Recycling
has taken over and for good reason too; we are running out of space on the
planet. Sure, there are some uninhabitable lands that still have no industry attached
to them, but they are typically too far away to dump our garbage. Even if they
were accessible, deserts, rainforests and the arctic are really the last bastions
of Mother Nature we have left on the planet and truly, they should be protected.
Fortunately,
recycling has advanced technologically so that almost all household waste can
actually be reused somehow. Whether it is food that can be used for compost, or
it is our scrap paper which becomes repurposed as toilet tissue, recycling items
means that useful materials are not taking up valuable space in landfills.
What’s the Big Deal?
Space
is not the only reason recycling makes sense, although that is clearly one of
the most important factors when considering a recycling programme. In
landfills, when materials with the ability to decompose are underneath a massive
amount of other items they create a gas. This methane gas is the natural result
of the decomposition of materials – and there is a major difference when they have
access to oxygen and when they do not. When these gases are trapped at the bottom
of a landfill, they become more than just toxic, they become explosive.
Not
only that, but why should easily reusable materials be stuck in a landfill taking
up all that valuable space, which could be reserved for the few items that cannot
be repurposed? Our water is recycled, why should other items we use on a daily
basis be any different?
Businesses
are doing their bit by incorporating recycled and recyclable packaging for the products
we use. That is not just because they want to appear to be doing the right
thing; it is because of the damaging impact garbage and landfills leave on the planet.
And it is not just a problem for future generations, our garbage and the way it
is handled can (and does) have an impact on the world we live in today. Industry has been able to effect a
large scale change in the products and packaging we use on a daily basis, all
we need to do is follow suit.
How Recycling Works
In
the early days of recycling, when it still seemed a matter for Californian ex-hippies,
very few materials were easily recycled. Much has changed over the years; now, at
least two-thirds of all household waste is reusable in some way. How it is used
varies from material to material, but almost all recycling follows the same path
to their new form. It all begins (and ends) in your home.
Collection and Separation
Your home likely has some
kind of container for recyclable materials and possibly more than one, depending
on where you live. Any packaging which is recyclable will be marked in some way
so you can determine whether it heads to the black bin or your recycling container.
And then, once a week, that container makes its way to the curb where it is collected
by municipal or recycling company employees.
From your house it is
transported to a separation centre. There, recyclable materials are differentiated
by their makeup and divided into segments requiring the same treatment. It is in
these separation centres where the little 4 or the 7 in the middle of the recyclable
symbol makes a difference.
Once separated, garbage items are bundled together using baling wire. Depending on the recycling centre, this
is typically an automated process requiring industrial baling machines and
either black annealed or galvanised formers. Although it sounds as though it would
be a complicated process, the right systems and wiring renders it almost effortless.
Once bundled, recyclable materials head off to central recycling centres. Here,
your recyclables are joined by similar materials from all over the country. In
some instances, materials may be sent to recycling centres overseas, which makes
the bundling process and the baling wire used even more important.
Here's how galvanised wire is manufactured:
The Recycling Process
Once materials are
exactly where they need to be for recycling, they are cut down into
pieces. This size reduction process helps
with further processing. It also makes it easier for transport. In some instances
this cutting process happens even before materials head over to their
processing centre. Just as the baling process sounds intricate, the right
blades can make all the difference on the size reduction floor.
Smaller pieces are
then taken for a wash; the idea to remove anything that cannot be recycled within
the same process. For example, the label stuck on the bottle of your favourite soft
drink was applied with glue, so even if you remove the label traces of the glue
will remain. The washing process works to remove or loosen these items. After items
are washed, they undergo an additional separation process which removes any
foreign elements (such as traces of labels) from the batch.
From there, taking
plastic as an example, the cut and cleaned pieces are pumped through a machine
which heats them so they can be melted into a new shape. The pellets that are
formed are the basis for recycled plastic products. These pellets are shipped
out to factories across the country (and the world) for repurposing. So, once
again, they need to be packaged, or bundled according to the specifications of
the purchasing company.
Baling machines and the correct wiring is again the name
of the game, rendering them almost as important as the recycled materials
themselves.
Image Courtesy of D R Baling Wire Manufacturers |
Your Involvement
As
the man or woman on the street, you do not need to worry about baling machines and
blades that can cut plastic. All you need to do is make use of the recycling container
issued by the municipality. And, as you now
know, you don’t have to scrub off the glue from each and every bottle or can. The
recycling centres take care of most of the difficult work.
It
is more important to make sure you opt for packaging which is recyclable (and
almost every major retailer is concerned about this as well). And, once you are
done with items, check whether they can be recycled. If they can, then it is important
to dispose of them properly rather than allowing items to take up space in
landfills. After that, it is a simple matter of taking your recycling container
to the curb on the right day of the week.
Fortunately,
recycling has come a long way from its roots and has become easy. All you need
to do is separate your waste before you take it to the curb; everything else is
done for you.
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