By Page H. Gifford
Correspondent
For those who are skeptical about the final destination of recycling, they might be surprised to learn that our efforts at recycling do help the environment. Upon delving into more details based on questions about recycling, some interesting facts emerged.
In Fluvanna County, you can recycle paper, cardboard, plastics #1-7, including bottles, jars, jugs, and tubs. Metals include aluminum and steel cans (no paint cans), foil and food containers, if clean, and empty aerosol cans. Glass is not accepted at this time, and no shredded paper.
This step is before the actual item gets tossed into the bin. Food residue, plastic bags, Styrofoam, and waxed cartons can cause entire batches to be diverted to landfill or incineration. To prevent this, wash recyclables before putting them in the bin. Average rinsing uses 1–2 cups of water per item, depending on the method of cleaning. Rinsing ten items per week might use 2.5-5 gallons per week. This would depend on the items; using a sink sprayer to rinse out a can of dog food might take less time and water and be done in less than a minute. This could be significant for those who worry about Aqua water use, but over-cleaning is not necessary, so be conservative.
Tips to reduce water waste:
Use leftover dishwashing water to rinse containers.
Wipe with a spatula or napkin before rinsing. Scrape out peanut butter or yogurt
containers (a spoon works better than running water)
Wipe pizza boxes and toss only the clean parts if they’re greasy.
Combine with other cleaning tasks (rinsing while washing dishes)
A quick rinse or wipe is sufficient. Rinse out jars and cans and aim for clean enough to avoid contamination. There is no need for spotless cleaning. Use common sense and balance the environmental impact of cleaning with the benefits of recycling. Recycling should save resources, not increase water usage dramatically.
The items are transported to a GFL-operated or contracted Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). Once they arrive at their destination, the materials are sorted using optical sorters, robotics, and ballistic screens to separate paper, cardboard, plastics, metals, and sometimes wood or glass. In some major GFL facilities (e.g., Winnipeg, Toronto, Denver), recycling recovery rates have reached 90 percent, using high-tech automated sorting and robotics. After sorting, materials are baled and sold to manufacturers who re-purpose them. For items like paper and cardboard, it is recycled back into paper, cardboard, and packaging materials. Plastic is recycled back into flakes and pellets and made into bottles and containers. Metals are recycled into cans, foil, metal sheets, and industrial containers. Wood and mixed fibers can also be recycled into wood chips, composite board, or pulp fiber. Even tires are recycled and used on roads. Where glass recycling exists, new containers are made, or it can also be used for road base or processed via waste-to-energy incineration, rather than turned into end products. Lower-value plastics or glass may be incinerated or landfilled when recycling isn’t economically viable. This has sparked criticism and highlights variability across regions and has become a sticking point with environmentalists, particularly because of the non-biodegradable breakdown of these materials.
The cost of recycling makes some wonder, but it turns out that melting down existing materials is easier than extracting or refining raw materials using lower processing temperatures. There is less chemical processing, especially for metals, and fewer chemical reactions are needed. Recycling aluminum saves 95 percent of energy costs compared with producing it from scratch with bauxite ore. Steel also saves 60-74 percent by using electric arc furnaces, which are more efficient than traditional blast furnaces.
Plastics vary widely by type, such as PET, HDPE, etc., but they save 66 percent when recycled. Paper saves 40-64 percent of water and energy, though the quality degrades after several cycles. Glass saves the least amount, but it is still fairly substantial, from 10 to 30 percent.
The question then arises, how much of what is going to the facilities is even recyclable? It turns out that one to four pounds of what is in our bins may not be recyclable. Across the U.S., it is about 15-30 percent. Higher rates occur in areas with less public education about recycling, and rates are lower in areas with stricter programs, and the public is more informed. What’s hiding in those bins? The culprits are plastic bags, garden hoses, batteries and electronics, soiled containers, and greasy pizza boxes. In our area and all around central Virginia, we average an 85 percent success rate for recycling, and 15 percent due to contamination, which has to be sent to a landfill, raising the cost of recycling.
For an efficient operation like GFL, it costs $150-$200 per ton to recycle. For a less efficient operation, it costs more if there is high contamination, anywhere from $300-$500 or more. Aluminum and cardboard offset the costs due to resale value. Unprofitable is mixed plastics, glass, and contaminated materials.
Cleaning those few cans or tossing those magazines and newspapers might seem like a waste of time, but it only takes a minute out of our day and can reduce our carbon footprint.
