Construction Debris

Zanker Road Landfill

Zanker Road Landfill (ZRL) began operations in 1985 as a Class III landfill. Since then, it has developed into a major full service, resource management, composting/recycling facility and landfill. Zanker’s recycling activities were developed in response to the City of San Jose’s, 1983 Solid Waste Program, which set goals of reducing San Jose wastes to landfills by 25% by 1990. Zanker has met and significantly exceeded these recycling goals by systematically analyzing the opportunities for cost-effective new recycling programs, experimenting with new equipment and technologies, and pioneering new markets for recycled materials.

History

Zanker Road Resource Management, Ltd. (Zanker) is a partnership that was formed in 1985 to operate the Zanker Road Landfill (ZRL). ZRL currently receives up to 2,600 tons per day of materials. In 1989, the state of California adopted AB939 which required that all Cities and Counties in the state meet a 25% reduction in waste by 1995 and 50% by the year 2000. Zanker responded to the challenge of this goal by providing cost effective and appropriate recycling operations for the Bay Area.

Demolition Debris Processing

Since 1988, ZRL has been a leader in processing mixed loads of construction and demolition (C&D) debris with a unique "float tank" and screening system that separates the soil, mixed concrete, and wood components from the mixed debris.

The mixed C&D debris is screened to separate the soil and then loaded into the float tank. Wood floats to the surface and is collected and dried. Metals and rubble drop to the bottom of the tank, and are collected then sorted using a screen and a magnet.

Concrete Recycling


ZRL’s concrete plant was one of the first in the nation to convert concrete debris into aggregate products suitable for foundations and road construction. Zanker applied knowledge and skills from the crushed stone and mining industry developed since the early 1960’s throughout the world to design and operate the first concrete plant for the recycling of concrete debris in the Bay Area.

The concrete recycling process begins with incoming clean concrete and reinforced concrete. Once the materials are unloaded at the site, non-acceptable materials are hand sorted out and recycled or disposed. Cleaned concrete is then loaded into the primary crusher where it is crushed. After the primary crusher, the material passes under a magnetic belt where steel is removed before moving to a secondary crusher that further reduces the particle size. The material is then screened to remove oversized pieces which are re-circulated back through the crushing circuit. During the entire process, employees and machinery remove non-aggregate materials that would compromise the products value.

Products produced from the recycled concrete includes a 3/4" class II base rock, recycled fill sand, ½ minus pea gravel and a 1” drain rock. These materials are sold to contractors and the general public.

Wood Waste Recycling


ZRL’s wood waste recycling plant processes clean wood loads hauled by customers, separated from mixed debris by staff or removed from the demolition debris processing operation.

Using heavy equipment, wood is loaded into a grinder that shreds the wood. The shredded wood is then screened to separate the material into wood chips and fines, similar to sawdust. The wood chips are accumulated and sent to market as fuel for electric generation facilities or as a landscape mulch product, z-mulch. The fines are sold as soil amendments and blended with other products on site to produce a top soil. All products are sold to landscapers, contractors or the general pubic.

Gypsum Wallboard Recycling


Gypsum wallboard is received from contractors or separated from incoming debris loads. The gypsum wallboard is ground then screened though a special screening system. The powdered gypsum is removed and marketed to the agriculture industry whereas the paper removed form the wallboard is composted with incoming yard trimmings.

Yard Trimmings Processing and Composting

Yard Trimmings processed at ZRL is primarily residential yard waste received on a contract basis from a variety of communities in the area or self-hauled by residents or businesses.

Once yard trimmings are deposited on to the tipping pad at ZRL, it is inspected for contamination and contaminants are removed. Yard trimmings are then screened to remove the grass and leaves from the trimmings and brush. The grass and leaves are transported to the Z-Best Composting Facility in Gilroy for composting or they are composted on site. The trimmings/brush is directed to the wood waste operation for additional processing.

Metals/White Goods/E-Waste

Metals are collected from several areas at the facility, including the demolition debris and concrete recycling areas. Metals are collected separated by type and transported to metal recyclers within the Bay Area.

"White goods" (e.g., refrigerators, washers and dryers) are dismantled, with the CFC’s and oil shipped to a hazardous waste facility and the metals sent to a local metals recycler. E-waste brought to the facility is sent to a state certified recycler in the Bay Area for dismantling and recycling.