
weightwithfoodwastecollectionthanrenderingapplications.

Threeyearsago,thecompanystartedbuildingaluminumunits
anddesignedaboltonarmforthatapplication,andfoundthat OrganixRecycling,LLC,whichoperatesin29
theywerestrongerthantheweldedonversion.Onourolder states,primarilyusestrailers(1)suppliedbyBrown
units,thearmswereweldedtothecrossshaft,explainsBrown Industrialtoservice3cyfoodwastecontainers.A
Werecentlyreplacedthosewithremovablearmsthatare newfeatureonBrownsaluminumtrailersisabolt
boltedon,withataperlockhubthattiestheliftingarm onarm(2)thatismoresuitedtoliftingheavy
together.Wealsowenttoareplaceablebronzebushingonthe containers.Customersarealsorequesting
crossshaft.Withthenewboltonarms,wefeelconfidentwe installationofVulcanscales(3).Photoscourtesyof
cannowworkonincreasingourliftingcapacity.Bygoingtoa BrownIndustrial
slightlylargercylinderwecanincreasecapacityabout20
percent.Previously,itcouldlift5,000to5,500lbsdependingonarmlengthnowitcangoupto6,000or6,500lbsif
necessary.

Thecompanyoffersstraighttrucks,trailersandrolloffunits.Haulerswhoarejusttestingthefoodwastecollection
marketwillgowitharolloffchassis,whichisalotmoreeconomicalthaninvestinginanewtruck,headds.Wemake
arolloffbodythathasarmsonitsotheycancollectfoodwaste,anduseitasaboxforothermaterialsatothertimes.

BrownIndustrialoffersbothstainlesssteelandaluminumbodiesandtrailersforfoodwastecollection.Becauseallour
trailersarecustommade,weendupblendingbothmetalssometimes,forexampleusing409stainlesssteelforarm
attachments,whichkeepstheunitslookingbetterlonger,saysBrown.Healsosaysmorefoodwastecollection
companiesarerequestinginstallationofitsVulcanscaleweighingsystem,whichitintegratesintotheunit.Themain
reasonistochecktheweightonthecontainers,henotes.Thescaleisaccuratewithin10to15pounds.

AccessAndSimplicity
Anotherinnovationinfoodwastecollectionisequipmentthatcanturnpickuptrucksintocollectionvehicles.Insome
cases,thisisdonebymodifyingatrailer,pulledbythepickuptruck)withacartlifterandbeefingupsealsonthetrailer
bedandgate.InthecaseofPerkinsManufacturing,itisbuildinguponitsSatelliteLifterSystems(SAT)thatare
mountedtotherearbedofastandard8footpickuptruck.Beingabletouseapickuptruckforcollectionexpandsthe
abilitytoservicecollectionstopswithlimitedaccess(orservicearesortoruniversitywithafoodscrapsdiversion
program).TheSATisavailableincapacitiesrangingfrom3to8cy,regularorsplitbodyconfigurationsandachoiceofa
grabberlifteroraUShooklifter(aswellasarecentlyintroducedsliderlifter).Thegrabberliftercanpickupalarge
varietyofcontainerswhereasthehookliftercanonlypickupANSITypeBcarts.

ThispastspringatWasteExpo,PerkinsintroducedahardtopfortheSATsystems.Weusuallyofferameshorvinyl
tarpfortheSATunitsbutthisyearwecreatedahydraulicsealedhardtop,whichisgreatforfoodwastecollection,
explainsCherylPerkinsWaite,presidentofPerkinsManufacturing.Itismoredurable,easytousewiththepushofa
button,keepswhatisinthecontainermoresecureandlastslongerthanatarp.

ThefoodwasteSATunitcancarryupto4,000lbs,whereastheregularunitwasdesignedfor2,000lbs,addsWaite.
Andafteralongperiodofresearchandtesting,wehavefoundthatthevinylsealremainsthebestmaterialtoprevent
leakage.AtPerkins,weusearubberbulbsealwithaduometerA73allalongthedooredgesandtop.

TheSATunitscanbeusedinconjunctionwitharearloadpackertrucktotransfermaterialasneededwhenservicinga
foodwastecollectionroute.Theunitbacksuptotherearloadersolidscanbetransferredwithoutspillage,although
liquidsarehardertocontrol.Weareworkingonhowtoimproveandeliminateanyspillage,shenotes.Wedohave
otherproductsthatworkwellwithfoodwastethatcangetthejobdonewithminimalspillage.

Inadditiontoaccess,simplicityisanimportantfeatureforfoodwastecollection.Thisiswhysomehaulersoptonlyfor
totesofaspecificsize.Almost100percentofourcollectioncontainersare64gallontotes,saysRoyFerreiraofNew

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EnglandSolidWasteConsultants(NESWC).Thewaythetrucks
weusearedesigned,thatisthebestoption.NESWCuses
Marteltruckbodiesithasthree40cyandone30cyunit.The
trucksareequippedwithaliftthatfitsthree64totesatone
time.

Eachtrucktypicallytravels230to250miles/dayonacollection
route.ThecompanysserviceareaincludesMassachusetts,New
HampshireandsouthernMaine.Weservicethetrucksona
rotation,explainsFerreira.Everyotherweek,theyarebrought
inandgreased,andeverysixweekstheoilischanged.We
currentlyrotatetireseverysixmonths,andreplacealltiresonce
ayear.

ServicingFoodProcessors
Forfood
waste
collection
PerkinsManufacturingintroducedahydraulicsealed
hardtoplid(topofphoto)foritsSatelliteLifter
Systemsthatprovidesatightsealforfoodwaste
collection.PhotocourtesyofPerkinsManufacturing

companiesservicingfoodprocessors,onestyleoftruckavailable
isasidedumptrailer.SmithCoSideDumptrailershaveafully
weldedtubthatdumpsthematerialtotheside,andbecause
theyhavenogates,arewatertight,explainsRickLawrence,
SmithCosnationalsalesmanager.Whileitsasmallernichefor
us,wehavesoldourtrailerstotransportfoodprocessing
residualssuchaspeelingsandculls.Afewyearsago,ahauler
boughtourunitstocollectfoodwastefromcasinosinLas
Vegas.
TheSmithCoSideDumptrailershaveafullywelded
Lawrenceaddsthattheseunitscanbeloadedandunloaded tubwithnogates,makingtheunitwatertight.Its
withoutthedriverhavingtogetoutofthecab,improving sidedumpingfeatureenablesthetrucktobuilda
efficiencyofcollectionaswellasdriversafety.Henotesthereare compostingwindrowasitunloads.Photocourtesy
alsoefficienciesifthecollectioncompaniesaredeliveringfood ofSmithCo
wasteandotherorganicstocompostingfacilities:Thedriver
canliterallyunloaddirectlyintoawindrow,graduallymovingforwardasthetrailerempties.Theyareprettymuch
makingthewindrow.TheSmithCotrailerscanbeequippedwithliftsorforks,orelseparkunderaconveyorbeltthat
movesmaterialdirectlyintothetrailer.

InsightsFromFoodWasteHaulers
PartIIofthisarticleseriesonfoodwastecollectionequipmentandservicesrunninginthe
September2014issueofBioCyclefeaturesindepthinterviewswithcompaniesupanddown
theEastCoastoftheU.S.Severalofthesehaulersalsowillbepresentinginafoodwaste
collectionsessiononTuesday,October28,atBioCycleEastCoastConference2014,October27
30,attheTurfValleyResortinEllicottCity,Maryland.

Tags:Foodwaste

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