Systems and methods for processing a heterogeneous waste stream

A system, comprising:

• a first shredder configured to receive a municipal solid waste stream and reduce the size of constituents of the waste stream to be less than about 4 inches;
• a first density separator configured and disposed to receive the shredded waste stream from the first shredder and to separate and remove the non-processable waste;
• a second shredder configured and disposed to receive the processable waste from the first density separator and to reduce the size of constituents of the processable waste to be less than about ½ inch;
• a second density separator configured and disposed to receive the processable waste from the second shredder and to separate and remove a hard plastic material;
• a third density separator configured and disposed to receive the non-hard plastic material from the second density separator and to separate a fiber material from a soft plastic material;
• and
• a mixer configured and disposed to combine at least two of the hard plastic, soft plastic and fiber materials in a predetermined ratio.

A system for processing and sorting a municipal solid waste stream, the system comprising:

• a processing sub-system configured to receive a municipal solid waste stream and to remove the non-processable waste;
• a processing apparatus configured and disposed to receive constituents of the municipal solid waste stream from the processing sub-system and reduce the size of the constituents of the waste stream to an average particle size of less than about ¾ inch;
• a first separator configured and disposed to receive the constituents of the waste stream from the processing apparatus and to separate and remove waste constituents of a first type having a bulk density greater than about 15 lb/ft3;
• a second separator configured and disposed to receive the constituents of the waste stream having a bulk density less than about 15 lb/ft3 from the first separator and to separate and remove waste constituents of a second type having a bulk density greater than about 4 lb/ft3 from waste constituents of a third type having a bulk density less than about 4 lb/ft3;
• a mixer configured and disposed to combine the waste constituents of the first type and the waste constituents of the third type to form an intermediate material;
• a conditioner configured and disposed to combine the intermediate material with a sorbent in a predetermined ratio and heat the combined sorbent and intermediate material;
• and
• a densifier configured and disposed to combine and densify the combined sorbent and intermediate material with the waste constituents of the second type in a predetermined ratio to form an engineered fuel feed stock having a bulk density of between about 10 lb/ft3 and about 60 lb/ft3.