RECYCLING:
Is it working?
An investigation of the environmental
significance of recycling by Javan Villegas,
Peter Albrich, Jus Bagoyo
A Brief History of Recycling
• Been around for thousands of years
• Was adopted by environmental movement
in the 70’s.
• Is usually done to conserve resources,
make a profit or help the earth.
What Gets Recycled?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Aluminum
Cardboard
Glass
Paper
Plastics
Steel
Etc.
What Gets Recycled?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Aluminum
Cardboard
Glass
Paper
Plastics
Steel
Etc.
And the Point Is…
…Generally to help the earth
So does the recycling of certain products
significantly aid the earth?
ALUMINUM
• WHAT IS RECYCLING
ALUMINUM DOING?
-Is it helping the environment?
-Is it economically beneficial?
-Is recycling aluminum doing
what it is supposed to be
doing?
- Is it pointless?
FACTS
FACTS ABOUT ALUMINUM
RECYCLING
• Aluminum is 100% recyclable!
- It is a sustainable metal, so aluminum can
be recycled over and over again.
- Two-thirds of aluminum ever produced IS
IN USE TODAY!
• Over 50% of the aluminum cans produced
are recycled.
Facts Continued
• Recycling one aluminum can saves
enough energy to run a TV for three hours
or a 100- watt light bulb for four hours.
• Recycling 40 cans conserves the same
energy as one gallon of gasoline.
• Recycled aluminum requires less energy,
so it produces 95% LESS emissions, such
as greenhouse gases.
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
• Aluminum is the most abundant metal on earth!
• Aluminum is a SUSTAINABLE METAL and can
be recycled OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
- The process involves simply re-melting the
metal, which is far less expensive and energy
intensive than creating new aluminum.
- Recycling scrap aluminum requires only 5% of
the energy used to make new aluminum.
ECONOMIC BENEFITS
Apparent Consumption by Market
(figures in millions of pounds)
Major Market
• Building and Construction- 3,100
- consumes 12.6% of the total shipment of aluminum
• Transportation- 7,855/ 32%
• Consumer Durables- 1,474/ 6%
• Electrical- 1,643/ 6.7%
• Machinery & Equipment- 1,623/ 6.6%
• Containers & Packaging- 4,895/ 19.9%
• Other- 792/ 3.2%
• Domestic- 21,412/ 87%
• Exports- 3,206/ 13%
• The TRANSPORTATION SECTOR is the
largest North American market for
aluminum accounting for 7.9 billion
pounds.
After the facts, do you still think
recycling aluminum is pointless?
Sources:
• http://www.novelis.com/Recycle/EN/Educa
tors/Educational+Materials/Recycling+Fact
s+and+Figures/
• http://earth911.com/metal/aluminum-can/
• http://www.aluminum.org/index_april2009.
htm
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOpGh
AdQFEY
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOpGh
AdQFEY
Glass
What is it?
• A state of matter
• Most commercial glass is Silica, Soda and Lime
• Colors Obtained by different chemicals
• Chemically Neutral
• Infinitely Recyclable
• Something that takes a long time to decompose
How is it recycled?
• Glass is sorted by color
• Crushed/Turned into cullet
• Cullet is melted or mixed with raw
materials
• Cullet has lower liquid temp than raw silica
• Also Less additives are needed
• THE VIDEO
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf8bWDPDSi
8
Why Recycle Glass?
• Energy is saved at the furnaces
• It can cost less to produce (In 2008 1 ton of
silica = $27.73, Cullet sometimes less)
• It takes less material to make
• Its very useful
• It takes up less space in landfills
The Life Cycle Analysis
• Done by British Glass
• Found that using recycled glass to make
jars and bottles Saves 315kg of CO2 per
ton.
• Saves CO2 when used for other products
too
How much glass is recycled?
• In 2007 the US generated 11,470,000
tons of Glass Containers and Packaging
• We recycled 28.1 percent or 3,220,000
tons
• That’s 1,014,300,000 kg about
2,236,100,000 pounds of CO2
• However in 2006 cars produced around
2,872,253,487,850 pounds of CO2, about
1280 times more
Regardless…
• Recycled glass still very useful. It can be
found in:
-Glasphalt
-Fiberglass
-Bottles and Containers
-Sand/abrasives
-Tiles/Frames/Windows
-And so much more!! (not really)
Sources
•
http://www.britglass.org.uk/Files/LocalAuthorities/BGEnviroReport.p
df
http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=93027
27
http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/silica/780398.pdf
http://scrapmetalpricesandauctions.com/2008/12/glass-cullet-andcontainer-recycling-prices-dec-17/
http://www.nytimes.com/1996/06/30/magazine/recycling-isgarbage.html?sec=&spon=&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink&
pagewanted=2
http://earth911.com/glass/facts-about-glass-recycling/
• http://www.glasscullet.com/
http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/glass.htm#recycle
http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/pubs/msw07-fs.pdf
http://www.epa.gov/oms/consumer/f00013.htm
http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/ht
ml/table_01_11.html
• Background recycling symbol from:
http://www.recessionsurvival101.com/recession/recycling-symbol.jpg
Plastic Recycling
•Types of Plastic Recycled
•Energy used by Plastic Recycling/which
types get recycled most
•How Plastic is Recycled
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yo31H7Nz5Bk
Pros about Plastic Recycling
• How easy it is for the consumer
• Number of industries recycling
plastic today
• Uses for plastic recycling
Local Industries Recycling
Plastic
• One of the top 50 plastic recycling
companies in the U.S.
• Regulatory changes enhance plastic
recycling
Denton’s Facility
Laws Affecting Plastic
Recycling
• Oregon Recycling Act of 1991
•Oregon Rigid Plastic Container Law
•Oregon Revised Stated (ORS) 459A
•Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) 340 Division 90
•Oregon Senate Bill 707 (adding H2O to Bottle refunds)
Work Cited
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Work Cited
Akron Web Design and Marketing. 21 Mar. 2009
<http://www.solidwastedistrict.com/stats/plastics.htm>.
2007 American Chemistry Council, Inc 21 Mar. 2009 <
http://www.americanchemistry.com/s_plastics/doc.asp?CID=1571&DID=5972>.
DEQ. 25 May. 2009 <http://www.deq.state.or.us/news/prDisplay.asp?docID=2266>
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. “Rigid Plastic Containers.” 25 May.
2009 < http://www.deq.state.or.us/lq/sw/recovery/rpc.htm>
Pictures Work Cited
“Compacted Recycled Plastic.” 25 May. 2009
http://www.westwiltshire.gov.uk/print/plastic-recycling-bundles.jpg
“Plastic Bag.” 25 May. 2009
http://cutecarry.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/plasticbag.jpg
“Denton’s Plastic Recycling Facility.” 25 May. 2009
http://www.denplas.com/index.php
Wilson, Mark. “Message in a Bottle.” EmpireWire. 25 May. 2009
http://www.bottlebill.org/images/resources/cartoons/2004-messagebottle.jpg
So Does Recycling Help?
• In the all 3 cases recycling has been
shown to be better environmentally than
creating the products from raw materials.
• However It can be bad Economically
• Still a good thing to do