Porter To Propose Seeking RFPs on New Solid Waste Technology

Putnam County’s Fiscal Review Committee will consider a motion Monday to seek proposals on new solid waste technology.

Mayor Randy Porter said Putnam County and the rest of the state has been tasked with finding ways to reduce the amount of waste going to landfills.

“We’ve been looking at alternatives on what we can do,” Porter said. “So I’m looking at going to the commission and asking for us to be able to put out an RFP to look at ways through technology that’s been developed recently to reduce the amount of waste we send to the landfill. A lot of that is by pulling out more recyclables.”

The new solid waste technology would help sort recyclable items from regular garbage.

Porter said the county has looked into implementing the technology for several months.

“It’s called a ‘dirty MRF’ (mixed-waste processing facility; pronounced “murf”) and we’ve been looking at the technology now for about a year, the last year and a half,” Porter said. “Several palces across the country are doing the samed thing. So I want to go and put an RFP out there to see what’s out there as far as technology goes, and companies that would be interested in doing one of the MRFs with us.”

Porter said the MRF would practically pay for itself within about three to four years of being implemented.

Commissioners in the Fiscal Reveiw Committee will conisder Porter’s proposal during their next meeting Monday evening beginning at 5:30 p.m.