About recycling

About recyclingAbout recycling

Facts and Figures - glassFacts and Figures - glass

• One bottle bank can hold up to 3,000 bottles before it needs to be emptied

• Glass makes up about 9% of all the rubbish we throw away

• The energy saved from recycling one glass bottle will operate a 100-watt light bulb for four hours

Facts and Figures - glassFacts and Figures - glass

• On average, every family in the Ireland consumes around 500 glass bottles and jars every year – at the moment we recycle about 25% of these items.

Facts and Figures - plasticFacts and Figures - plastic

• Recycling just one plastic bottle can save the same amount of energy needed to power a 60 watt light bulb for 6 hours!

• It takes about 25 recycled soft drink bottles to make one fleece jacket

Facts and Figures - steelFacts and Figures - steel

• Making steel from recycled materials uses up to 75% less energy than making steel from new materials

• Every tonne of steel from recycled cans saves: 1.5 tonnes of iron ore, 0.5 tonnes of coal and 40% of the water used in production process

Facts and Figures – aluminium Facts and Figures – aluminium (1/2)(1/2)

• Recycling aluminium uses only 5% of the power needed to make aluminium from raw materials. In other words, 20 cans from recycled aluminium use the same power as just 1 can made from new aluminium!

Facts and Figures – aluminium Facts and Figures – aluminium (2/2)(2/2)

• Aluminium uses a lot of raw material – 5 tonnes of bauxite (aluminium ore) is needed to make one tonne of cans – and so much electricity is needed that smelting plants (the factories that make new aluminium) need their own plants.

• The energy saved from recycling one aluminium can will operate a computer for three hours

Facts and Figures – paper and Facts and Figures – paper and cardboardcardboard

• Each family uses about six trees worth of paper every year.

• Paper and cardboard makes up one-third of all the household rubbish that we throw away

Mechanical Separation Plant in Mechanical Separation Plant in Ireland (1/5)Ireland (1/5)

1. Full Bin Trucks tip their waste in the Transfer Shed.

2. This waste is pre-sorted at a mini-picking line to- remove hazardous waste e.g. batteries, and- large materials which will block up the plant e.g. timber

Mechanical Separation Plant in Mechanical Separation Plant in Ireland (2/5)Ireland (2/5)

3. The waste is passes through a 20m trommel (resolving cylindrical screen).

4. The screening of the waste results in the separation of organic wastes (grass clippings, vegetable peelings etc).

5. Metals from the screened organic waste are removed by magnets and eddy current separators.

Mechanical Separation Plant in Mechanical Separation Plant in Ireland (3/5)Ireland (3/5)

6. The compost is currently being used as landfill cover but soon we hope to use it for other purposes such as landscaping, golf courses, football pitches, etc.

7. The light fraction which mainly consists of light plastics and papers are recovered via air-suction and is referred to as Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF)

Mechanical Separation Plant in Mechanical Separation Plant in Ireland (4/5)Ireland (4/5)

8. The RDF is sent to Sweden to be used as a fuel in a factory.

9. RDF is used instead fossil fuels which are non-renewable.

10. Metals are removed from the waste by large magnets and eddy current separators

Mechanical Separation Plant in Mechanical Separation Plant in Ireland (5/5)Ireland (5/5)

11. A kinetic separator ‘bounces off’ the plastic bottles which are sent to the picking line to be sorted.

12. The remaining waste is sent to the landfill or the ‘dump’.

Why reduce that amount of Why reduce that amount of waste we produce?waste we produce?

1. It’s essential2. It’s easy3. It’s quick

Easy ways to reduce waste at Easy ways to reduce waste at home (1/4)home (1/4)

• Avoid buying heavily packaged goods• Try to buy loose fruit and vegetables instead of pre-

packed• Buy concentrated products that use less packaging.• Buy products such as washing powder in large

containers to reduce packaging.

Easy ways to reduce waste at Easy ways to reduce waste at home (2/4)home (2/4)

• Take your reusable shopping bags with you to the shops every trip

• Try to get off mailing lists for junk mail, faxes and emails

• Use reusable products wherever possible e.g. Use a nappy laundry service and save disposable nappies for holidays or long journeys.

Easy ways to reduce waste at Easy ways to reduce waste at home (3/4)home (3/4)

• Use refillable and rechargeable products when possible e.g. refillable ink pen rather than disposable biro, rechargeable batteries and cameras

• Buy products made from recycled materials• Choose products in packaging that you know can

be recycled

Easy ways to reduce waste at Easy ways to reduce waste at home (4/4)home (4/4)

• Use and refill your own durable drinks bottle• Try to keep your bin from filling up• Try growing your own vegetables• Get a compost bin!

SourcesSources

www.raceagainstwaste.ie/take_action/at_home/reduce/