Area Development
Republic Services, Inc., a waste management company, opened what it calls "the world's largest recycling operation" at its Newby Island Resource Recovery Park in Milpitas, California, near San Jose.

The $55 million plant, which can process up to 110 tons-per-hour of multiple waste streams, sets a new standard for the recycling industry. the company said. The facility will process all of the commercial waste generated by businesses in San Jose and other nearby cities. Its Newby Island complex houses the local hauling company, recyclery, composting facility and landfill.

Republic, which employs 289 workers at its 342-acre facility located at 601 Dixon Landing Road, said it views waste as a resource, providing standard recycling and introducing treatment of organics "using advanced technology that generates energy from waste."

The hauler's waste treatment capabilities will help local communities in the Silicon Valley area of California meet recycling guidelines recently adopted by the state. Nearly 70 natural gas vehicles will provide wet-dry collection service to all San Jose businesses, and residential and commercial service to the City of Milpitas, as well as commercial and industrial service in San Jose and Santa Clara. The landfill recovers landfill gas and features an onsite compressed natural gas fueling station.

"At Republic Services, we take our role as environmental stewards very seriously and have been dedicated to protecting the environment from the beginning," said Gil Cheso, Republic Services division manager. "We are proud that in partnership with our service cities, we have met or exceeded California's waste diversion requirements. The improvements in our facility allow us to operate at a higher-capacity which increases the diversion rate for our recycling programs and supports our community's green initiatives. This greatly enhances our overall positive environmental impact."

As an incentive various cities approved long term waste hauling contracts with the firm. San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed said, "Our businesses and community will benefit from this new approach to commercial waste recycling. The new service will include the recycling of organic waste which will help businesses and the City alike achieve their sustainability goals."

"The investment in advanced waste processing facilities generates new green jobs, turns waste into energy, and once again demonstrates San Jose's innovative leadership toward a sustainable future and moves the City significantly closer to achieving its Green Vision goal of diverting 100 percent of its waste from landfills and converting that waste into energy," Reed added.