Sun Bergeron Helping Florida Cities To Think Global, Act Local

Innovative processes and technologies for waste processing, recycling and disposal being used to support sustainability goals

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--‘Think Global, Act Local’ is a phrase that at times is often overused, over-promised and under-delivered on. Not this time. Sun Bergeron, the solid waste processing, recycling and disposal company breaking up monopolies and making headlines in South Florida, is doing just that with its innovative approach to meeting Florida’s state recycling goal of 75%. In fact, the company has a mission to do one better and achieve Zero Waste for the cities it services.

“While cost remains an obvious factor in choosing a waste disposal partner, cities are realizing that other issues including ensuring the most environmentally friendly way to dispose of waste is equally important in this day and age where sustainability is paramount”

Zero Waste is a philosophy that encourages the redesign of resource life cycles so that all products are reused. The amount of solid waste sent to landfills and incinerators should be minimal. Sun Bergeron has Zero Waste as a goal for every city it works with. Unlike its competitors, Sun Bergeron does not use an incineration-only process for the disposal of municipal solid waste. Instead, all municipal solid waste received at the transfer station is quickly and efficiently moved from the tipping floor onto the processing system. The processable waste is sorted and all material with recyclable value is removed and separated into temporary storage bunkers. From the storage bunkers, materials are periodically removed with equipment and loaded directly into transfer and roll-off containers with recyclable materials hauled directly to the end markets. Any residual from the sorting process is captured and loaded into a separate roll-off container for disposal at one of the disposal facilities. This method minimizes the amount of waste to be incinerated and optimizes the amount to be recycled.

The method is proving popular with cities in South Florida looking to create a cleaner, greener future for their residents. In July this year Miramar, in Broward County, awarded Sun Bergeron its solid waste disposal contract, increasing competition in a market that had been tied to a single municipal waste contract with Wheelabrator Technologies, a subsidiary of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE: WM) for over 20 years. “While cost remains an obvious factor in choosing a waste disposal partner, cities are realizing that other issues including ensuring the most environmentally friendly way to dispose of waste is equally important in this day and age where sustainability is paramount,” says Ron Bergeron Sr., President, Sun Bergeron. This was proved by Miramar where Sun Bergeron’s methods for processing, recycling and disposal played an important part in the decision to award the contract. The company’s proposal was evaluated as the one that would “return the greater benefits to the City” according to Vernon Hargray, ACM Operational Services, Miramar.

According to best available information of the 2010 Broward Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) data provided to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), Broward is currently recycling 26% of its MSW waste stream including recycled combustor ash. In the county’s continued efforts to lead the way in meeting the State’s recycling goal of 75%, the opportunity for 26 of Broward’s cities to now piggy-back the Sun Bergeron contract with Miramar has truly positioned Broward as a County that is thinking globally while acting locally in order to provide a more sustainable future for its citizens and for Florida as a whole.

ABOUT SUN BERGERON

Sun Bergeron is a joint venture between Sun Recycling and Bergeron Environmental Services operating together to achieve zero waste. Combined, Sun Bergeron has over 35 years experience in the waste and recycling industry and a proven history in logistics and disaster recovery including the BP Oil Spill clean-up in 2010. Pioneering innovation in the waste and recycling industry, Sun Bergeron is headquartered in Broward County, Florida. The more than 500 employees that represent Sun Bergeron are dedicated to the environment and currently recycle in excess of 75% of the solid waste materials they process, a state mandated goal by 2020. To find out more about Sun Bergeron visit http://www.sunbergeron.com/.