Recycling Plastics

1
Recycling Plastics

• Logan Mongelli, Victoria Pemberton, Roddy
  Tierney, Deanna Prue

2
Types of Plastics

• There are seven different types of plastics that
  are each identified by an identification number
  describing chemical makeup

3
1. PETE- Polyethylene Terephtalate

• The brand name is Dacron
• It is a thermoplastic that is used in synthetic
  fibers such as -Beverage, food and other
  liquid containers -Thermoforming
  applications -Engineering resins often in
  combination with glass fiber
• Because PETE is an excellent water and moisture
  barrier material, plastic bottles made from PETE
  are widely used for soft drinks
• The majority of the world's PETE production is
  for synthetic fibers (more than 60), with bottle
  production accounting for around 30 of global
  demand
• This form of plastic is one of the most commonly
  recycled of the seven types
• In terms of textile applications, PETE is
  referred to by its common name, polyester. The
  acronym "PETE" is generally used in relation to
  packaging.

4
PET consists of polymerized units of the monomer
ethylene terephthalate, with repeating
C10H8O4units.
This is a short piece of the PET polymer chain
5
2. HDPE- High-density Polyethylene

• HDPE is considered one of the safer plastics and
  is easily recycled
• It is also stronger than standard Polyethylene,
  good barrier from moisture, and stays solid at
  room temperature
• One other bonus is HDPE doesnt leak any toxic
  chemicals into the soil or water
• This particular Plastic is known for its strength
  to density ratio
• Like most plastics it is made from petroleum
• Since this material can be remolded by subsequent
  melting and shaping, it is classified as a
  polyethylene thermoplastic

6

• These are commonly
• used items with the
• Plastics HDPE

7
3. Vinyl

• Synthetic man-made material made from ethylene
  and chlorine
• Both the substances are combined to form
  Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) resin
• It is the third-most widely produced plastic
• Low cost material to produce, very durable,
  resistant to moisture
• Used in construction because it is more effective
  than traditional materials such as copper, iron
  or wood in pipe and profile applications
• It is also used in clothing and upholstery,
  electrical cable insulation, inflatable products
  and many applications in which it replaces rubber
  when plasticizers are added to it to make it
  softer and more flexible
• Easily recycled, and more environmentally
  friendly since 57 of vinyl is made from common
  salt which is a renewable natural resource

8
A strand of the Polyvinyl chloride chain

• About 80 of production involves suspension
  polymerization. Emulsion polymerization accounts
  for about 12 and bulk polymerization accounts
  for 8.

9
4. LDPE- Low Density Polyethylene

• Thermoplastic made from monomer ethylene
• Started being produced in 1933
• Used in trays, caps/thin lids, six pack
  rings,plastic wraps, playground slides.
• It can be withstand temperatures of 80 degrees
  celsius
• Its a very tough plastic but is breakable.
• Unlike PVC, LDPE is not regarded as a bad
  plastic

10
(No Transcript)
11
5. PP- Polypropylene

• Polypropylene is a plastic polymer with the
  chemical formula C3H6
• Another thermoplastic polymer that is known for
  being rugged and quite resistant to solvents,
  bases, and acids
• Has a very high melting point of 320 degrees
  fahrenheit making it dishwasher safe
• Also very easy to add dyes to this type of
  plastic
• In 2008, the global market for polypropylene had
  a volume of 45.1 million metric tons, which led
  to a turnover of about 65 billion

12
Short segments of polypropylene
13
6. PS- Polystyrene

• It is a synthetic aromatic polymer made from the
  monomer styrene, a liquid petrochemical
• Can be rigid or foamed General purpose
  polystyrene is clear, hard and brittle
• One of the most widely used plastics, the scale
  of its production is several billion kilograms
  per year
• Its uses include protective packaging (such as
  packing peanuts and CD and DVD cases),
  containers, lids, bottles, trays, tumblers, and
  disposable cutlery
• Polystyrene foams are good thermal insulators and
  are therefore often used as building insulation
  materials, such as in insulating concrete forms
  and structural insulated panel building systems
• It is highly flammable
• It is very slow to biodegrade which is
  controversial because it is often abundant as a
  form of litter in the outdoor environment,
  specifically along shores and waterways
  especially in its foam form
• Most polystyrene products are currently not
  recycled due to the lack of incentive to invest
  in the compactors and logistical systems
  required. Due to the low density of polystyrene
  foam, it is not economical to collect
• Foam scrap can be turned into clothes hangers,
  park benches, flower pots, toys, rulers, stapler
  bodies, seedling containers, picture frames, and
  architectural molding from recycled PS

14
Polystyrene results when styrene monomers
interconnect. In the polymerization, the
carbon-carbon pi bond (in the vinyl group) is
broken and a new carbon-carbon single (sigma)
bond is formed, attaching another styrene monomer
to the chain.
15
7. Other- Mixed Plastics

• Generally a wild card marking plastics that dont
  fall within the other six categories
• Include polycarbonate bottles, which are
  understood by scientists to negatively affect
  human hormones by leaching bisphenol-A into hot
  beverages
• Polycarbonate baby bottles are losing favour with
  the public, and retailers including are starting
  to sell more BPA-free bottles
• Some examples of these plastics include
• Silicone-Heat resistant material used mainly as a
  sealant but also used for high temperature
  cooking utensils
• Plastarch materia Biodegradable and heat
  resistant, thermoplastic composed of modified
  corn starch
• Furan- Resin based on Furfuryl Alcohol used in
  foundry sands and biologically derived
  composites.
• Polyimide - A High temperature plastic used in
  materials such as Kapton tape

16
(No Transcript)
17
Advantages of Recycling Plastic

• Reduced Oil Consumption- Recycling plastic cuts
  back on oil consumption, which is helping to
  extend the lifespan of our remaining fossil fuel
  reserves.
• On average, 1 ton of recycled plastic saves 16.3
  barrels of oil
• Saving Energy- Recycling plastic still uses
  energy, but it usually requires less energy than
  making fresh plastic. Recycling 1 ton of plastic
  saves the equivalent of 5,774 kilowatt-hours of
  electric energy.
• Reducing Waste- Plastics break down slowly in a
  landfill. However, in the ocean, for example -
  they can break down more quickly, but they still
  take a long time to biodegrade depending on the
  type of plastic it could be a century or even
  more!
• Types Uses- Only two types of plastic,
  polyethylene terephthalate (No.1) and
  high-density polyethylene (No.2), are recycled at
  most locations.
• Recycled PET and HDPE can be used to make new
  bottles, polyester fibers for use in clothing,
  car parts and plastic lumber, among other
  products.

18
Disadvantages of Recycling Plastic

• Plastic resin, which is part of the manufacturing
  and recycling process, and comes from petroleum,
  can get into foods stored in recycled plastic
  containers
• Because of the potential health threats recycled
  plastic poses, much plastic recycling is actually
  downcycling. This means that the plastic actually
  becomes a different, less useful product.
• After downcycling, plastic is generally unfit for
  another round of recycling. This means that it
  ends up in a landfill despite having seen a
  secondary use as a less useful product.
• The cost associated with processing plastic
  categories 3-7 compared with the return available
  from a secondary market drives many municipal
  recycling programs to deny these items.

19
Recycling in Dutchess County

• One positive we have is the Dutchess County
  Resource Recovery Agency which is a is a public
  benefit corporation created by the New York State
  Legislature for the purpose of providing solid
  waste management services for Dutchess County.
• Local Law NO.1 1984 was the first local law that
  provided regulation and authority for dutchess
  country to carry out municipal waste
  responsibilities
• Local Law NO.4 1990 made recycling mandatory for
  Dutchess County

20
Mission Statement for D.C.R.R.A.

To dispose of Dutchess County's solid waste in an environmentally friendly way, and where possible, create value in the process.
To promote economically viable recycling in the county.
We will provide and manage the facilities for disposal and recycling.
Where possible we will use private enterprise to accomplish our objectives.
We will endeavor to accomplish our objectives at the least cost to the taxpayer within the constraints of public policy and our charter.
21
Recycling in New York State

• NYS Plastic Bag Reduction, Reuse and Recycling
  Law increases accessibility to recycle plastic
  bags and encourages it
• Solid Waste Management Act of 1988 provided a
  plan and priorities of waste management in NYS
• New York's Bottle Bill - Returnable Container Act
  (RCA)
• reduced roadside container litter by 70 percent
• recycled 90 billion containers, equal to 6
  million tons of materials, at no cost to local
  governments
• saved more than 52 million barrels of oil and
• eliminated 200,000 metric tons of greenhouse
  gases each year.
• When the Bottle Bill was passed in 1982
  non-carbonated drinks like iced teas, sport
  drinks and bottled water made up a small fraction
  of the beverage market. Today, non-carbonated
  water makes up more than 23 percent of the
  market.

22
Examples of recycling in NYS
23
Recycling in the United States

• Of the 30 million tons of plastic waste generated
  in the U.S. in 2009, only 7 percent was recovered
  for recycling
• EPA regulates household, industrial, and
  manufacturing solid and hazardous wastes under
  the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
  (RCRA). RCRA's goals are to protect us from the
  hazards of waste disposal conserve energy and
  natural resources by recycling and recovery
  reduce or eliminate waste and clean up waste
  that which may have spilled, leaked or been
  improperly disposed of
• The Solid Waste Program, under RCRA Subtitle D,
  encourages states to develop comprehensive plans
  to manage nonhazardous industrial solid waste and
  municipal solid waste, sets criteria for
  municipal solid waste landfills and other solid
  waste disposal facilities, and prohibits the open
  dumping of solid waste.

24
(No Transcript)
25
What Can YOU Do?

• Some easy ways to reduce plastic waste include
• Avoid using plastic straws, or purchase a
  stainless steel/ glass reusable one
• Use reusable bags at the grocery store,
  preferably cotton ones
• Buy boxes not bottles (laundry detergent, dish
  soap, etc.)
• Buy in bulk- the less plastic you purchase, the
  less you are throwing away
• Reuse plastic containers
• Reuse water bottles caps
• Do not use plastic forks, spoons, etc.

26
Works Cited

• http//www.mnn.com/lifestyle/responsible-living/ph
  otos/16-simple-ways-to-reduce-plastic-waste/pack-a
  -greener-lunch
• http//www.ehow.com/list_7254476_disadvantages-rec
  ycled-plastics.html
• http//www.wikipedia.org/
• http//www.epa.gov/

27
E-Waste Recycling

• By Katerina Economikos, Anna Zoodsma, Jayvon
  Johnson,
• Rebekah Levine

28
What is E-Waste used for? What products? How
many forms are there?

• E-waste describes discarded electrical or
  electronic devices.
• Product
• Discarded computers
• Office electronic equipment
• Entertainment device electronics
• Mobile phones
• Television sets
• Refrigerators
• ETC..
• The re-usables, (working and repairable
  electronics) and secondary scrap (copper, steel,
  plastic, etc.) are "commodities". Because loads
  of surplus electronics are frequently commingled
  (good, recyclable, and non-recyclable), several
  public policy advocates apply the term "e-waste"
  broadly to all surplus electronics.

29
How much is used in the United States?

• 2.37 million short tons

30
What are the current E-Waste recycling rates?

• -Rates are not certain as E-Waste recycling is a
  relatively new issue. Materials were not used
  frequently until recently.
• -U.S. in 2009- 25 electronics recycled
• -38 of computers (18 million)
• -17 of TVs (4.6 million)
• -8 mobile devices (11.7 million)

31
How much landfill space could be saved?

• - 1 of landfill space could be saved
• - Between 2003 and 2005, electronic products
  available for EOL management were recycled or
  disposed of in the following approximate
  percentages
• About 15-20 were collected for recycling. The
  recycled/disposed split remained fairly constant
  between 1999-2005. Although recycling continues
  to increase, the percentage recycled remains
  constant because of the ever-increasing number of
  electronics available for EOL management.
• About 80-85 were disposed of (largely to
  landfills)

32
Special Facts

• 80 to 85 percent of electronic products were
  discarded in landfills or incinerators, which can
  release certain toxics into the air.
• E-waste represents 2 percent of America's trash
  in landfills, but it equals 70 percent of overall
  toxic waste. The extreme amount of lead in
  electronics alone causes damage in the central
  and peripheral nervous systems, the blood and the
  kidneys.
• 20 to 50 million metric tons of e-waste are
  disposed worldwide every year.
• Cell phones and other electronic items contain
  high amounts of precious metals like gold or
  silver. Americans dump phones containing over 60
  million in gold/silver every year.
• Only 12.5 percent of e-waste is currently
  recycled.
• For every 1 million cell phones that are
  recycled, 35,274 pounds of copper, 772 pounds of
  silver, 75 pounds of gold, and 33 pounds of
  palladium can be recovered.
• Recycling 1 million laptops saves the energy
  equivalent to the electricity used by 3,657 U.S.
  homes in a year.
• E-waste is still the fastest growing municipal
  waste stream in America, according to the EPA.
• A large number of what is labeled as "e-waste" is
  actually not waste at all, but rather whole
  electronic equipment or parts that are readily
  marketable for reuse or can be recycled for
  materials recovery.
• It takes 539 pounds of fossil fuel, 48 pounds of
  chemicals, and 1.5 tons of water to manufacture
  one computer and monitor

33
How much energy could be saved?

• Only 12.5 of e-waste is currently recycled.
• Recycling 1 million laptops saves the energy
  equivalent to the electricity used by 3,657 U.S.
  homes in a year.
• For every 1 million cell phones that are
  recycled, 35,274 pounds of copper, 772 pounds of
  silver, 75 pounds of gold, and 33 pounds of
  palladium can be recovered.

34
How is E-Waste typically recycled? What can be
done to make it reusable?

• the product is fixed and resold
• parts of the product that are still useable are
  taken out and put in newer models or the same
  model that needs it
• it is melted down and used for something else

35
Why is it important to recycle the E-Waste?

• -E-Waste contains chemicals such as lead,
  mercury, cadmium, phosphorus, and flame
  retardants (hazardous waste)
• -Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) are also found in
  TV/computer monitors are most harmful to the
  environment
• -saves landfill space
• -The NYS Electronic Equipment Recycling and
  Reuse Act, requires manufacturers to provide free
  and convenient recycling of electronic waste to
  most consumers in the state.-http//www.dec.ny.go
  v/chemical/65583.html

36
What are the challenges to recycling the material?

• A serious challenge we are facing is that
  refurbishing and reuse of computers and
  televisions, while desirable and encouraged, just
  delays the ultimate disposal problem. These items
  will eventually be unusable, and it will be
  important to have programs in place that divert
  this waste from landfills.
• Finding ways to keep electronic waste out of
  landfills is a challenge now facing electronic
  equipment manufacturers, recycling and waste
  management organizations, elected officials, and
  environmental regulatory agencies such as DEQ. At
  present, many households have little choice but
  to put obsolete or broken electronic items in the
  trass have little choice but to put obsolete or
  broken electronic items in the trash.

37
Is there currently a market for recycled E-Waste?

• A large number of what is labeled as "e-waste" is
  actually not waste at all, but rather whole
  electronic equipment or parts that are readily
  marketable for reuse or can be recycled for
  materials recovery. Today the electronic waste
  recycling business is in all areas of the
  developed world a large and rapidly consolidating
  business. Part of this evolution has involved
  greater diversion of electronic waste from
  energy-intensive downcycling processes (e.g.,
  conventional recycling), where equipment is
  reverted to a raw material form.

• Examples
• Best Buy Best Buy accepts electronic items for
  recycling, even if they were not purchased at
  Best Buy.
• Staples Staples also accepts electronic items
  for recycling at no additional cost. They also
  accept ink and printer toner cartridges.
• E-Cycling Central is a website from the
  Electronic Industry Alliance which allows you to
  search for electronic recycling programs in your
  state.

38
What can recycled E-Waste be made into?

• metal jewelry, automotive parts, electronics,
  etc.
• plastic new electronic devices, garden
  furniture, license plate frames, non-food
  containers, replacement automotive parts
• battery other rechargeable battery products

39
Can E-Waste be reused before it is recycled?

• -Broken E-Waste should either be repaired or
  recycled
• -if repaired, electronics can be resold or given
  back
• original owner
• -Much of E-Waste is not broken, customers just
  dont want it anymore. With new products coming
  out every week, customers are persuaded to buy
  newer products even when the old ones are in good
  condition.

40
What are the disadvantages of recycling the
material?

• -Costly (for certain products)
• -The items associated in recycling e-waste will
  eventually be unusable anyway
• -Recycling process can produce problems to the
  environment (soil/groundwater contamination)

41
What would it take to make recycling E-Waste a
more viable operation? Outlook

• Federal Legislative Mandates for Electronics
  Recovery At present, there is no Federal mandate
  to recycle e-waste. There have been numerous
  attempts to develop a Federal law. However, to
  date, there is no consensus on a Federal
  approach.
• State Mandatory Electronics Recovery Programs
  Many states have instituted mandatory electronics
  recovery programs.
• Dutchess County has a mandatory recycling law
  (Local Law No. 4 of 1990 and subsequent
  amendments) that has been in effect since 1990.

42
Other Information

• 60 minutes video

43
Works Cited

• http//www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/ecycling
  /manage.htm
• http//www.erecycleny.com/benefits.aspx
• http//www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/65583.html
• http//www.dosomething.org/actnow/tipsandtools/11-
  facts-about-e-waste

44
Recycling Glass

• Ahmöd Tipu, Annika Björnson
• Juli Möngini, Kenny Gödwin

45
Glass Recycling

• Americans generate about 11.5 million tons of
  glass every year
• Only 28 of glass is recycled in the U.S.
• New York recycles more glass compared to most
  other states because it has a 5 cent bottle bill
  (Its one out of eleven in the U.S. to have such
  a bill)

46
Glass Uses

• Glass is used for many different products
• Some glass products include
• windows
• bottles jars
• vases
• tiles
• telescopes
• microscopes

47
Glass Recycling

• If all of the glass in the United States was
  recycled, about 9 million tons of landfill space
  would be saved.
• Every month, we throw out enough glass bottles to
  fill a skyscraper.
• Over a ton of resources is saved for every ton of
  glass recycled 1,330 pounds of sand, 433 pounds
  of soda ash, 433 pounds of limestone, and 151
  pounds of feldspar.

48
How much energy could be saved by recycling glass?

• According to the EPA, recycling glass only saves
  about 30 percent of the energy cost of producing
  new glass, and the raw materials required are in
  abundant supply. Reusing glass bottles and jars,
  however, requires no energy whatsoever, so you
  can reduce energy costs by finding new uses for
  these containers instead of simply throwing them
  out. Once you throw glass out, 1 million years
  will pass before that glass breaks down at the
  landfill.

49
How is glass typically recycled?

• Insulation products
• Ceramic sanitary ware production
• Flux agent in brick manufacture
• Astroturf
• Golf bunker sand
• Recycled glass countertops
• Water filtration media
• Abrasive
• Aggregate
• Glassphalt

50
What must be done to make glass reusable?

• To make glass reusable it must be collected and
  brought to a separate recycling center then
  sorted by colour. After this it is sorted by
  color then crushed down to be used in the desired
  way the company would like.

51
Why is it important to recycle glass?

• The energy saved by recycling just one glass jar
  is enough energy to keep a 100 watt glass light
  bulb lit for an hour or a home computer running
  for 30 minutes.For every ton of glass that has
  been recycled, one ton of raw materials can be
  saved, including 1,200 pounds of sand, 400 pounds
  of soda ash and 360 pounds of limestone.

52
Market for Recycled Glass

• Recycled glass containers are always needed by
  manufacturers because new glass is needed to meet
  demands for more glass containers.
• Crushed or pulverized glass can be used the same
  way as sand and gravel for parking lots, beaches,
  and walking trails.
• When recycled glass is used it can help to lower
  costs for manufacturers since they would not have
  to make new glass for their products.

53
Products Made With Recycled Glass
Glass Bottles
Glass Vases
Recycled Glass Countertops
Glass Jewelry
54
Uses of Glass Before Recycling

• Before glass is recycled it can be ground up and
  used for decorative purposes in gardens or in
  place of gravel.
• The glass can also be used to replace stones in
  asphalt when ground up and therefore used to pave
  roads.

Glassphalt
Glass In Gardens
55
Problems/Disadvantages with recycling glass

• The glass must be sorted by colour before
  recycling.
• It would put people out of work in the glass
  bottle
• manufacturing industry.
• Windows, Pyrex, and other more industrial glasses
  cannot be recycled into bottles or anything
  because its a different manufacturing process
  and if introduced to a container type
  manufacturing process, it can cause defective
  containers.
• It can be and is quite expensive (no exact
  figures have been published)

56
Outlooks

• Only 11 states have a 5 cent bottle bill, New
  York State included.
• Dutchess County has a mandatory recycling law for
  glass, paper, plastics 1 and 2, and aluminum,
  however it is not highly enforced. Due to the
  lack of enforcement, many Dutchess County
  residents do not recycle.
• Ketcham High School does not currently have a
  glass recycling system in place either, however
  there are a few bins in the Cafeteria that the
  custodians are allowed to take the recycled items
  from and personally recycle if they so choose.

57
Fun Facts! About Glass Recycling

• Glass is 100 recyclable! No other food or
  beverage packaging material is!
• Recycled glass is substituted for up to 70 of
  raw material
• Glass can be recycled endlessly without losing
  any purity, and is one of very few materials that
  can do so
• Delaware had repealed their Beverage Container
  Regulation law that required a 5-cent deposit on
  plastic and glass soft drinks and beer bottles,
  and replaced it with a controversial 4-cent
  non-refundable recycling fee in 2009
• Glass can take 4,000 years to decompose

58
(No Transcript)
59
What is the material used for?

• 41 of all paper is used for packaging
• 95 of business information is still stored on
  paper
• Still used in printing and writing
• Used in construction

60
How much is used?

• In the United States Paper makes up for 28 of
  all municipal solid waste
• Paper waste accounts for 40 of total waste
  produced in the U.S each year(71.6 million tons)
• Worldwide consumption of paper has risen by 400
  in the last 40 years

61
Current Recycling Rates

• In the United States, 66 of all paper used is
  recycled.

62
Landfill space saved by recycling

• Recycling one short ton of paper saves three
  cubic yards of space in a landfill.
  

63
How much energy can be saved by recycling?

• Recycling one ton of paper saves enough energy
  to power the average U.S household for six months
  or 4,100 kilowatts per hour.

64
Why its important to recycle paper.

• Because paper remains in control of the largest
  percent of total solid waste produced in the
  United States alone and the fact that the process
  that goes into the production of paper and the
  acquisition of materials required to make paper
  is destructive for many ecosystems.

65
Challenges to recycling paper

• Some of the problems facing the issue of
  recycling paper are more so related to not the
  paper but what goes on it. When recycling paper,
  all of the ink, plastic, and wax that was in
  contact with or attached to the paper because
  many of these materials are poisonous and
  detrimental to the recycled paper

66
Is there a market for recycled paper

• Approximately 140 paper mills in the U.S use
  recycled paper exclusively
• There currently is a rise in a strong demand
  overseas for U.S recovered paper and an increase
  of solid gains in domestic consumption

67
What is recycled material made into

• Because many Paper Mills use entirely recovered
  paper, almost all paper products contain some
  recovered paper

68
Economic disadvantages

• The paper recycling industry has made blows to
  the lumber industry resulting in some job loss in
  the lumber field.

69
Pollution

• The EPA has found that recycling causes 35 less
  water pollution and 74 less air pollution than
  making virgin paper

70
Paper vs. Plastic

• Causes air pollution Litter
• Consumes energy Danger to
  wildlife
• Consumes water Long term
  degrading
• Inefficient recycling Recycling
  difficulties
• Produces waste
• Biodegrading difficulties

71
ALUMINUM

• By Gayathri Jaikumar, Sabrina Blanke, and David
  Emory

72
What is aluminum?

• Aluminum is the 2nd most used metal after
• steel (versatile)
• Aluminum industry manufactures 40 billion
• in products each year
• Sustainable metal and can be reused
• Comes from mining bauxite (naturally occurring)
• US generated about 1.9 million tons of aluminum
  as containers and packaging. (2011)
• 1.6 million tons of aluminum were used to make
  durable and nondurable goods (appliances and
  automobile parts)

73
Aluminum products..

• Aluminum cans are lightweight, convenient,
  portable, and keep beverages cold. Used to
  package soda, beer, and other beverages, and
  account for most of the beverage packaging market
  for some products.
• Soda Cans
• Baking Tins
• Spray cans
• Foil
• Paper Clips
• Transportation and Parts and License Plates
• Foil Trays
• Pie Pans
• Gum Wrappers
• Electronics
• Curtain Rods
• Roof Siding, Gutters, other Construction pieces

74
Recycling Aluminum

• Aluminum is the most recyclable of all materials
  it is four times more valuable than other
  recycled consumer materials
• The US aluminum can recycling rate hit 67 in
  2012 (According to data released by the Aluminum
  Association, Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI)
  and Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries
  (ISRI)
• The new rate marks progress towards the goal of
  75 recycling by 2015

75
SAVING ENERGY

• Recycling ONE can of aluminum can save enough
  energy to run a TV for 3 hours..OR a 100 watt
  bulb for almost a day.
• Recycling aluminum cans (on average) can save 10
  cubic yards of landfill space.
• Throwing away a single aluminum can is like
  pouring out six ounces of gasoline

76
Recycling Aluminum

• the consumer throws aluminum cans/foil into a
  recycling bin
• next, it is collected and taken to a treatment
  plant
• in the treatment plant, it is cleaned for
  processing
• it goes through a remelt process, turning the
  cans/foil into molten aluminum, removing ink that
  may still remain
• cooled into large blocks called ingots (each
  block containing 1.6 million aluminum cans)
• ingots are rolled out at mills, which makes the
  new aluminum stronger and more flexible
• this is then remade into packaging and aluminum
  cans
• in 6 weeks, the aluminum is ready to go back to
  stores and be used again

77
Why is it important to recycle aluminum?

• 1. The Hall Process of turning bauxite into
  aluminum for cans and foil uses a lot of energy.
  In recycling just one aluminum can, you can save
  the amount of energy it takes to keep a TV on for
  3 hours.
• 2. In the Hall Process, current passes through
  graphite electrodes submerged in molten aluminum.
  When this happens, carbon dioxide is released
  into the environment. Recycling aluminum releases
  only 5 of this carbon dioxide.
• 3. Recycling aluminum requires strip-mining,
  where soil upon the site is removed, and that
  means that vegetation at the site is destroyed as
  well.
• 4. Aluminum can be recycled indefinitely its a
  valuable commodity!

78
Challenges of recycling aluminum

• Recycling aluminum requires a lot of pollution
  (electricity and gasoline to transport ore).
• There is no funding to look into more
  environmentally friendly ways of recycling
  aluminum.
• Potential for contamination, even if the plant is
  sure that they are recycling solely aluminum
  products. Even slight impurities can vary the
  aluminums properties.

79
Recycled Material

• The market for recycled aluminum is growing
  rapidly. It is cheaper, faster, and more
  efficient to recycle aluminum in todays economy.
  It only requires 10 of the capital it took to
  make the aluminum to recycle it.
• Recycled aluminum can be made into aluminum
  drinking cans and aluminum packaging.

80
Reducing and Reusing Aluminum

• Eliminate or reduce your aluminum foil use!
• - ONE American throws away about 3 lbs of
  aluminum foil each year
• - Reuse aluminum foil until it cant be used
  anymore (then recycle it)
• Dont dispose aluminum pans (reuse them)
• Reduce or find ways to reduce the amount of
  aluminum cans used

81
Disadvantages to recycling aluminum

• High energy costs in reprocessing and
  transporting materials (recycling trucks)
• The need to be separated from tin/steel/plastic/ot
  her debris
• Sorting is time consuming
• When aluminum is continually recycled, it loses
  quality
• Advantages heavily outweigh the disadvantages

82
Advantages to Recycling Aluminum

• Environmental Economic
• - There is no limit to how many times
  - Cheap
• aluminum can be recycled
  -Fast
• - Energy efficient
  - Generates
  jobs in the recycling industry
• -Saves precious resources
  - Saves time
• - Recycling aluminum saves 90-95 percent of
  - Helps to pay for community service
  projects
• the energy needed to make aluminum from
  (Aluminum industry pays a billion dollars
  for
• bauxite ore.
  recycled aluminum
  cans- the money supports
  
  organizations like
  Habitat For Humanity and local
• 
  schools/churches that sponsor
  aluminum recycling programs)

83
OUTLOOK

• The Dutchess County Mandatory Source Separation
  Law was passed in 1990
• -This includes recycling aluminum food/drink cans
  and aluminum foil products
• Local centers (ex. Mid-Hudson Aluminum Cans
  Recycling, INC.)
• Recycling rates are increasing in the statewide
  (NY) and nationally. (both econ. and enviro.
  viable)

84
FACTS ABOUT ALUMINUM

• Discovered in the 1820s, aluminum is the most
  abundant metal
• An average of 113,204 aluminum cans are recycled
  every minute.
• 20 recycled cans can be made with the energy
  needed to produce 1 can using virgin ore
• Throwing away an aluminum can wasted as much
  energy as pouring out half of that cans volume of
  gasoline
• Making new aluminum cans from used cans takes 95
  less energy than using virgin materials
• Increasing the rate of recycling of aluminum
  could cut a million tons of pollutants per year
  out of the atmosphere (making/burning aluminum is
  a dirty process)
• Recycling aluminum is fast (back on the shelf in
  a month), pays for itself, and is great for the
  environment.