The Solid Waste Disposal Authority of Baldwin County opened its new $25 million, 62,000-square-foot Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) and renewable natural gas (RNG) plant in Summerdale.
“By processing and supplying high-quality recyclable materials, we are keeping resources and business here in Alabama,” said Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey at the opening of the plant. “Baldwin County is one of Alabama’s fastest-growing areas attracting more and more tourists each year, and this project means more good-paying jobs, more economic growth and a forward-thinking solution to keeping this region beautiful.”
Included in the project is the 7,000-square-foot Waste & Recycling Adventure Center, a hands-on learning center for students and visitors of all ages. The center will explore recycling through interactive games, a sorting challenge, exhibits explaining the recycling process and how landfill gas becomes energy and an overlook of the MRF in operation.
Several entities, both public and private, were involved in the project including the Baldwin County Commission, city of Bay Minette, the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA), the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), Glass Recycling Foundation, The Recycling Partnership, Riviera Utilities, Viridi Energy, Baldwin County Sewer Service, Ecovery, Indorama, International Paper, KW Plastics, Midland Davis Corp., Novelis, Pratt Industries, SA Recycling and Sibelco.
Funding for equipment and facilities was provided through grants from the state of Alabama. Baldwin County Commission allocated $4.6 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds to be used towards design and construction of the Magnolia MRF. Grants from ADEM helped fund the education center and equipment within the MRF. ADECA provided $2 million in grant funding through the Alabama Saves program for the RNG operations.
SWDA of Baldwin County manages waste and recycling services throughout the county, serving 55,000 households with weekly garbage collection and 24 recycling drop-off locations. It processes more than 7,600 tons of waste each week at the county’s Municipal Solid Waste Landfill, Magnolia Landfill; two construction and demolition landfills and a transfer station. The MRF, gas plant, education center and six future Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials allows the SWDA to expand its services into new areas.
“The Baldwin County Commission’s forward-thinking, modernized approach to recovering, reducing and reusing waste demonstrates our commitment to the long-term sustainability of our community and this entire region,” said Terri Graham, CEO of SWDA of Baldwin County. “Through this investment, we will be a driver to enhance and grow recycling not only in Baldwin County and our 14 participating municipalities but also in Mobile, Washington, Clarke, Monroe, Escambia and Conecuh counties serving as a regional hub in southern Alabama.”
Construction and design partners on the project are Banks Compton, Green Machine LLC, LaBella Associates, Persons Services Corp. and Whirlwind Creative.
The MRF will process up to 40,000 tons of recyclables annually, with advanced sorting technology to separate plastics, paper, metals and cardboard to be baled and sold to recycling markets.
Constructed by Viridi Energy, the RNG plant is adjacent to Magnolia Landfill and will capture and clean methane gases emitted from the landfill and convert them into natural gas. The natural gas will be piped through a 2-mile pipeline to Riviera Utilities. The gas-to-energy plant will produce more than 1 million BTUs of natural gas annually, enough energy to heat more than 2,500 homes.
