ITP 411 Exam 2

EPA waste management hierarchy

reduce
reuse

recycling
composting
energy recovery
landfill

main categories for recycling

paper, metal, glass, plastic

closed loop

recycling something into an identical or similar article (ex: old Al can to new Al can), superior method

open loop

recycling something into a different type of product (ex: steel food can to beam for a house)

manual processing

bulky items and specified contaminants
equipment involved: sorting belt or table, hoppers

rotary screen separator

rotating disks with interval to allow one component to fall between disks while another component carried over top
good for separating paper from containers
small material may be compostable in mixed waste MRF

magnetic separation

separate ferrous metal from mix of materials
two magnets in a series or a double throw magnet usede

eddy current separation

separate non-ferrous materials, usually Aluminum

repelled by magnetic force due to generation of opposite polarity charge

air classifier

glass bottles and jars separated from plastics with density blower
heavier plastics don’t get redirected by air, go down original conveyor belt to be grinded into crushed glass (cullet)

optical sorting

sorts plastics according to resin identification (based on NIR, laser, or x-rays)

or sorts based on color using vision technology
typically has conveyor, sensing unit, and pneumatic ejection system

highest energy saving % and material

aluminum, 93%

why do MRF costs continue to rise

capital cost very expensive
high maintenance cost

increased contamination and freight cost

increasing complex and aging MRF system

low labor availability

national sword policy

policy in China that banned importation of certain types of solid waste, as well as set strict contamination limits on recyclable materials

when is packaging considered recyclable

if it can be collected, sorted, reprocessed, and reused in manu or making another item

only recyclable if there is high likelihood it can do these things in the community where it’s sold

Two types of contamination

1. disrupts sorting at MRFs

2. degrades value of recoverable material, making it harder to find an end use

requirements for successful recycling

1. consumer engagement

2. access

3. sorting

4. reprocessing

5. end markets

consumer engagement

motivation:

mandate recycling law

financial motivator

1. extended producer responsibility: company pay fee on all their packaging to pay for its eventual recycling or disposal

2. deposit system: consumer pay deposit and get that money back when containers are returned

effective communication to consumer:

1. correct labelling without deception (FTC green guide)

2. recycling labels

FTC green guide

company has to prove with scientifically credible data that packages are recyclable

universal recycling symbol

public domain, not a trademark

Container Corporation of America sponsored contest for in 1970 and the design won

How2Recycle

labeling guide designed to show public optimal recycling method

created in response to need found by Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC)

adheres to FTC green guide and comp. bureau of canada

recyclability decision process

applicable law

collection (access to recycling)

sortation (MRF package flow)

reprocessing (technical recyclability)

end markets

how2recycle multi-component labels

read left to right, based on which part of the package you encounter first

how2recycle four recyclability categories

widely recyclable: USA 60%, Canada 50%

sometimes recyclable: USA 20-60%, Canada 20-50%
not yet recyclable: less than 20%

store-drop off: applies to polyethylene bags, wraps, and films

Access

collection of recyclables from household is a main component of any waste management system

four types:
curbside collection

multi-dwelling collection

drop off sites

deposit system

curbside collection

trucks pick up outside of homes

higher participation and recovery rates expected

multi-dwelling collection

truck stops once to collect recyclables from several dwellings and facilities, lower fuel consumption, higher possibility of contamination

drop off sites

cost-effective recycling service for community, less convenient so lower participation and recovery rates

deposit system

monetary deposit paid when acquiring certain products (tires, bev containers)

most have over 90% recovery rate b

Bottle Bill

deposits paid by consumers on certain types of beverage bottles

amounts range from 5 to 15 cents

Sorting

1. MRFs separate 2D from 3D packages

2. MRFs separate packages by material type

   1. small packages may slip through grates — sent to landfill or incinerated

reprocessing

materials need to be processed to enter the market

shipping expenses associated with collection, MRF, reprocessing should align with those of virgin materials

ex: used Starbucks cups sent to Sustana to reprocess into paper pulp into a new Starbucks cup

End market

end market demand + supply drives final price of recycled materials

factors to create healthy end markets - create a demand to use recycled materials, remove contaminants, put specifications in place for recycled contents

general plastic package design guide

• items whose dimensions are clearly more 3D than 2D

• items less than 7.5 liters in volume

• items larger than 5 cm in two dimensions

• use closure material in water

• shrink film safety seals designed to be completely removed before package opened

• labels that don’t fully cover sidewall of a bottle

  • containers of 550 mL or less, cover not more than 55% of bottle surface area

  • containers of 550 mL or more, cover not more than 70% of bottle surface area

metal recycling

steel and aluminum = packaging metals

post consumer metals worst for recycling bc of food contamination

steel recycling

use magnetic separation

20-30% recycled content used

steel making furnaces:

Basic oxygen furnace: 28% recycled steel

Electric arc furnace: 100% recycled steel

73% overall recycling rate

life cycle of steel

mining and processing

pig iron production

steel making (furnaces)

casting and rolling

form package component

fill and use

discard

aluminum can recycling status

most valuable to recyclers

we toss $1 bil worth annually (40 bil cans in landfill in US)

life cycle of aluminum

mining

refining

smelting

casting and rolling

forming of package component

fill and use

discard

aluminum recycling

60% of recycled contents used

recycling reduces 95% energy consumption

is all recycled aluminum the same?

recycled aluminum cans don’t present reprocessing challenges - remelting removes impurities

using scrap aluminum is cost and envo friendly

amount of old scrap not enough to cover demand for aluminum

“white dross” is byproduct of molten aluminum, 15-80% of Al trapped here and can be recovered in bath of molten salt

success story of recycled aluminum

reynolds wrap 100% recycled aluminum foil

life cycle of glass

mining and processing

batch handling and cullet crushing

melting

fining and conditioning

forming of package component

fill and use

discard

sort and crush from cullet can lead to recycling

container glass components

silica, soda, lime

glass recycling

amt of recycled glass has decreased

recycling rate about 30%

main market: wine and liquor

50% cullet reduce energy consumption by 10-15%

cullet low value material, limited opp for use

limitation of glass recycling

has become more contaminated by paper, organic waste, and other materials

amber and green cullet not suitable for use in manu of new clear containers