Thor will hopefully extend the life of the Otay Landfill.
That is not a typo. This isn’t the Thor you’re thinking about.
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WATCH HEREThor is the monster machine at the center of Republic Services Otay Sustainability Park, which is home to the state’s first fully solar powered aerated compost facility, a construction and demolition recycling operation, and an organics transfer station.
And there’s Thor, a giant blue machine that can separate upwards of 100 tons of organic waste from plastic bags and packaging every day. It's the first of its kind in San Diego County.
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SIGN UP “It's made my life easier,” smiled Republic Services operations manager Gabe Gonzales.
The contents of the green bins at private homes are still composted and turned to mulch in the Sustainability Park. However, larger commercial operations like schools and restaurants are still delivered in large plastic bags and containers.
Like the mythical god, Thor uses 52 powerful hammers to pulverize the organics out of the bags and containers. Gonzales says it’s very similar to a garlic press.
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“We squeeze it. Out goes your garlic,” he explained. “On the other side? Your husk stays behind.”
He said it keeps organics out of the Otay Landfill, where they could create methane, a dangerous greenhouse gas. That extends the life of the landfill.
Thor also does in seconds what would take a crew hours, if not days.
“That's the greatest thing since sliced bread there, brother,” laughed Dana Armstrong, Republic Services compost supervisor.
The organic mush created by Thor is added to the composting piles in the Otay Sustainability Park. It turns into rich, dark mulch in less than 10 weeks.
“If we can get all the organics out of the landfill itself, it's going to save us some more air space in the landfill and continue to let us use it a little bit longer here,” concluded Armstrong.
