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Mariana Castillo
Javier Cedillo
ID´s: A01364888
A01365468
A01365328
Subject: Chemistry I
Physical and Chemical Properties of Recyclable materials:
Recyclable Materials
Non-recyclable Materials.
Are the most commonly discarded piece of waste worldwide. It is estimated that 1.69 billion
pounds of butts wind up as toxic trash each year,
creating an enormous environmental, health, and
economic burden. is a huge environmental issue,
with a global impact -- it is both unsightly and
unhealthy.
Snack Wrapper
Alkaline Batteries
Recycling Steps
Recycling can be defined as the beneficial process consisting in the collection and
processing of materials that are considered waste and turning them into a complete new and
innovative product that helps cover the basic needs in our everyday lives.
It is also important to mention that recycling plays a huge role in reducing the greenhouse
gas emissions, this is because when you reuse these products you save energy, which
results in less gas emissions, leading to the reduction of air and water pollution and a
reduction in global warming.
Last but not least, recycling helps to reduce the loss of biodiversity, since less raw material
will be needed. By this mining activities, (which are considered to be dangerous for mine
workers) may be reduced; also soil erosion and water pollution will reduce, helping protect
and conserve local plants and animals, helping stabilize and
conserve the biodiversity of the region and planet.
The next step in the recycling process of any material is the manufacture of a whole new
product, integrating recyclable waste as their raw material.It is important to point out that
objects such as newspapers, paper towels, soft drink containers, steel cans, plastic laundry
detergent bottles, benches, asphalt and carpeting come from recyclable materials.
Last but most importantly, it is important to know that in order to complete the recycling
process/ cycle we must purchase products which´s raw materials are waste. There are two
types of these: products that can be easily recycled or products that contain recycled
content. The recycled content products are products manufactured with recycled materials
which were either collected or recovered during the manufacturing process.
In the recyclable product, waste can be collected, processed, sorted and manufactures into
another product. However, these products do not always contain recyclable materials.
Recyclable Materials
A recyclable material can be defined as a raw or processed material that can be recovered
from a waste stream for reuse. (Business Dictionary)
Some of the materials we can recycle are:
Plastic: In order to recycle plastic it needs to go through a variety of stages. The first stage is
sorting, which is practically every plastic separated
by its make and type.
● The second stage to this process is
cleaning, after being sorted out, these plastic
waste needs to be properly cleansed in order to
remove impurities (washed) in order to be properly
processed.
● Then it enters the shredding phase, where
plastic (after being washed) is loaded into
conveyer belts that take the plastic through
different shredders. These shredders tear up the
plastic into small pieces in order to be reused for other products.
● After this comes the identification of plastic, where the shredded pieces are tested in
order to classify them into quality and class.
● At last, these classified shredded pieces are melted, as a result several different
plastic/polymer products can be made.
Glass:
● The first step in the process of glass recycling is the separation from other waste
products; you must place it in your special curbside bin or take it to a drop-off centre.
● Then glass is collected and delivered; all colors of glass are sorted together. These
loads are carefully inspected for contamination or hazardous materials/ substances.
● Later on, glass goes through various sorting stations. The first couple are dedicated
to sort out contaminants such as ceramics, pyrex, aluminum cans, light bulbs,
cardboard, etc. The other two stages sort out non-brown glass which is later
processed.
● After the classification has been made, loads of glass are carried around conveyor
belts, until the glass meets 24
hammers which spin quickly
around an axle, breaking glass
into tiny particles for future sorting.
● these particles are passed and
spinned around a screen in which
they are sorted by sizes. In this
screen there are several fans that
blow away the labels; also items
that do not shatter such as caps or
liquids are later recollected and recycled.
● Then it enters a drier which has an integrated vibratory system. In this drier the glass
is heated up to 190° F, where the sugar, bacteria and glue are burned and loosened.
The residue is sucked away by a vacuum.
● Later on, the dried and cleaned glass is screened once again to be sorted out into
specific sizes for different customers. If the particles are too big to fit a particular
screen, it goes through another 36 hammers in order to be pulverized and sorted out.
● The glass cullets are classified by sizes which can vary from pebble, sand and even
powder.
Metals: The recycling of metals differs from any other process, since metals scrap value is
much higher than any other waste.
● The first step in this process is sorting out the metals. Magnets and sensors are used
to aid in this material separation.
● Then the processing takes place, this consists on
shredding metals to make easy the melting process, since
complete or larger metal scrap occupy bigger volumes. By
shredding metals a lot of energy can be saved in this
process.
● Later on the scrap metal is melted, each metal is
taken to a particular furnace designed for a certain type of
metal. This process can take from minutes up
● to hours, depending on the size of the furnace, the
type and size of metals.
● After melting takes place, purification takes care of ensuring that the new metal has
the quality and has no contaminants as demanded. One of the most common
methods of purification is Electrolysis.
● The solidifying happens. Here metals are carried by conveyor belts to cool and
solidify. Here scrap metals are solidified into specific forms and shapes such as bars,
which can be easily used for consumers.
● Lastly the transportation of these metal bars occur. Once these metals are solidified,
they are transported to different factories where they are used as raw materials for
new products.
Organics: There are several ways organic waste can be reused.
● One of the most common ways organic waste is reused is for “Animal feed” , here
non hazardous, poisonous or
harmful organic waste with
specific amount of nutrients,
minerals and specifications are
used to feed certain animals in
farms or livestock.
● Then we have composting, where
organic matter is broken down to
be used as fertilizers.
● Anaerobic Digestion is another
process in which microbes are
allowed to exist and reproduced in non-oxygen environments so organic waste can
be transformed into energy from the heat and gas byproducts of decomposition.
● Also we have rendering which turns waste animal tissue into valuable materials. The
products of rendering can be used in the making of soaps, biodiesel, animal feed,
chemical, etc.
Paper: The process for recycling paper is very similar to making it, except in this process the
raw material is paper that has already been used.
● Recycling paper begins with pulping. In which a machine chops paper and adds
water to it, as a result a pulp is made.
● Then screening is done, this step
helps separate paper from any unwanted
materials.
● The cleaning takes place, in which
a centrifugal force separates the solid
fibers; if any unwanted material is found it
is rejected.
● De-inking the pulp is probabñy the
most important process of paper
recycling; in this stage the pulp is mixed with a surfactant, this substance collects and
discards ink particles from the pulp and materials.
● Another step in this process is the washing, which deeply cleanses the pulp by
running water through it. At times the pulp may be bleached, giving as a result white
paper.
● The next step is to create a new material from the recycled pulp.
● Last a process of dissolved air flotation takes place, in which water is cleaned so it
can be reused in this process.
Environmental Implications
Recyclable
As mentioned before, the recycling of materials have a lot of benefits:
1. Well organized recycling programs cost less than waste collection services
2. The more people recycle the cheaper the process gets.
3. Recycling saves money for household
4. Recycling helps create jobs
5. Thousands of companies are able to save millions of dollars due to recycling.
6. Every ton of recycled paper saves 17 trees.
7. The energy we save when recycling one glass bottle is equal to a light a bulb for up
to 4 hours.
8. Reduces toxic and greenhouse effect emissions.
9. Conserves natural resources
10. Eases the demand of resources
11. Prevents habitat destruction, deforestation and loss of biodiversity
Non-Recyclable
If we do not start taking care of the environment by carrying out the different suggested
actions such as recycling, reducing and living a low waste life… our planet will end up being
a waste landfill.
Our population keeps growing, as a result the demand of products is on the increase, this
causes an exploit of natural resources and nature itself. At some point nature will give out
and we will no longer have the environment or conditions to live a proper life.
Trash in coastal cities ends up in our oceans, as a result sea life is affected when ingesting
or getting stuck in plastic residues. Also if we do not recycle or the non-recyclable products
increase greenhouse emissions will continue to increase, habitats will be lost and forests will
disappear.
Have you heard about the melting of the poles? Have you heard about the plastica island
located in the pacific ocean? have you seen pictures of our “sea” landfills?
Well this is our reality and to be honest… it only gets worse…
We have several trash cans on Campus where we can separate our trash in recyclable, non
recyclable and organic waste. Besides this, there is a huge trash can where you can put only
PET and this PET, they collect it and they take it to a place where those bottles can be
reused and they can turn them in new bottles or into new things.
Garbage Separation
Javier: Always when I´m going to throw away the garbage I try to separate it in the best
possible way, in school I look up every time where the garbage needs to go. However, my
family differs from me, they don't care as much for the environment and doing it properly. So
even though I carry out the separation with my garbage at the moment of throwing it away,
later on it becomes a mess and finally my effort was not worth it.
Mariana: In my home we are environmental friendly; every time we see the new on how
much we pollute the environment, we become self aware and occupy ourselves on being the
agent of change in this process. i my home we separate waste in organic and inorganic
compounds as asked by the cleaning service and facilities. However, I do believe that we
lack a bit more organization; I think we could even separate our inorganic waste into
recyclable and non- recyclable bins in order to exchange it later and gain a bit of money that
can be later used for any purpose. It is very important to mention that the problem with waste
in Mexico really is in the cleaning system, even though we as household separate our trash,
the truck picks it and mixes it all up, as a result our efforts were useless once again.
Daniela: In my home, we separate the trash in organic and in inorganic. There are some
things that we try to reuse such as PET, and the organic we try to use it as compost and the
organic trash that can't be use as that, we just put it in a bag. Alos in the place where I live,
all the neighbors try to separate their trash so when the trash truck comes, it is already
separated indifferent bags so it doesn't gets mixed with all the other trash.
Evidence
Bibliography
● https://www.epa.gov/recycle/recycling-basics
● Slaughter E, Gersberg RM, Watanabe K, et al.Toxicity of cigarette butts, and
their chemical components, to marine and freshwater fish.Tobacco Control
Web site:http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/20/Suppl_1/i25.info
● Anónimo. (2017). Polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE). Septiembre 17,
2017, de Enciclopedia Britannica Sitio web:
https://www.britannica.com/science/polyethylene-terephthalate
● Surrency, M.. (2004). Paper Characteristics. Septiembre 17, 2017, de
Surrency studios Sitio web:
http://www.surrencystudios.com/Paper%20Characteristics.htm