Recovery And Recycling of

Municipal Solid Waste

RECOVERY

Process to recover useful material from

mixed waste.

Material Recovery Facility are specialized

plants that receives, separates and

prepares recyclable materials for

marketing to end-user manufacturers.

Definition

Conservation of resources by

converting them into new

product.

Recycling

RecyclingUsed, reused, or reclaimed.

Use of the material as a source raw material, involves physical transformation

◦ Reused: The direct use or reuse of a secondary material without prior reclamation

◦ Reclaimed: regeneration of wastes or recovery of usable materials from wastes

◦ Wastes are regenerated when they are processed to remove contaminants in a way that restores them to their usable condition materials that must be reclaimed/recycled prior to use or reuse .

Advantages of Recycling:

Prevents the emission of many greenhouse gases and water pollutants,

Saves energy,

Supplies valuable raw materials to industry,

Creates jobs,

Stimulates the development of greener technologies,

Conserves resources for future, and

Reduces the need for new landfills and combustors.

Specific Recycled

Items

Aluminum

This is the most recycled material in the U.S. because of economy.

Making new aluminum cans from used cans takes 95 percent less energy and 20 recycled cans can be made with the energy needed to produce one can using virgin ore.

Approximately 2/3 of cans are recycled each year, saving 19 million barrels of oil annually.

Aluminum foils are contaminated

hence not accepted.

Paper

U.S. currently recycles 49% of its paper and paperboard.

Denmark, recycles about 97% of its paper.

USA export about 19% of recycled paper.

In India we produce 14.6 million tonnes of waste paper out of which we recycle only 26%.

Recycling one short ton paper we save 17 full grow trees, 26 m3 fresh water ,4100 kW-Hour of energy and fuel equivalent to 3 year use of average family.

Low grade paper is recycled to make containerboard or corrugated containers.

High grade paper is de-inked and used again as paper pulp.

Recyclable Plastics

1 - PET (Polyethylene terephthalate)

PET is used to make soft drink

bottles, peanut butter jars, etc.

PET can be recycled into

fiberfill for sleeping bags,

carpet fibers, rope, and pillows.

In recycling process it is

depolymerized to ethylene

glycol & Terephthalic acid

which are repolymerised to

quality resins.

2 - HDPE (High-density

polyethylene)

HDPE is found in milk

jugs, butter tubs,

detergent bottles, and

motor oil bottles.

HDPE can be recycled

into flowerpots,

trashcans, traffic barrier

cones, and detergent

bottles.

3 - PVC (Polyvinyl chloride)

PVC is used in shampoo and

cooking oil bottles & fast-food

service items.

Recycled products include

nonfood containers, shower

curtains, truck bed liners,

drainage pipes etc.

4 - LDPE (Low-density

polyethylene)

LDPE is found in

grocery bags, bread

bags, shrink-wrap,

and margarine tub

tops.

LDPE can be

recycled into new

grocery bags.

5 - PP (Polypropylene)

PP is used in yogurt containers,

straws, pancake syrup bottles,

and bottle caps.

PP can be recycled into plastic

lumber, car battery cases, and

manhole steps.

6 - PS (Polystyrene)

PS is found in disposable hot cups,

packaging materials (peanuts), & meat

trays.

PS can be recycled into plastic lumber,

cassette tape boxes, and flowerpots.

7 - Other

A mixture of various

plastics, like squeeze ketchup

bottles & “microwaveable”

dishes.

Tires

281 million replaced annually in US. Only 15% is recycled.Recycling opportunities:

1.Rethreading and remanufacturing

2.Tire derived fuel3. Rubber modified asphalt for

pavement design.

Glass

U.S. recycles about 36% of its glass

containers.

It costs less to recycle glass than to

make new glass.

Mixed color glass “cullet” is used for

paving glassphalt, a glass/asphalt

mixture.

May be used in building products such

as brick, ceramic and terrazzo tiles

Lead Acid (Car Batteries)

78-80 million batteries

consumed and replaced in US.

90% recycled in US.

After controlled crushing lead,

plastic and sulfuric acid are

separated for reuse.

Oil

Huge amount of waste oil is produced as metal working oil, hydraulic oil, lubricating oil and engine crankcase oil.Can be used for burning in cement

industries , marine boilers etc.Must go to an automotive or

environmental company for Reprocessing and re refining.

Electronic Waste:

E-waste consists of toxic and

hazardous waste such as PVC,

lead, mercury, and cadmium.

The U.S. produces almost half of

the world's e-waste but only

recycles about 10% of it.

Figure 22-4

Organic

Comprise over 1/2 of the solid waste

Includes yard debris, wood

materials, bio-solids, food, manure and

agricultural residues, land clearing

debris, used paper, and mixed

municipal organic waste.

May be used for composting or

methane generation.

INDIAN SCENARIO

Recycling by means of repair, reprocessing, and reuse of

waste materials is a common practice in India. Waste is

accessible to waste pickers; they segregate it into

saleable materials such as paper, plastics, glasses, metal

pieces, textile, etc.

Rag pickers segregate the wastes directly from the dumps

and bins with no precautions and they are exposed

directly to harmful wastes. The separated waste is sold to

a small waste dealer, from where the waste is transferred

to a medium sized dealer or wholesaler.

All these activities are not regulated or monitored by any

governmental organisation. Due to this informal

segregation, volume reduction is achieved, while it

ignores social, economic, environmental, and health

aspects.

The complete flow diagram:

Source: IIED 1999, Informal Waste Management Recovery Process in India

Case Study:

Demand for coir dwindling due to use of nylon ropes

and other substitutes.

Experts say coir, a natural fibre taken from the husk

of a coconut, strengthens roads and increases

longevity.

Coir absorbs all the moisture on the surface and

prevents the black topping and blue metal from

peeling off.

The initial cost is high but these roads have a longer

life.

The road will last at least five to six years more than

the conventional ones, said NIT-Trichy professor

Samson Mathew,who is coordinating with the state

rural development department for the initiative.

The Centre has asked governments of

Chhattisgarh,Jharkhand,Odisha and Karnataka to

The incredible coir: Coconut fire

The incredible coir: Coconut fibre

Road before ,during and after

construction

Source:Application of coir geotextile in Rural Roads, Central Coir Research Institute, Kerala

Problems Associated

Recycling does have environmental costs.

It uses energy and generates pollution.

Ex. the de-inking process in paper recycling requires energy, and produces a toxic sludge that contains heavy metals.

Message:

Follow 5 R’s: Refuse: to buy items that we really

don’t need. Reduce: consume less and live a

simpler and less stressful life by practicing simplicity.

Reuse: rely more on items that can be used over and over.

Repurpose: use something for another purpose instead of throwing it away.

Recycle: paper, glass, cans, plastics…and buy items made from recycled materials.