As curbside recycling programs began to take off in North America during the late 1980's and early 1990's, these curb-sort recycling trucks became a common site in many urban neighborhoods. These trucks were divided into several compartments, i.e. one for paper, one for plastics, one for cans, and so on. The drivers of these trucks had the task of manually sorting these recyclables at each stop, and it was often time consuming and labor intensive. Now let's fast forward to today. As most communities across America are moving towards single stream recycling, these trucks are becoming a dying breed. Single stream recycling eases the recycling process across the board. Residents no longer have to pre-sort recyclables into small tubs, instead placing all of their recyclables co-mingled together into one large container. The drivers no longer have to sort the recyclables at the curb. In fact, much of the time, recycling is now collected with fully automated trucks, where the driver rarely has to even leave the cab. The recyclables are then mechanically sorted later at a Materials Recovery Facility, or "MRF".
As the curb-sort system continues to fade away, I am pleased to be able to share with you today one of the remaining examples of a curb-sort recycling truck! Seen here is a Labrie Top Select recycling truck mounted to a Volvo Xpeditor WXLL chassis. As you can see, the sorting is not nearly as intensive as it was in prior years. This truck is only divided into two compartments: one for paper, cardboard, plastics, and metals; the other for glass, as separate glass collection is nearly standard here in the Pacific Northwest.
Huge thanks to the awesome driver for making this video happen! And thanks to all of you for watching! Enjoy the video!
Thrash 'N' Trash Productions...Wasting Away Through Garbage Trucks and Heavy Metal Since 2008
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