Lecture 6 Recycling

SBT 4635 WASTE MANAGEMENT & USAGE Recycling

RECYCLING TERMINOLOGY ¢  Source separation – removal of potentially

recyclable materials from the waste stream by individual consumer @ commercial establishment

¢  Reuse – Using an item for its original use. A common example is refilling a returnable soft drink bottle

¢  Recycling – Use of a material in a form similar to its original use. Newspaper: recycled into cardboard or newspaper. Plastic: shredded and manufactured into fabric. Aluminum window frames: new beverage containers

¢  Waste to energy – conversion of MSW into energy by combustion in a controlled incinerator. Energy to heat to electricity

¢  Resource recovery – Extraction of energy or materials from waste. Incorporates all of the above.

COMMON RECYCLED MATERIAL & POTENTIALLY RECYCLABLES

¢ Paper ¢ Glass ¢ Aluminum ¢ Ferrous metal ¢ Plastics ¢ Yard waste/ Garden waste ¢ Food waste ¢ Tires and rubber

¢ Recovery for recycling is highest overall compared with all other materials

¢ Paper waste �  Bulk grade �  High grade

¢ Recycle paper- different pulping process �  Removing extraneous material- glue, plastic, metal,

clips �  Deinking (mechanical process) �  Bleaching

Paper recycling

¢ Paper recycling – downgrade in quality �  Some of the longer fibers are shortened – lose

flexibility, bonding ability �  Virgin pulp – added to maintain paper strength �  Deterioration of brightness

¢ Other paper markets �  Insulation board, fiberboard, roofing �  Plant pots, egg cartons, meat trays �  Animal bedding Challenge- Construction @ modification of the paper

mills- costly Benefits – reduce space in landfill, tree conservation,

produce less toxic waste compared to production of paper from original tree

GLASS

¢ Glass is 100% recyclable and can be recycled endlessly without loss in quality or purity - something few food and beverage packaging options can claim.

¢ Most recovered glass is used for the production of new containers

¢ A smaller fraction for other uses – fiberglass, bricks, ‘glassphalt’ ( a mixture of glass and asphalt that serves as paving mixture for highway construction

¢ Modern glass container manufacturing requires clean and uniform feedstock

¢ Four requirements for cullet use in recycling �  Must be separated by color �  Must be contaminant free �  Must meet market specifications �  Must be container glass

¢ Color �  Sophisticated optical sorting @ hand-picking �  Mixed cullet- lower demand and value

¢ Contamination �  Decrease quality and increase cost �  Disrupt production, damage manufacturing

equipment, produce poor quality product �  Common contaminant- ceramic cups, plates and

pottery, crystal and opaque drinking glasses, mirors, heat resistant cookware (e.g., Pyrex), light bulbs

BENEFITS

¢ Reduce solid waste brought to landfills ¢ Require less energy for glass manufacturing-

recovered glass waste has a lower melting point compared to standard silica, soda ash and limestone mixture

¢ Hold down manufacturing cost ¢ Fewer gaseous emissions

Source: EcoIdeal Glass recycling project in Kuantan

GLASS CULLET

ALUMINUM

¢ Starting material for primary aluminum manufacture – bauxite ore

¢ Aluminum waste ¢  Industrial scrap- by product of aluminum

manufacturing process (new scrap) ¢ Post – consumer items: beverage cans

FERROUS METALS

PLASTICS

¢ Product from recycled plastics �  Fences �  Signposta �  Flowerpots �  Toys �  Compost bins �  Recycling container �  Containers for non-food products

TIRES AND RUBBER

¢ Relatively inert and may not necessarily need land disposal to limit any hazards

¢ Product of recycle rubber, tyres: �  Playground cover �  Flooring material �  Combustion fuel

REFERENCES:

¢  JICA 2OO6. The study on national waste minimisation in Malaysia. Retrieved from http://www.kpkt.gov.my/jpspn/fileupload/Laporan/GEJR06042_Summary.pdf

¢ Department of National Solid Waste Management, MHLG & Danish International Development Assistance (2010). Glass recycling in Kuantan: Exploring the potential for increasing recycling by collection of source sorted glass in Kuantan.

¢  John P., (2005), Waste Management Practices: Municipal, Hazardous and Industrial. Taylor & Francis group. USA