Recycling Plastics

Logan Mongelli, Victoria Pemberton, Roddy Tierney, Deanna Prue

Types of Plastics

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

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.

PET consists of polymerized units of the

monomer ethylene terephthalate, with

repeating C10H8O4units.

This is a short piece of the PET polymer chain

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 doesn’t 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

These are commonly used items with the Plastics HDPE

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

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%.

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”

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

Short segments of polypropylene

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• It’s 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

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.

7. Other- Mixed Plastics

• Generally a wild card marking plastics that don’t 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:o Silicone-Heat resistant material used mainly as a sealant but also used for high

temperature cooking utensils

o Plastarch materia – Biodegradable and heat resistant, thermoplastic composed of modified corn starch

o Furan- Resin based on Furfuryl Alcohol used in foundry sands and biologically derived composites.

o Polyimide - A High temperature plastic used in materials such as Kapton tape

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.o 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.o 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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Examples of recycling in NYS

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.

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.

Works Cited

• http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/responsible-living/photos/16-simple-ways-to-reduce-plastic-waste/pack-a-greener-lunch

• http://www.ehow.com/list_7254476_disadvantages-recycled-plastics.html• http://www.wikipedia.org/• http://www.epa.gov/

E-Waste Recycling

By: Katerina Economikos, Anna Zoodsma, Jayvon Johnson, &

Rebekah Levine

● 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.

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

• 2.37 million short tons

How much is used in the United States?

-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 TV’s (4.6 million)

-8% mobile devices (11.7 million)

What are the current E-Waste recycling rates?

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)

1. 80 to 85 percent of electronic products were discarded in landfills or incinerators, which can release certain toxics into the air.

2. 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.

3. 20 to 50 million metric tons of e-waste are disposed worldwide every year.4. 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.5. Only 12.5 percent of e-waste is currently recycled.6. 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.7. Recycling 1 million laptops saves the energy equivalent to the electricity used by 3,657 U.S. homes in a

year.8. E-waste is still the fastest growing municipal waste stream in America, according to the EPA.9. 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.10. It takes 539 pounds of fossil fuel, 48 pounds of chemicals, and 1.5 tons of water to manufacture one

computer and monitor

Special Facts

❏ 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.

How much energy could be saved?

• 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

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

-E-Waste contains chemicals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, phosphorus, and flame retardants (hazardous waste)

-Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT’s) 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.gov/chemical/65583.html

Why is it important to recycle the E-Waste?

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.

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.

Is there currently a market for recycled E-Waste?

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.

• 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

What can recycled E-Waste be made into?

-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 don’t 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.

Can E-Waste be reused before it is recycled?

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)

➔ 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.

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

•60 minutes video

Other Information

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

Recycling: Glass

Ahmöd Tipu, Annika Björnson Juli Möngini, Kenny Gödwin

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 (It’s one out of eleven in the U.S. to have such a bill)

Glass Uses

• Glass is used for many different products

• Some glass products include:

• windows

• bottles & jars

• vases

• tiles

• telescopes

• microscopes

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Products Made With Recycled Glass

Recycled Glass Countertops Glass Vases

Glass Bottles

Glass Jewelry

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

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 it’s 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)

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.

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

• 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

What is the material used for?

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

Current Recycling Rates

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

Landfill space saved by recycling

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

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.

Why it’s 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.

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

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

What is recycled material made into

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

Economic disadvantages

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

Pollution

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

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

ALUMINUM By: Gayathri Jaikumar, Sabrina Blanke, and David Emory

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)

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

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

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

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

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; it’s a valuable commodity!

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 aluminum’s properties.

Recycled MaterialThe market for recycled aluminum is growing rapidly. It is cheaper, faster, and more efficient to recycle aluminum in today’s 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.

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 can’t be used anymore (then recycle it)

• Don’t dispose aluminum pans (reuse them)

• Reduce or find ways to reduce the amount of aluminum cans used

Disadvantages to recycling aluminum

• High energy costs in reprocessing and transporting materials (recycling trucks)

• The need to be separated from tin/steel/plastic/other debris

• Sorting is time consuming

• When aluminum is continually recycled, it loses quality

• Advantages heavily outweigh the disadvantages

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)

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)

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.