OC Mulch & Greenwaste Recycling, a relatively new business in Orange County, Calif., has already made a strong impact on the environment, with the help of a Hyundai HL740-9 wheel loader.
OC Mulch & Greenwaste Recycling initially began in 2010 as an experiment, to provide the local community with an alternative to burning coal after the state of California passed the Global Warming Solutions Act in September 2006.
This law set strict limitations on coal burning with the goal to drastically reduce coal-fueled electricity by 2020. Since the burning of coal produces carbon dioxide emissions, which have been linked to global warming, California’s State Legislature has put measures in place to begin transitioning to alternative energy sources.
This family-owned business began as a three person operation, but as the biomass fuel industry has grown, the company has tripled in size in less than three years.
Gabriel Mejia, operations manager of OC Mulch & Greenwaste Recycling, has run the operation since soon after its opening.
“Our facility allows tree trimmers, gardeners and landscapers to discard their green waste from various job sites at an affordable price and as an environmentally-friendly option as opposed to bringing the waste to a landfill,” said Mejia.
Once the waste is received, it is recycled in one of two ways. The first recycling method involves the composting of the green waste which, once decomposed, is screened and turned into fine soil.
The company is able to sell the soil to local farmers, who, in turn, reuse it on their farms as fertilizer for their crops.
The second method requires the green waste to run through a grinder to produce wood chips. Wood chips have become an important commodity in California since limitations were put on burning coal.
Many large facilities are beginning use wood fuel to produce energy since it is considered a renewable fuel source, inexpensive and complies with state standards.
According to Mejia, the facility has 10 to 20 trucks picking up approximately 25 tons (18.1 t) of wood chips each day to bring to local wood burning power plants.
“This industry is rapidly growing in California,” said Mejia. “Finding alternative energy sources with low carbon emissions has become necessary. At our facility, we are not only able to recycle green waste that may have otherwise been sitting in a landfill, we are also providing a more eco-friendly and affordable alternative to burning coal.”
A major factor in the efficiency of the OC Mulch & Greenwaste Recycling facility is the equipment used on site.
In the beginning of this year, the company purchased a Hyundai HL740-9 wheel loader from Heavy Equipment Sales, LLC in Corona, Calif., after needing some additional muscle in moving around big piles of material.
The Hyundai model was chosen over competitive brands due to its conservative fuel consumption, which is especially necessary with California fuel restrictions.
Since purchasing the HL740-9, the company has been able to save 7 to 10 gal. (26.5 to 37.9 L) of fuel per day and with the average price of off-road diesel fuel at $4.00 per gallon, this adds up to big savings.
The HL740-9 is built with a powerful yet fuel efficient, Cummins Tier-III QSB 6.7 engine which boasts 143 hp (107 kW). There are three engine modes available including power, standard and econo for full power or reduced fuel consumption options according to operator preference.
“We get very busy here, with many trucks going in and out and picking up and dropping off large loads,” said Mejia.
“With the HL740-9, loading and unloading the trucks is a breeze.”
The company uses the Hyundai HL740-9 wheel loader in a variety of applications and it is worked long and hard, at a minimum of 10 hours a day, seven days a week.
The loader is used to move heavy green waste into piles to sort for grinding and composting as well as for loading trucks that are picking up large amounts of wood chips and soil.
According to Mejia, the most appealing features of the loader include the hi-mate remote management system, which provides the operator with vital service and diagnostic information from any computer with internet access. The hi-mate system has the ability to track fuel levels, machine location and set work boundaries and can also send users alerts when these limits are reached.
“The tracking device makes this machine even more reliable,” said Mejia. “I will know in an instant if the engine has gotten too hot or if the fuel level is low through a text message. It’s a great help in preventing any unexpected downtime and maintenance.”
The HL740-9 wheel loader provides OC Mulch & Greenwaste Recycling with shear strength and efficiency. The machine has an operating weight of 26,460 lbs. (12,002 kg), a bucket capacity of 3 cu. yds. (2.3 cu m) and a bucket breakout force of 24,800 lbs. (11,249 kg). All of which, make moving large loads of materials around the facility look effortless.
“Our HL740-9 was a great investment and it pays for itself over and over again,” said Mejia. “The amount of work we can accomplish in such a short amount of time is incredible.”
For more information, call 951/674-9999 or visit www.hers-llc.com.
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