RECYCLINGRECYCLING

Allison M. Selk

10/13/04

CBE 562

OutlineOutline

General recycling informationDetails regarding:

– Aluminum– Plastics– Glass– Paper– Newspaper– Corrugated

General Recycling InfoGeneral Recycling Info

In 2001, US residents produced more than 229 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW)– Approximately 4.4 pounds per person per day– Up from 2.7 pounds per person per day in 1960– Canada produces 3.75 pounds per person per day– Germany and Sweden produce 2 pounds per person per

day Recycling diverted 68 million tons from landfills

and incinerators– Almost 30% of the waste produced

Waste Generation in USWaste Generation in US

Recycling Rates in USRecycling Rates in US

Recycling Rates in US of Recycling Rates in US of Specific MaterialsSpecific Materials

2001 Data

Recycling Rates in WI of Recycling Rates in WI of Specific MaterialsSpecific Materials

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

YardWaste

CorrugatedCardboard

New spaper GlassContainers

Aluminumand Steel

Cans

PlasticContainers

Magazines OfficePaper

2003 Recycling Rates in WI

General Recycling ProcessGeneral Recycling Process

Collection and Processing– Curbside, drop-off centers, buy-back centers,

deposit/refund programs– Materials are then sorted and sold to manufacturing

vendors Manufacturing

– Materials are incorporated into new products, either reformed into their original use or used in new ways

Purchasing recycled products– Businesses and consumers buy products made form

recycled materials– “Closing the loop”

Key Benefits of RecyclingKey Benefits of RecyclingReduces need for landfilling and

incinerationSaves energy and prevents pollution caused

by the extraction and processing of virgin materials and the manufacture of products from virgin materials– In 2000, recycling resulted in an annual energy

savings of 660 trillion BTUs (equivalent to the energy used in 6 million homes annually)

Key Benefits of Recycling (cont.)Key Benefits of Recycling (cont.)

Decreases emissions of Greenhouse Gases (GHG)– In 1996, recycling in the US prevented the release

of 33 million tons of carbon into the air

Conserves natural resources while providing raw materials to industry

Creates jobs

AluminumAluminum

3.2 million tons of aluminum in MSW stream in 2001

40% was recovered for recyclingAverage aluminum can contains 40% post

consumer recycled aluminumMarket value in WI in 2004 ranged from

$850 to $1,200 per ton (baled)

How Aluminum Is MadeHow Aluminum Is Made Mine deposits of

bauxite ore and refine into alumina

Alumina and electricity are combined with a molten electrolyte called cryolite

DC electricity is passed from a carbon anode into the cryolite, splitting the aluminum oxide into molten aluminum and carbon dioxide

Molten aluminum collects at the bottom of the reactor and is cast into ingots

How Recycling Aluminum WorksHow Recycling Aluminum Works Used beverage containers are collected and taken

to a material recovery facility (MRF) where they are sorted from other food containers

Need a high quality scrap free of steel, bottle caps, plastic, etc.

Cans are baled and sold to a middle man Aluminum is refined and melted into ingots Ingots are melted into can sheet, lids are

manufactured separately and the complete can is sold to the beverage industry

Benefits of Aluminum RecyclingBenefits of Aluminum Recycling Al can recycling process saves 95% of the energy

needed to produce Al from bauxite ore– Producing 20 cans from recycled materials uses the

same amount of energy as making one can from raw materials

– In 2002, 54 billion cans were recycled, saving the energy equivalent of 15 million barrels of crude oil

Reduces Greenhouse Gas emissions– Recycling 1 kg of Al saves

over 20 kg of Greenhouse gases Fast turnaround time

– Takes 6 weeks to manufacture, fill, sell, recycle, and remanufacture a beverage can

PlasticsPlastics

25.4 million tons of plastics in the MSW stream in 2001 (11% of total stream)– 11 million tons as containers and packaging– 6 million tons as nondurable goods (diapers, trash bags,

cups, medical supplies, etc.)– 8 million tons as durable goods (appliances, furniture,

etc.)

Only about 5% of total plastic is recycled but specific areas are much higher

Two Main Recycled PlasticsTwo Main Recycled Plastics PET

– Comes mainly from soft drink bottles– 36% was recycled in 2001– Market value in WI in 2004 ranged from $180

to $360 per ton (baled) HDPE

– Comes mainly from milk jugs and water bottles

– 28% was recycled in 2001– Market value in WI in 2004 ranged from $300

to $450 per ton (baled)

How Plastics Are ProducedHow Plastics Are Produced Petroleum is heated under controlled conditions

and broken down to create monomers Monomers are linked together to form the plastic

polymers Two main types

– Thermosets – solidify irreversible, useful for durability and strength

– Thermoplastics – weak bonds which allow for softening when heated, can be shaped/molded

Plastic Recycling ProcessPlastic Recycling Process

Containers are collected and sorted by plastic type, baled, and sent to a reclaimer

Reclaimer removes trash and grinds the plastic into small flakes

Flotation tanks further separate contaminates based on density

Flakes are dried, melted, filtered, and formed into pellets

Plastic Recycling Benefits and Plastic Recycling Benefits and MarketsMarkets

Recycling 1 ton of plastics saves 84% of energy needed to produce 1 ton of plastic from raw materials

Market demand for recovered plastic resin exceeds the amount of post-consumer plastic recovered from waste stream

PET – fiber for carpet and textiles, fleece jackets HDPE – bottles, trash bags, plastic lumber

GlassGlass

10.9 million tons of glass in MSW stream in 2001

22% was recovered for recycling90% of recycled glass is used to

make new containers– Also used in kitchen tiles, counter

tops, and wall insulation

How Glass Is MadeHow Glass Is Made

Sand, soda ash, limestone, and cullet (recycled crushed glass) are mixed and heated to 2600-2800 °F

Impurities (Fe, other) added for colorsMolded into the desired shape

Glass Recycling ProcessGlass Recycling Process

At MRF, workers remove large contaminants by hand and sort glass by color

Glass in crushed and is conveyed through a series of refinements

Magnets pull out metal and air currents remove lightweight material such as paper

Lasers or photodetectors can also be used to sort colors of crushed glass

Benefits Of Using CulletBenefits Of Using Cullet

Costs less than raw materialsProlongs furnace life because it melts at a

lower temperatureUses less energy

– Glass from recycled material saves 74% of the energy required to manufacture glass from raw materials

Markets For Recycled GlassMarkets For Recycled Glass

High quality cullet– Single colored– Free of contaminants– Used for making new containers

Lower quality cullet– Mixed color glass– Used for fiberglass insulation, roadbed

aggregate, driving safety reflective beads

PaperPaper

82 million tons on MSW stream in 2001 (36% of total stream, largest segment)

More than 40% of US landfill space is paper products– Paper doesn’t easily biodegrade– Newspapers from 1960s can be intact and readable

45% of total paper waste was recovered for recycling in 2001

Paper Recycling Rates By Paper Recycling Rates By SegmentSegment

Paper Recycling ProcessPaper Recycling Process

Mills mix shredded paper with waterMixture is cooked and cleaned

to create pulpA certain percentage of this pulp is mixed

with pulp created from virgin wood

Three Challenges For Three Challenges For Recycling PaperRecycling Paper

Contamination– inks, adhesives, food, broken glass, etc.

Sorting– Newsprint, office paper, etc.

Fiber degradation– Size and strength of paper fibers decrease during

manufacturing process– Degrade further with each round of recycling– Paper can usually be recycled up to 8 times

Uses of Recycled PaperUses of Recycled Paper

In 1999, 37% of raw materials used in US paper mills was recovered paper

Mixed paper collected goes into making paper towels, napkins, and bathroom tissue

NewspaperNewspaper

Market value in WI in 2004 ranged from $70 to $100 per ton (baled)

Recycled newsprint is used in new newspapers and in cellulose insulation

Market Value of NewspaperMarket Value of Newspaper

CorrugatedCorrugatedMarket value in WI in 2004 ranged from

$50 to $100 per ton (baled)Used to make new corrugated containers

and cereal boxes

ReferencesReferences1. http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/i

ndex.htm

2. http://dnr.wi.gov/org/aw/wm/markets/recmarprices/index.html

3. http://www.city.fitchburg.wi.us/309753.html4. http://www.environmentaldefense.org/document

s/611_ACF17F.htm

5. http://www.wastewise.wa.gov.au/pages/recycling.asp

6. http://www.earth911.org