Types of recycling

TYPES OF RECYCLING

CLOSED LOOP RECYCLINGClosed Loop Recycling’, suggests that we should only use materials

to manufacture products, that can be continually recycled and reused (100%). Potentially this could ensure future supply of our valuable resources and also protect the environment. 

For this to work, there needs to be a change in the way products are designed and manufactured. Designers should select materials, that can be recycle an infinite number of times and be used again and again. The materials are regarded as borrowed, for the length of the products useful working life. When the product is no longer usable / working, every component / part is recycled back into raw materials, ready for the manufacture of a new product. 

Closed Loop Recycling normally means, that a company manufactures a product, customers buy the product and then return it at the end of its useful life. The company then recycles all the materials back into the same product, ready for resale. No new raw materials are used in this process. This is a closed system.

EXAPMLE OF PTEThe stages below show the 'Closed Loop

Recycling' of a PET soft drinks bottle

1. Recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate), is prepared for use in an injection moulding / blow moulding machine. This material comes in a range of colours and is completely recyclable. When recycled it does not degrade into a lower quality form. In theory, it can be recycled again and again, without a drop in quality.

2. PET bottles are manufactured in an injection moulding / blow moulding machine. When formed into a bottle, it is lightweight and quite strong, capable of withstanding drops and knocks.When washed, PET is hygienic and used to contain a variety of consumable liquids.

3. The soft drink is added, lids / tops are pressed into position and a label stamped on to the container. The product is ready for distribution to shops and other retail outlets.

4. The thirsty consumer buys the drink, takes it home and drinks the contents.

5. The customer discards the empty drinks container, placing it in a small recycling bin, in the kitchen. This should be done after washing. Dirty bottles will be separated from clean bottles later, at the recycling factory. This holds up the process and adds cost.

6. The customer then empties the small recycling bin into the larger external recycling bin. Every two weeks, the bin is collected and emptied by the refuse company. It is taken for sorting and shredding into small pieces.

7. The ‘Bottle Company’ purchases the PET bottles. At it’s factory, the PET bottles are shredded, ready for reuse in the injection / blow moulding machine.

UPCYCLING

DefinitionUpcycling is a type of recycling. When a

product comes to the end of its life cycle, it is dismantled and its components / parts are reused to produce high quality products, often a higher quality than the original product. For example, reclaimed plastic drainage tubing can be reworked to produce ‘funky’ storage units. Upcycling a component, means that it is upgraded into a higher quality product, adding value.

Upcycling of metalsUsually when recycling a product and its

parts, the quality of the recycled products or materials is lower than when first used. This is sometimes referred to as ‘downcycling’. For example, recycling metals usually involves melting down reclaimed metals, so that they can be used again. Remelting metals often results in lower quality metals. For this reason, scrap metals are usually added to new molten metal. This happens in most steel mills.

Upcycling is environmentally friendly, as it means that whole products or dismantled products, are not ‘dumped’ in landfill sites and that reclaimed components and materials can be continually reused, producing high quality products. 

Normal recycling, often means components and materials are reused producing lower quality products, until they can be reused no more, and eventually end up in landfill sites. 

Another example of upcycling is seen with the use of glass bottles. Instead of recycling the glass, which requires high levels of energy, the coloured translucent bottles have been formed into window for a wall. The wall is like stained glass, creating coloured light for the interior of a house / flat.

DOWNCYCLING

EXPLAINATIONRecycling of paper, card, tin cans and household plastic

packaging is now common. People also recycle old, damaged and disused products, ranging from TVs and computers to furniture.

During the recycling and sorting process, products that can be reused, are utilised by people who need them. Some products will be dismantled / disassembled and their component parts recycled for further use. Some products will be crushed and their materials extracted and sent to be recycled into new products.

However, recycling often leads to ‘downcycling’. This means that the materials and components that are reclaimed from discarded products, are recycled into lower quality products.

DOWNCYCLING OF PLASTICDowncycling applies to most plastics. When

‘plastic’ bottles and other ’plastic’ products are collected for recycling, they are frequently recycled into lower quality products such as doormats.

DOWNCYCLING OF PAPERPaper is another example. When paper is

recycled and reprocessed, it loses some of its original quality. Recycled writing paper often ends up as lower quality card board and manilla folders. Sometimes recycled writing paper is processed with new paper pulp and then it can be used for writing paper again. Quality writing paper can be downcycled only four / five times.

ADVANTAGES OF RECYCLING / DOWNCYCLING

Recycling / downcycling means that we need to process less new raw materials. This saves on energy consumption, as processing can have high energy costs. This also reduces pollution, helping to protect the environment. In social and moral terms, people generally like to support the recycling process, as this helps protect our planet, for generations to come.

DOES RECYCLING ALWAYS LEAD TO DOWNCYCLING

Some materials can be continually recycled, without a loss of quality. Glass, steel and PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) are examples. In fact PET bottles can be ‘upcycled’ into higher quality products such as textiles.