MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — A new facility east of Berkeley County’s county seat will be the first of its kind in the United States.
Entsorga West Virginia is a collaborative effort between Apple Valley Waste Technologies, Chemtex Global and Entsorga Italia to open the $20 million facility along Grapevine Road near Martinsburg.
When operational in 2019, Entsorga WV will be the first resource recovery facility in the country to use Entsorga Italia’s mechanical biological treatment (MBT) system.
“It’s going to dramatically change the way waste is managed in the Eastern Panhandle,” said Berkeley County Solid Waste Authority Chairman Clint Hogbin. “It’s been under construction for quite some time, for a couple of years.”
Through their MBT system, Entsorga WV will take bio-mass, plastics and other carbon-based materials collected by local recycling programs and convert them into a clean-burning alternative fuel source.
The Berkeley County Recycling Program and Kearneysville-based Apple Valley Waste will contribute collected items to the 48,000 square foot facility.
The process is expected to lead to a greenhouse-gas-emission reduction of 28,000 tons per year.
Entsorga WV plans to employ 15 to 20 people for the facility.