Conclusion

Thank you for visiting my blog, I hope you have found it interesting and helpful. I myself have learnt a huge amount of information about recycling whilst writing this blog. In particular I noticed how easy it is for people at home to recycle and the difference it can make in our lives. Overall i have thoroughly enjoyed this project and have learnt a vast amount of new information.

The Recycling Center

Once your green bin is collected by your bin company's waste collection vehicle it is then brought to another area where it can be sorted out. This also happens to the rubbish at your local recycling center. This sorting allows various materials to be separated into isolated groups- glass, plastic, paper, cardboard and metals.

Waste Collection Vehicle

Source-http://www.archive.fitzroyshire.qld.gov.au/services/Services_Environmental%20Services.shtml

The main facility used in Dublin is the Materials Recovery Facility located in Ballymount, Dublin 12. The waste is put through different separation steps by a conveyor belt. Large plastic bags and pieces of cardboard are removed at this stage as they can jam the machine. The machine then sorts through the waste by weight. Paper, cardboard and plastic are separated from the heavier glass and metals.

Glass on a conveyor belt.

Image taken from- http://www.co.greene.oh.us/saneng/EnvServ/Recycling_Center_Glass_Info.htm

Cardboard, paper and plastic are then separated into groups. This sorting used to be done by hand but now a spectroscopic scanner can differentiate the different types of plastics and paper based on the wavelengths at which they absorb light. Each material absorbs light at a unique wavelength so the scanner can identify the composition of the waste.

Large magnets can differentiate the metals. The ferrous metals (iron, steel and tin cans) get lifted up by this magnet. Non-ferrous metals are grouped by magnetic eddy currents. An example of a non-ferrous metal would be aluminium cans. A rotating magnetic field creates a electric current around the can which creates a magnetic eddy current inside the can. The eddy current is repulsed by the magnetic field, so aluminium cans are separated from the rest of the waste. Finally, glass has to be sorted by hand based on the colour it is.

After the items are separated into the correct groups they then are changed so they can be reused for other materials. Below I have explained the process of the three main items we recycle- plastic, paper/cardboard, and aluminium cans.

Paper

Once the paper is separated it is then shredded. Water is then added to create a "fibrous pulp" from the paper. Wood pulp is also added. After this the paper has to be cleaned and all objects have to be removed, such as paper clips, staples, and dirt. They are removed by filters and special cleaning techniques. The ink is then removed. The remaining paper is passed through a drying machine on a roller, causing the fibres to join together. After the fibres have joined together and are dry, it is rolled onto large reels and now is recycled paper ready to be sent to the factories. The quality of paper decreases everytime it is recycled, so more wood pulp must be added eventually or else the recycled paper is used to produce less high quality products.

Plastic

The plastic is first washed and chopped into flakes. It is sorted into various types of plastic by putting it in a floatation tank where the heavy plastic sinks and the light plastic floats. These flakes are then put in the tumble dryer. After they are dried they are entered into an extruder which causes the plastic to melt. The plastic is put through a fine screen removing any unwanted particles that it could contain, then it is formed into strands. The strands are left to cool in water then they are chopped to make uniform pellets. Factories use these plastic pellets to make products. The pellets also can make flowerpots and be used for carpeting.

Plastic

Source-http://www.greenstarkville.org/green_living/recycling/imgs/plastic.jpg

Aluminum Cans

The cans are condensed by squashing them together to make briquettes. These are then sent to aluminum companies for melting. The cans are shredded and then crushed. By using a burning method the inside and outside of the cans are removed. The recycled aluminum is mixed with completely new unused aluminium. The molten aluminium is poured into ingots that are 25feet long. The ingots are then rolled so they are not too thick. After this the metal is made into cylinders and sent to can makers that produce the lids and bases. The new cans are used to hold drinks and sold in shops.

Aluminium Cans

Source- http://www.greenstarkville.org/green_living/recycling/imgs/plastic.jpg

Below is a video of materials being sorted on the sorting line in the recovery center.

Source- http://www.youtube.com/

How to Recycle

The three main rules to follow when recycling are Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. If these guidelines are obeyed people are recycling. Everybody can recycle their own waste by simply sorting each material into the correct section, for example by putting paper in one bin and plastic in another. However, all materials must be clean. You can then bring the material to your local recycling center where it is compressed and then brought to another center so it can be made into new materials. You can also recycle by using the different coloured bins supplied by the corporation or your bin company. There are usually three different colours which tend to be black, green and brown.

In Ireland the Green bin is for recycling dry household materials such as paper, light cardboard packaging, clean plastic, newspapers, magazines, drink cans (aluminium), food cans (steel and tin) and tetra pack (milk and juice cartons). Before putting these items in the green bin you have to make sure they're clean and dry. This means you have to wash out the drink and food cans. There are also some items that are not allowed to be put in the green bin. These include food, sharp objects, glass, wood, garden waste, clothing or dangerous waste.

Picture from- http://www.rossendale.gov.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=461

To download a greenbin information sheet go to this website- http://www.greenbin.ie/images/stories/binflyera4master2009.pdf

How should I prepare materials for the greenbin?

1. Plastic food containers, steel and tin cans (food or drink) must be RINSED and FLATTENED
   




2. Cardboard boxes must be FLATTENED
   




3. All containers must have LIDS and TOPS REMOVED and should be deposited in green bin as a separate item
   




4. Please RINSE ALL containers before depositing in the bin
   

And remember... no glass should be deposited in the green bin

(source- www.greenbin.ie)

The Black bin can hold almost anything, apart from hazardous waste. However, waste placed in the black bin is not actually recycled, merely disposed of in a landfill or incinerator. Therefore, it is more expensive for your black bin to be collected by your bin company. Thus, it can be seen that recycling saves you money as well as saving our environment.

Picture from- http://www.recap.co.uk/recycling/peterborough.aspx

The Brown bin is used for biodegradable waste such as food. This is not considered recycling because the waste is left to decay, therefore it is not actually being made into other materials. However, these materials can be broken down by natural aerobic bacteria to create fertile topsoil. When biodegradable waste is disposed of in an integrated, or unsorted, waste system it can lead to landfill gas. This causes the production of methane by bacteria, which adds to global warming. Thus, it is a very good idea to use the brown bin as well as the green bin.

Picture from- http://www.recap.co.uk/recycling/peterborough.aspx

So therefore the main bin to use for recycling is the green bin or else you can bring the waste you have to recycle to your local bring-center. At the bring centre, waste must be placed in the appropriate storage area which is the equivalent of placing it in the correct bin. After this, it is compressed and transported to another centre to be processed. The most important thing to know about recycling is Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

What Materials can you recycle?

Practically everything we use can be recycled or reused, but here are some of the main items that can be processed- glass, plastic, paper, cardboard, batteries, clothing, paint, timber, electronics, and metal. Even things as diverse as concrete can be recycled! The technique used to recycle each material is obviously different, but most are done on a large industrial scale. Generally, the recycled material is used (at least in part) to generate new material. For example, in the United States batteries can contain up to 80% recycled material.

Picture from- http://www.co.anoka.mn.us/v2_dept/iwm/index.aspx

The History of Recycling

Recycling has been around for thousands of years. Originally, it was done mainly by households on a small scale basis as materials were scarce and expensive and so had to be re-used, instead of being thrown away. Once the Industrial Age began in the late eighteenth century, goods became produced and purchased very cheaply. This meant people were more inclined to throw away waste rather than try to reuse it. This "disposable goods" culture can be seen as the start of current environmental problems.


Recycling on a larger scale could be seen in the 1930's and 1940's during the World Wars. At this time, resources were limited and people were forced to reuse goods and become more resourceful and creative. Things like rubber, nylon and some metals were limited and conserved. While this recycling trend continued in some countries without many resources (e.g. Japan) after the war, most countries stopped recycling because of the post-war economic boom.

Nylon.

Picture from- http://kowboykrome.com/halters/nylon.jpg

Recycling as we know it today began in the late 1960's in America because Americans were using too much of the world's resources such as oil, water, trees and minerals. Its global arrival was announced by the "World Earth Day" in 1970. The recycling movement was not effective at the beginning causing Americans to introduce a new system where by people were charged for bottles. People then began collecting empty bottles and selling them or else reusing them. Recycling then spread to other countries and has grown on a yearly basis since then.

An Empty Bottle.

Picture from- http://greenology101.wordpress.com/2008/08/

What is Recycling?

Recycling is defined as the breaking down of waste or used materials and processing them again into new and useful resources. Therefore recycling prevents waste, reduces enery usage, air and water pollution and lowers the emission of greenhouse gases, compared to creating a product from scratch. Therefore recycling is is both energetically and economically favourable, making it a necessity in our world today.



Recycling is coupled with reducing and reusing. Reducing means minimising the resource and energy usage during manufacture. Reusing literally means to use something more than once. This can be using it again for the same purpose or using it for something entirely different. It is different from recycling because recycling breaks something down into its raw materials, whereas reusing generally doesn't involve re-processing.



The symbol for recycling can be seen below:

Pictures From-

http://systemsintegrationtechnologies.com/main.

http://www.rnrplastics.com/rnr_recycles.htm

Introduction

Welcome to my blog about recycling. I hope you find it a useful tool to discover information about recycling, such as where and when it began. I also want to highlight the importance of recycling as a global issue and encourage people to realise the necessity of recycling, particularly as it can be done so easily.