FNPS3680 Test 1 Study Guide on Recycling and Environmental Practices

When did public concern for environmental issues first arise?

1980's/1990's

What is a bottle bill?

any of several US state laws that require deposits to be paid on beverages sold in recyclable bottles and cans.

Why is packaging waste an issue amongst the public? (3 main reasons)

1. Makes up for a large amount of solid waste

2. Very visible in the environment (litter, etc)

3. Difficult to prevent- everything requires a package

What are some common consumer misconceptions regarding packaging? (4)

1. causing CFC's (ozone layer)

2. landfills are running out of space

3. biodegradability (nothing degrades in a landfill)

4. all plastic packaging is bad

What is NIMBY and what is the main concept?

Not In My Back Yard: nobody wants landfills or waste centers built near them or their neighborhood due to public image

What famous incident made people believe there was no space left in world for landfills?

in 1987 a New Jersey garbage scow leaves NJ, travels 6,000 miles and comes right back, the trash is burned

What attitude about landfills pervaded the cultural atmosphere in the late 1980's?

1.the idea that we were running out of space for landfills. 1987 study suggested that 25% of U.S. cities would run out of landfill space. Corresponded with increase in fees to dump in a landfill

2. Also there were major concerns about the sanitary effects of landfills because of contaminated drinking water

What solution/trends were presented to the cultural attitudes/perceptions about landfills in the late 1980s?

from 1985-1988, 10% decrease in landfill usage. Incineration and recycling increased. So did composting (not industrial). This trend continued into 1990.

What is the difference between dumps and sanitary landfills? What is the associated law?

Open dumps are often burned and are just exposed refuse.

Landfills- refuse is compacted, air and water are eliminated, covered with dirt, fields and trees may be planted above. have liners of sand, other materials to prevent seepage into the water table

around 50 years ago it was mandated that the open dumbs be replaced by landfills

What is a common misconception about the closure of landfills?

landfills didn't really close down. It was open dumps that could not be converted to sanitary landfills that were closed.

Why is rural land not used as often for landfills?

1. political issues

2. land protection

3. cities produce the majority of trash

4. would cause enormous resentment among locals where landfill would be located

What is an LCA?

Life Cycle Assessment

What steps in the packaging process does an LCA cover? (5)

1. production/ extraction of raw materials

2. manufacture of materials and packages

3. use of packaged product

4. disposal of package

5. pollutants produced during the production of materials or package

ie: every single output from cradle to grave

Describe the resource use for paper production

Energy: renewable, can recover energy by incineration but uses petrol based energy for acquisition

Water: significant amount of water used

energy use by plastic

Describe the energy use for glass

Raw materials are renewable, but high energy required for production and transpiration

Describe the energy use by metals

Energy intensive production, recycled content significantly reduces energy needed, high transport costs (esp. for steel)

All materials rely on what form of energy?

coal, natural, gas, petrol

Issues with LCA

if you do not consider every aspect you may need up mis-ranking materials/package styles

ex: environmental indices made incorrectly showed plastic as better than paper

How to make an LCA?

1. tabulate impacts of distribution/transport

2. include aspects associated with mining of materials, ecosystems impact

3. include mf process with weighting systems for products producing pollutants

4. tabulate disposal impacts

5. things like freshwater eutrophication, things like GWP, water use

What are some softwares that help create an LCA?

1. PIQUET - analyzes the impact of a pkg system

2. COMPASS - focuses on comparing two packages

3. EPIC (Toyota)

4. Walmart Sust. Index

5. WRAP

Problems with the LCA (3)

1. Impossible to table everything in a standardized manner for individual products.

2. Actual energy usage hard to get.

3. Must balance LCA results with how much consumer willing to pay for package/product

Why do we still use LCA today?

Walmart scorecard for sustainability

We can still use parts of it to to analyze efficiency of a production process

Are sun chip bags really compostable?

Only in industrial grade conditions (very rare)

They do not compost in the landfill and take very long to compost at home

What is the definition of recycling?

the process of recovering material from waste and converting it into a new product

(original product is destroyed in the process)

Three types of waste we discuss in this class

1. Post industrial

2. Pre-consumer

3. post-consumer

What is post-industrial waste?

factory waste- waste generated during production

ex: scrap, trim, flash from extrusion

What is pre-consumer waste?

factory waste, waste generated from completed products

ex: defects, misprints, excess

What are some conditions that make paper not recyclable?

1. contaminated by food

2. been recycled multiple times

3. wet

What are the three grades for recycled paper products?

1. Corrugated

2. Newsprint

3. Office paper

Why is metal the most effective recycling material? (2 reasons)

1. Lowest cost to purchase

2. Can be infinitely recycled without losing quality

What are the 3 metals that are generally recycled?

1. Aluminum- one of the most recycled materials on the planet

2. Steel- commonly recycled

3. Copper- recycled for electrical components

Is the glass recycling market increasing or decreasing? Why?

Decreasing: lack of an end market, contaminates, and high transport cost

Plastic recycling symbols

symbols identify recyclability, does not necessarily mean recyclable

What are the 3 different ways to recycle plastics?

1. Mechanical

2. Energy

3. Chemical

What are the three basic steps to all recycling?

1. collection and separation

-type of material

-cleaning

-potential reuse

2. Convert back to raw material (method depends on process)

3. Waste transformation

-raw material becomes finished product

Mechanical Recycling

-most used method globally

-materials mechanically transformed with no alteration to chemical structure

-pickup, storage, inspection, sorting, washing, melting, converting to a new product and sold

Energy recycling

-incineration

-heat power by melting--- comes fuel

-important for diversifying the energy matrix and optimizing space in cities

-uses catalyzers to withhold pollution

Chemical recycling

-most complex

-plastics, reprocessed, broken down into monomers, and then re-polymerized

-this method is the most expensive

What are 3 popular disposal options when it comes to waste?

Landfilling, Incineration, Recycling

Rank landfill, recycling, and incineration use from most to least

1. Landfill

2. Recycling

3. Incineration

What percentage of waste entering landfills is packaging?

1/3

Should we just use one method of recycling plastic?

no, all three work in tandem and compliment each other because none are complete soln's

What is single stream recycling? What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Recycling process in which all recyclables are compiled in one bin.

Benefit:

- easier for residents

Downsides:

- raises processing costs for MRF

- ends up with less recycled products than the dual stream

MRF (plastic)

material recycling facility, where material is sorted, color sorted, ground, packaged and sold

What is dual stream recycling? Advantages and disadvantages?

Separate by material type by the end user

Advantage:

- Lowers processing costs for MRF.

- Ends up with more recycled products

Disadvantage:

- More burden on residents

What are some recycling trends we see with plastic?

recycling/composting is generally increasing for plastic, except for energy recycling

What % of plastics is recycled every year according to EPA and why?

9%

- Hard to separate combination materials

- little financial incentive

- no wide recycling programs for #3-#7

- wish-cycling

Ways to increase rates of plastic recycling?

1. Proper infrastructure for gathering and sorting materials

2. Discourage multi layer packaging when possible

3. If packaging has multiple components, make them more easily separable

Examples of contaminants in PCR streams

PET stream contaminated by PP caps

Polyolefin PCR streams usually have blend of around 50/50. Poor miscibility of PE leads to poor performance

What are plastics made from, why are they bad?

fossil fuels, contribute to GWP

From a legislative standpoint what are possible solutions to poor recycling practices?

bottle deposit + bag tax bills- worked in the UK (80% decrease in plastic bags) and Germany (98% recycling rate)

Germany and recycling

worlds highest recycling rate at 56% give or take

greatest challenge is expanding what can be collected

What does GRS stand for? What is it?

Global Recycled Standard

voluntary product standard for tracking/verifying content of rec materials

Issues with using PCR plastic for food products?

1. Must be certified as free of certain contaminants

2. Difficult to source

3. Expensive

What is the New Plastic Economy

A strategy for global plastics industry to

A. design better packaging

B. increase recycling rates

C. introduce new models for better use

focus on replacing supply with packaging that could be profitably reused. Design models on product refilling

PHB

plastic that behaves like PP and can be derived from methane in landfills

ethylene's effect on marine life

red tide

Are paper bags worse than plastic?

maybe. according to some studies yes, but you've got to consider the wealth of managed forests that are continually replanted to make them.

Circular Supply Chain

aim to eliminate waste entirely, complete reuse

What is the definition of Sustainable packaging?

Packaging that is safe and healthy for individuals and communities throughout its lifecycle

Sustainable packaging must meet what 2 market requirements?

1. cost

2. performance (sustainable if its actually used)

If its sustainable it MUST be profitable

Sustainable packaging requires what kind of energy

all energy involved i.e. distribution, manufacture, sourcing, recycling process must use renewable energy as much as possible. OR alternatively uses 'clean production tech'

source materials for sustainable packaging?

as renewable or recycled as possible

clean production technology

used for sustainable pkg- means that output is maximized and inputs minimized. Efficient usage of energy as possible

Sustainable package design must

minimize resource use such as materials and energy

Life cycle of a sustainable package

is circular, from cradle to cradle- must be effectively recovered and used in industrial or biological cradle

Life Cycle Analysis

concept of a package or products life cycle that incorporates all aspects of that product or package from birth to grave to rebirth

What is life cycle (ideally) useful for

an objective quantitative assessment of the societal impact of a package based on a multitude of factors such as energy use, pollutants, natural resource use, environmental impact etc etc

What's the deal with this sustainability thing anyways?? Ba Humbug.

idea that packages/products are outta be designed to promote economic, environmental health

Strategies of sustainability to meet or exceed market reqs

-source reduction

-enhanced mtl selection

-resource optimization

-better pkg design

Sustainability and fuel effect on cost

direct cost benefits from better fuel efficiency

6 components of sustainability

1. market criteria for performance/cost

2. use of renewable energy for trans, prod, sourcing

3. maximize use of renewable materials

4. made from materials healthy in all EOL scenarios

5. physically designed to optimize materials, energy

6. effectively recovered/used in cradle to cradle

Walmart packaging scorecard, 7 r's, downside of this system

Walmart initiative started in 2006 with goal of reducing packaging across supply chain by 5% by 2013.

-measurement tool that allows comparisons between different suppliers, based on 7 r criteria

- remove

-reduce

-reuse

-recycle

-renew

-revenue

-read (educating consumer)

Downside of this system is it only considers the package and not the actual product

Impact of the Walmart scorecard

will save Walmart billions of dollars and also has the effect of removing 667,000 potential metric tons of Co2 from atmosphere, equivalent to 200K trucks.

Creates a 10 billion dollars in saving from a 5% reduction in 10% of global packaging industry

Biopolymers

polymers derived from bio materials- research into them increasing in effort to find materials healthy in all EOL scenarios

PLA

Polylactic Acid- made from field corn, wide range of possible applications

can be thought as a PET analog

made from breaking down starch into simpler sugars, then fermenting, separating, and polymerizing

PLA recyclability, environmental impact

uses 68% less fossil fuels (more h20), can be recycled and industrially composted

NatureFlex NVS

cellulose based film, wood pulp, totally biodegradable/

compostable

-used in fresh food applications, good dimensional stability when cold

-transparency, anti static properties, good barrier

Can be likened to OPP with printability, controlled slip props

Common uses for cellulose films

wrapping fresh produce (spec. organic produce), confectionary twist wraps, personal care products

Maize Starch Films

can be thought of as PE analog

obtained from corn through

destructerization and reformation of new molecular structures.

plastics formed through traditional extrusion but biodegradable and compostable,

Starbucks Case Study

sold chocolate in poly laminate bag resting in poly laminate tray with sleeve of virgin SBS board.

re-design removed poly tray added PS paper label

-50% less material, less glue, smaller (prob cheaper too)

Michelman case study

able to replace EPS with a polymer emulsion coating for corrugate. Coating did not hurt recyclability, met long term storage reqs for grapes, competitively priced.

ends up saving money for consumer because no landfill fees

why is EPS problematic

non renewable petroleum (duh) and toxicity of styrene may be thing- carcinogen? def a respiratory irritant, and not recycled.

EPS must be disposed of and means tipping fees

What are the three pillars of sustainability? i.e. triple bottom line

the planet (env.), the people (society), the profit

amazon background

2004 started by baldy, one of most influential Econ/cultural forces in the world, 2nd most employees for private company,

part of the evil big 5 - apple, google, meta, ms, amazon

amazon supply chain

includes a variety of different transport program

-amazon air

-amazon logistics

-amazon flex

amazon air

cargo airliner, last mile is amz flex, amz logistics, or USPS

Amz flex

smartphone app-allows for individuals to act as ind. contractors- delivering packages to customers from personal vehicles, no uniform

-includes prime now (same/next day), amazon fresh groceries and standard amazon orders

amazon logistics

amazon contract with small business to deliver goods to customer

-each business has fleet of 20-40 amazon-branded vans, employees wear amazon uniforms

Amazon distribution centers

-cross-deck cent., fulfillment cent., sortation cent., delivery station, prime now hub, prime air hub

75 fulfillment centers, 25 sortation centers with over 120K employees

2019 amz protests

protestors are amazon workers protest amazon ties to oil and gas, want amz to reach zero emission but 2030 and to stop funding lobbying groups

Amazon unsold stock disposal

amazon found to have destroyed over 130,000 items like unused hard drives, laptops, books etc

amazon, and gov response to outcry

amazon claim it 'working toward 0 product disposal'

-Paris agreement

-climate pledge

-shipment zero

also some legislation in France, Germany to discourage destruction of products

Paris agreement

'legally binding (lol)" international treaty on climate change

-goal to limit global warming to below 2 degrees, compared to pre-industrial levels

-necessarily involves countries peak their GGE at some point

ETF? (Paris agreement)

countries establish a 'enhanced transparency framework' in which they openly and transparently report on steps/actions taken to mitigate climate change, adaption measures, aid received or given

generated reports reviewed through established int. procedure

global stocktake

basically the output of all reports inputed by different countries- assesses the collective progress towards long term climate goals

Zero carbon solutions

economic impact of Paris agreement- solutions becoming competitive across economic sectors - (power and transport most effected)

could represent over 70% of global emissions by 2030

the climate pledge

amazon pledge, commitment to be net zero carbon emissions by 2040

-includes shipment zero

-invite others to join pledge

Shipment zero

amazon goal to deliver 50% of shipments with net zero c02 by 2030

-effects everything from fulfillment center to pkg materials, to mode of transport for delivery