The recycling business is going through a challenging time, but Stamford, Conn.-based Van Dyk Recycling Solutions is making things a little easier for its customers by offering top-notch sorting solutions.

Using a positive sorting concept, which is a sorting strategy that involves non-wrapping screens, optical sorting and elliptical separation to target and separate clean paper at the front end of a system, Van Dyk is helping customers clean up their recycling streams.

In addition, Van Dyk is providing its customers with a new way to test products and materials via its 49,000-square-foot technology center in Norwalk, Conn., which underpins its commitment to its customers and the waste and recycling industry, features a 18,000-square-foot test facility outfitted with two processing lines capable of replicating in-plant operations and includes a 18,000-square-foot receiving and storage facility for material to be tested.

Ahead of WasteExpo, we sat down with Mark Neitzey, director of sales at Van Dyk Recycling Solutions, for an exhibitor preview to discuss some recycling industry trends and solutions, as well as what the company will showcase at its booth.

Waste360: What is Van Dyk’s focus for WasteExpo 2019?  

Mark Neitzey: Our focus is helping customers with sorting solutions, including the positive sorting concept to make clean paper; the retrofitting of existing systems with 440 screens/ellipticals; the retrofitting of facilities to clean up paper; the upgrading of older optical sorters to new TOMRA Autosort 4 machines, which make a big, quantifiable improvement; and the opening of our test center to allow our customers to try concepts and see results to help with their decisions.

Waste360: What are some of the exciting things Van Dyk will be exhibiting at its booth?

Mark Neitzey: We will be showcasing and talking about our test center, BeeFoam (a unique dust suppression system for construction and demolition operations), VConsyst (underground waste storage containers) and Smicon (de-packaging machines to process source separated organics).  

Waste360: What recycling equipment trends are you seeing right now?

Mark Neitzey: We are seeing improvement and upgrading of existing plant infrastructure to make quality and lower operating costs (440 and AS4 retrofits are examples).

Waste360: How is technology changing the way materials are recycled?        

Mark Neitzey: More technology has meant the growth of Amazon and the death of newspapers—so that has changed what is recycled and put in the stream. Overall, the inbound stream to materials recovery facilities (MRFs) is terrible and needs to be cleaned up. Technology at the MRF has advanced (optical sorting) and will continue to advance (self-learning functions, robots), but technology is only successful if the material is prepared properly and presented to the technology correctly. That is our strength—the combination of proper preparation with the proper technology applied, such as screens, elliptical separators, air systems, conveyor sequencing and optical sorters.  

Waste360: With more and more recycling streams changing, how is Van Dyk keeping up with the demand for efficient and versatile recycling systems?  

Mark Neitzey:  We are utilizing our experience, talking to customers about their challenges and studying facilities around North America and the world.  

Waste360: What can industry members expect to see from Van Dyk this year?

Mark Neitzey: The opening of our new headquarters campus in Norwalk, Conn., which includes a test center, education center, parts distribution center and baler rebuild shop. We personally invite anyone interested to come take a tour.

2019 is also a big year for the completion of large, high-profile projects that we were involved in, including Republic Services’ Next-Gen Plano, Texas, MRF, Waste Management’s MRF of the Future facility in Chicago, FCC’s MRF in Houston, the MRFF (flexible packaging project) at J.P. Mascaro & Sons Inc. and the upgrades to large facilities like Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation.