Method for recycling solid waste using a decentralized recycling system

A method for recycling containers containing residual liquids, comprising the following steps:

• depositing the containers through an inlet in a housing;
• shredding the containers into shreds in a shredding zone;
• washing said shreds with a washing liquid to produce washed shreds;
• drying said washed shreds in a drying zone to produce dried shreds;
• elevating said washed shreds from a location below said shredding zone to a location above said drying zone;
• and
• storing said dried shreds in a storage receptacle,
• wherein said shredding, said washing, said drying, said elevating and said storing steps all take place inside said housing.

A method for recycling containers containing residual liquids at a remote location, comprising the following steps:

• depositing the containers through an inlet in a housing;
• shredding the containers into shreds in a shredding zone;
• washing and sanitizing said shreds with a washing liquid to produce washed shreds;
• drying said washed shreds in a drying zone to produce dried shreds;
• and
• storing said dried shreds in a storage receptacle until shipment to a central recycling facility,
• wherein said shredding, said washing, said drying and said storing steps all take place inside said housing and said washed shreds are dried by spinning said shreds inside a rotating drum to produce centrifugal forces which separate moisture from said washed shreds.