A new and improved Mr. Murph, the aptly-named Material Recovery Facility tasked with sorting most all recyclables in Tulsa and surrounding communities, is one part away from becoming operational: a device that will control the speed of all his many moving parts. Murph’s resurrection, slated for February, will mark the return of recycling for Tulsa’s curbside bins after a 10-month hiatus due to an accidental inferno that destroyed his former self.
A misplaced lithium-ion battery ignited in the machine after-hours at Tulsa Recycle & Transfer on April 1, sparking a blaze that warped steel beams, morphed rubber parts into “black lava” and disrupted waste recovery streams throughout the Tulsa metro area and as far away as Bartlesville. Lithium-ion batteries are recyclable, but only at select facilities, such as the M.e.t.
The catastrophic event took a toll at the American Waste Control facility, displacing 40 workers and saddling leadership with a growing repair cost of more than $11.4 million. But they’ve turned this flaming lemon into a cool glass of lemonade: “Mr. Murph 2.0” will boast several upgrades and improvements. The first is noticeable as one walks into the warehouse at 1150 N. Peoria Ave. If the old Mr. Murph was huge, the new Murph is massive. The all new steel structure painted a cheery green with yellow accents reaches 6 feet higher and 10 feet wider than than the old version, and its multiple conveyer belts are also wider.