Recycling Is Fun And It Matters
Monday, March 30th, 2009Recycling is the process in which a product is taken at the end of its useful life and used whole or just its parts to make a new product.
The internationally recognized symbol for recycling includes three arrows moving in a triangle. Each arrow represents a different part of the recycling process, from collection to re-manufacture to resale.
Let’s explain THE RECYCLING PROCESS now.
The first step requires collecting recyclable materials from recycling collection bins. These bins usually have the recycling symbol on them. Separating different materials is an important step for recycling. If the recyclable materials are not separated, they will be sent to the landfill with other trash.
Processing the recyclable materials involves sorting the materials into groups, cleaning them and getting them ready to be sold to manufacturers who will turn the materials into new products.
Manufacturing is the second step in the recycling process. Newspapers, paper towels, office paper, plastic bottles and aluminum cans are not only made of recycled materials, but they can also be recycled again.
The last step, but certainly not the least, involves selling the recycled products. When consumers purchase products that have been made with post consumer material, the recycling process has been completed and can then be repeated.
Recycling is important because it reduces the waste sent to landfills but also requires less energy for making new products out of recycled ones.
• The The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) estimates that 75% of our waste can be recycled, which goes well beyond what actually ends up in recycling bins
• Incinerating 10,000 tons of waste creates one job; landfilling 10,000 tons of waste creates six jobs; recycling 10,000 tons of waste creates 36 jobs.
• According to the U.S. EPA statistics, recycling diverted 68 million tons of material away from landfills and incinerators in 2001, up from 34 million tons in 1990.
• Recycling aluminum cans at the curb not only covers the cost of collecting and re-processing aluminum, but also helps subsidize the collection of other recyclables.
Recycling prevents hazardous materials and chemicals such as lead and mercury from ending up in landfills, which further contaminates soil and leach into our drinking water and it also keeps valuable material such as aluminum and paper out of landfills, so this material can be reused in other forms instead of being wasted.
To prevent hazardous materials from getting into water, it is essential to recycle lots of products, including those that you might not initially think of recycling. This includes batteries, electronics, motor oil, paint and any product that has “Caution” or “Warning” on the label.
To sum up, recycling:
• protects and expands U.S. manufacturing jobs and increases U.S. competitiveness.
• reduces the need for landfilling and incineration.
• prevents pollution caused by the manufacturing of products from virgin materials.
• saves energy
• decreases emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change.
• conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals, which are used for making new products.
• helps sustain the environment for future generations by conserving important raw materials
If you’re not already recycling, read further about how easy it is and how you can actually MAKE A DIFFERENCE
• Make some space in your kitchen and your bathroom for a recycling bin. Bathroom is often the forgotten area of the home where lots of recyclable items can be collected.
• Call your garbage company and request a recycling bin for curbside pickup.
• Identify which material can be recycled. It is best to start with the easiest, largest volume of material, normally paper and cardboard.
• When separating different materials, remove lids from containers and empty the liquids
• Store newspapers in paper grocery bags, when it’s full, place it on top of full recycling bin
• Collect all the empty batteries on the side and then throw them in the appropriate bins.
• When making a clear out, take unwanted stuff to a local charity shop or sell it on the market instead of throwing it away.
• When looking to buy some new furniture, it would be wise to get some recycled furniture or even swap unwanted. Check out local antique shops, furniture reclaim yards or junk shops, or makeover an old quality piece of furniture with a lick of paint rather than buy new - the results can look great.
• Old wooden light fittings just need a coat of paint to make them fit in with your homes design. Paint them up, maybe change the shade and fit them with an energy saving bulb.
Where will this collected waste go and what will it be done with it?
If you haven’t sorted your waste into separate materials, your recycling will go to a materials recycling facility to be sorted. The sorted materials are sold to reprocessing companies who turn them back into raw materials; these are then used to make new products.
Aluminium cans are shredded, melted down, and the molten aluminium poured into moulds to make ingots. These are then sold to companies who make new products such as car and plane parts, or maybe the can containing your next drink!
Glass is crushed and added to the mix of raw materials that make up new glass containers. The materials are melted in a furnace, and then moulded or blown to make new bottles and jars. Glass is also used to make unusual stuff - it’s an ingredient used to make new bricks and a filtration media for swimming pools.
Sorted plastics can be shredded, washed, melted and moulded into new products such as new bottles, garden furniture or fleece jackets.
When paper gets to the recycled paper mill it is added to water and turned into pulp. It is screened, cleaned and where required, de-inked until it is suitable for making new paper products such as newsprint, cardboard, packaging, tissue and office items.
Steel is a brilliant product to recycle, as it can be reprocessed again and again. Steel cans are melted down in a furnace and combined with other raw materials like molten iron. The hot steel is then cast into solid slabs which can be rolled into foil to make new cans.
Here is an additional instructions on what’s good and what’s bad to recycle.
Good for recycling:
• Unbroken glass containers - clear is the most valuable although glass is normally color sorted. Only bottle glass is acceptable. Ceramics contaminate glass. Lids go with metal.
• Clean dry newspapers and newspaper inserts
• Mixed paper: junk mail, magazines, photocopies, computer printouts, cereal/shoe boxes, etc. Do not recycle dirty or food stained paper. Paper fiber can be recycled about 7 times before it gets too small. Plastic window envelopes are ok.
• Empty metal cans, caps, lids, bands and foil
• Scrap aluminum such as lawn chairs, window frames and pots
• Grocery bags, most clear plastic bags especially if marked #2 or #4 but NOT plastic types #3, #4, #5, #6 and ESPECIALLYy #7. Caps are usually a different type from the bottle - toss if unmarked.
• Motor oil and tires.
• Automotive batteries, sealed lead/gel-cell batteries, rechargeable batteries (cordless phone, camcorder, shaver, portable appliance, computer, etc.)
• Laser/Ink printer cartridges
• Household toxics (paints, oils, solvents, pesticides, cleaners)
• Computers, eyeglasses, household goods
Bad for recycling
• Ceramics, pyrex, tablware, windows, lightbulbs, mirrors. Broken glass is hard to sort.
• Rubber bands, plastic bags, product samples, water, dirt, mold or other contamination.
• Full cans, spray cans unless instructed, cans with paint or hazardous waste.
• Stickers, napkins, tissues, waxed paper, milk cartons, carbon paper, laminated paper (fast food wraps, some food bags, drink boxes, foil), neon paper, thermal fax paper. Any wet or food stained paper.
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Finally, we’ll need a drink so we can make a toast to our friends and family, and what’s better way than involving Irish whiskey in it. Also, since it’s St. Patrick Day, the drink should be green. Since Shamrock is symbol of Ireland and St. Patrick, we’ll show you how to make the drink of the same name.