Recycling - Process, Legislation, Policies, Recycling Collection Programs, Recyclable Materials, Composting, Preparing The Compost
waste recycled disposed stream
Recycling is a method of reusing materials that would otherwise be disposed in a landfill or incinerator. Discarded materials that contain glass, aluminum, paper, or plastic can be recycled by collecting and processing them into raw materials that are then used to manufacture new products. Recycling has many benefits: it saves money in production and energy costs, helps to conserve stocks of virgin resources, and decreases the amount of solid waste that must be disposed in landfills or incinerators.
The concept of recycling is not a new one. At the turn of the twentieth century, about 70% of the cities in the United States had programs to recycle certain useful materials. During World War II, 25% of the waste stream was recycled and reused. In 1960, however, only 7% of the waste stream was recycled, but since the early 1970s this has risen along with environmental consciousness, and the recycling rate was about 17% in 1990.
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Recycling is a four-step process. The first step is collection and separation from other trash. The second is reprocessing into a raw material, and the third is manufacturing into new products. The final step is the purchase and use of recycled products by consumers, including individuals, businesses, and government institutions. Although this is a simple formula, recycling faces much controversy …
Legislation has a powerful role to play in encouraging or creating both a supply of recyclables and a market for recycled goods. For example, places with legislation mandating a deposit-refund system for containers (such as soda bottles) have acted to increase the supply of recyclable material. This sort of legislation requires that consumers pay a deposit for each container of soda, beer, or othe…
Utilization rates and procurement polices are other methods used to promote the use of recycled material by industry. Utilization rates allow greater flexibility than minimum-content rules. The manufacturer is still required to use set amounts of recovered material in their manufacturing process, but they have more latitude in selecting how the material is used. For example, a manufacturer might u…
There are four commonly used methods for collecting recyclable materials: curbside collection, drop-off centers, buy-back centers, and deposit/refund programs. The fastest growing method is curbside collection. There are three major ways in which recyclable materials are collected through curbside programs: mixed wastes, mixed (or commingled) recyclables, and source-separated recyclables. Mixed-wa…
Composting is an increasingly popular method of recycling organic materials. It is an ancient practice; and low-technology farmers around the world have always composted manure and other organic materials for application to their crops. In fact, composting is one of the central activities in all methods of organic agriculture. Any raw, organic materials containing vegetable or animal matter can be…
Composting programs have highly favorable economics, compared with the land-filling of organic waste. For example, a composting program in Seattle is saving taxpayers about $18 per ton of organic waste, and is diverting about 554 lb (252 kg) of garbage per household out of landfills each year. Similarly, the town of Oyster Bay, Long Island, instituted a leaf-composting program that generated 11,00…
Some zoos have become creative in composting and marketing the manure of their exotic animals. The Zoo-Doo Compost Company sells composted animal manure to novelty buyers and to organic gardeners. More than 160 zoo stores and 700 other retail outlets carry Zoo-Doo for sale to gag-gift buyers. In addition, gardeners buy larger quantities of the Zoo-Doo, which has a favorable nutrient ratio of 2-2-2…
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