General Information about Recycling.Aluminum can is ideal for recycling. By recycling aluminum, energy and fuel are conserved when aluminum is recycled it only requires five percent of the energy initially required to make aluminum from bauxite ore. That's enough to run a T.V. for three hours. The recycling process eliminates the most energy intensive part of the manufacturing process: mining, shipping, refining, and reduction. Aluminum can be recycled over aver without a drop in the material performance or quality.
The first step of the aluminum production process is mining the bauxite ore. After the bauxite ore is mined, it is then shipped to a refining plant, where the ore is crushed and chemically treated to produce aluminum in a powdery oxide. Finally, the aluminum is separated from the oxygen by shooting an electrical current through a chemical mixture; the metal formed is drawn off, cast, and finally made into cans and other products.
A recycled aluminum can is returned to stores to sale to consumers in as little as 90 days after collection. Remelting, rolling, manufacturing and distribution. A consumer could buy basically the same can four times a year! One pound of recycled aluminum saves the resources required to generate 1.5 kilo watts for hours of electricity.Most fluids can be reprocessed and also reused in their original applications. For example antifreeze can be filtered renormalized and distilled to recover the pure glycol. Glycol can be reused wit no compromise in performance. Engine oil is changed chemically because of the harsh conditions it is exposed to so they would have inferior lubricating properties and would be used in less demanding ways. Recycling engine oil is more complex to process antifreeze; a large fraction of the oil from automobiles is burned as fuel.
Steel has many recycling advantages in many ways. One advantage is the reduction of solid waste stream recycling programs. Another way it is beneficial in saving landfill space and savings experienced by reduced energy and natural resource requirements.
Steel cans represent 1.3 volume percent of the landfilled Municipal solid waste or 1.0 percent by weight. This is approximately 1.6 million tons of steel that will be in a landfill for future generations. Recycling steel cans save about saves 74% of the energy it would take to make it from its original material. Each year, using recycled steel to make new steel saves enough energy to electrically power for about 18 million households (20 percent of U.S. households) in one year.Composting is recycling for yard and kitchen waste. Many organic materials, such as grass clippings, leaves and vegetable peeling are contained and tired into rich dark humus. Humus is the dark part of soil; it's kind of like mulch. Compost is very beneficial for plants and provides for nutrients and helps the soil keep in moisture.
Sometimes material may be added to the compost pile as it's mixed well to aid in the decay process.
Most plastics are made from oil and form other natural gases. From these materials, plastics manufacturers create a family of materials used to make everything from tough composite oil and natural gas used as raw materials for plastic count for only 1.5% of total energy consumed by the United States. A study made in Germany found out that 400% more material by weight would be needed if there wasn't any plastic.
Plastic products require energy to make, than compared to other products made from other materials. Grocery bags made from plastic require 40% less energy equivalent to Philadelphia's electricity needs for more than two and a half years.
Plastics also prevent waste; they help keep perishable goods fresh from damage. Plastics that are shatter resistant reduce due to breakage. Plastics that are also heat sealed jars keep food fresh in the store. Every pound of plastic packaging used prevents 1.7 pounds of food waste. Plastic is made of fiberfill and about five soda bottles could make a man's ski jacket.
Hazardous waste is something that the RCRA (Resource conservation and Recovery) says it burns, is corrosive, or reactive. A lot of professions produce a lot of hazardous waste. Companies like dry cleaners, car shops, hospitals, and exterminators. In the U.S. these companies and their generators produce over 40 million tons of hazardous waste. But hazardous waste is not just limited to these places your own home has them to.
Even though hazardous is mostly bad it is also good for the economy. Some of this hazardous waste has precious metals in them. The materials included are gold, silver, platinum and other types of materials.
There are three different types of recycling: source reduction, composting, and incineration. They are all cost effective and save energy. Source reduction is sometimes called waste prevention. That means to still consume but throw await less. This may include buying more durable goods and free of toxics as possible. Because source reduction prevents waste it is more commonly used.
Composting is a biological way to reduce waste that can be used as a soil amendment. It is used for yard waste to create mulch.
Incineration burns the waste to produce more energy. If used properly it can produce a great amount of electricity or steam. It also reduces the amount of space need for landfills by a large margin.
Interview with Nancy Morales Of accurate recycling center
610-623-7772Question: what types of things do you recycle?
Answer: at this recycling center we recycling center we recycle things like cardboard, white ledger paper, news paper, and non-furnace metals (aluminum and copper)
Question: is it expensive to recycle those materials?
Answers: it is expensive to recycle these items when you take into consideration how much it coast to pick up these items and the machines needed to help recycle them. We have to pay people to go out and pick these items up in trucks and bring them here to be recycled. We also have to pay for the equipment needed to recycle these items. The cost for these things can be high, but it's all for the greater good.
Question: Why do you think people don't recycle?
Answer: I think people don't recycle because they're lazy. People find it more convenient to throw everything in the trash can than to sort it out because it is easier that way. If people saw the effects of not recycling immediately, they would recycle all the time.
Question: how is not recycling dangerous?
Answer: Not recycling can result in a lot of pollution. Pollution can put an even bigger hole in the ozone layer and cause radiation from space to harm us. Pollution can also kill animals and plants that we depend on for food and medical reasons.
Question: How is recycling good for the community?
Answer: Recycling is good for our community because it helps to preserve our resources. An example of this would be with trees. Trees can now live longer because we are recycling paper and wood, instead of cutting down a new tree.
Keith Wilson, Jovan Perry, Meaghan Washington, Katherin Perez
3/17/05
Mr. Wilson
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/facts.htm
http://www.mines.edu/stu-lifel/organ/earth/canstl.html
www.epa.gov/osw
file://C:\DOCUME~1\keith\locals`1\temp\AVWXTSDV.htm
file://C:\DOCUME`1\Keith\LOCALS~temp\6OJQ5FEG.htm
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