Your Questions About Recycling
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Filed under Recycling Q & A
John asks…
Many schools and communities collect aluminum beverage cans in their recycling programs.?
a) Is recycling a good alternative to using raw materials? Explain.
b) How does the cost of recycling compare with the cost of extracting aluminum from the ground? Will this be of influence to the consumer, retailer, or both?
c) Which results in fewer environmental problems: recycling or using raw materials? Explain.
d) Do you think recycling is a reasonable alternative for producing new aluminum beverage cans? Explain.
please help?
The Expert answers:
A) Recycling is better alternative than using raw materials.
It uses less energy, causes less pollution, and reduces the need for raw materials and the environmental degradation associated with their extraction.
It also reduces need for transport of bauxite and aluminium oxide.
Aluminium recycling requires only 5% of the energy and produces only 5% of the carbon dioxide emissions compared to primary production.
One kilogram of recycled aluminium saves up to 6kg of bauxite, 4kg of chemical products as well as 14 Kw of electricity.
One recycled aluminium can saves enough energy to run a television for three hours
b) It is significantly cheaper to recycle, due to the very high energy costs of transforming bauxite into aluminium.
The environmental costs of mining bauxite and extracting the aluminium are significant: degradation of land, massive power consumption, waste products, dams for hydro-power, displacement of people, destruction of areas of rainforest.
While land is now often reclaimed after strip-mining, it does not have the same value as virgin land.
Any reduction in production cost is unlikely to make a significant difference to the consumer, as the greater profits are generally made by retailers not producers. I.e retailers may absorb much of any saving they receive rather than passing it on to the consumer.
To the drinks manufacturer (or bottler) it may offer an opportunity to reduce their costs and/or operate more efficiently. If they do life-cycle analysis on their operations or products it may reduce their carbon footprint, or achieve a lower carbon rating for the product.
C) Recycling.
Everything I said in a. And:
Massive energy saving (95%), reduction in power use and ghg emissions.
Production of aluminium requires a lot of power.
Various hydro projects have been built to serve the industry, and while hydro-power does not directly emit CO2, the dams have displaced people, and destroyed land.
The greenhouse gases resulting from primary aluminium production include perfluorocarbons (PFC), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), fluoride, sulfur dioxide (S02), and carbon dioxide (CO2). Of these gases, PFC’s resulting from the smelting process are the most potent, and remain in the atmosphere indefinitely. Primary aluminum production is the leading source of perfluorocarbon emissions in the United States. PAH emissions result from the manufacture of anodes for smelters and during the electrolytic process. Sulfur dioxide and sodium fluoride are emitted from smelters and electrical plants. SO2 is one of the primary precursors of acid rain. CO2 emissions occur during smelting and result from the consumption of carbon anodes and from PFC emissions.
If all the aluminium cans sold in the UK were recycled, there would be 14 million fewer full dustbins each year. That’s less landfill.
Putting aluminium in landfill or incinerators is a complete waste.
UK consumption of aluminium in 2008 = 900,000 tonnes
The official aluminium packaging recycling rate is 36% in 2008
with the cans-only recycling rate estimated to be 52%.
That’s a huge amount of wasted energy and resources, the cost of which is ultimately passed on to the consumer.
While in some developed countries the manufacturers of aluminium highlight their environmental credentials, in less developed countries there are often less stringent regulations; the environmental action groups appear to feel that not enough is being done.
Earth first blockaded Alcan’s site in Scotland, due to their opposition to Alcan’s plans for developments in Iceland and India.
Http://www.earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/96
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/249091
d) Absolutely!
Everything I said in answer to a and c, And:
Ample reprocessing capacity and secure end-markets are available.
Drinks cans can be recycled, made into new cans, filled and put back on the shelf in just six weeks.
If all the aluminium cans sold in the UK were recycled, there would be 14 million fewer full dustbins each year.
Putting aluminium in landfill or incinerators is a complete waste.
Metals can be recycled indefinitely without losing any of their properties making them an ideal material for this process.
Recycling could help us achieve government targets for reductions in CO2 emissions.
While significant improvements have been made in reducing emissions from smelting aluminium oxide, the process still creates pollutants.
Betty asks…
How do you return empty soda cans to the supermarket for recycling deposit?
You put the cans in the machine and get a slip. Do you bring the slip to the customer service booth or to the cashier at checkout?
The Expert answers:
I usually scan it at the U-Scan, but I assume a cashier would also do the trick.
Lizzie asks…
How important is it to rinse out cans and cartons and jugs before recycling them?
I always rinse out my milk gallons and soda cans and soup cans and such but is it necessary?
The Expert answers:
VERY important: for those that volunteer at recycle centers. Have you ever smelled an unrinsed milk carton or plastic jug? Beer cans & bottles? Many of these come with contents still in them, dripping.
Unrinsed recycling draws bugs, including roaches & mice (sharpening their teeth on cans), smells much worse as it ages.
I volunteered at a private Irving recycling center some years ago. That reminds me – those that are working there also get the drippings all over their hands & clothes … Not much incentive to get people to work the centers. I’m speaking of private centers, such as the dentist’s wife that sponsored the one I worked at.
It really doesn’t take long to rinse items as you empty them. This even goes for what goes in your trash that isn’t recyclable. You don’t even have a smelly, nasty trash can to live with.
Well, this was a lot, but I hope it helps.
Chris asks…
How much does recycling cans pay?
Just curious… If i take empty cans (coke cans) to a recycling center, how much do they pay? (in GA) Is it by pound or can or what? Thx!
The Expert answers:
If i had a NICKEL for everytime you ask that
Daniel asks…
When recycling, should you crush the cans or leave them whole?
When you turn in cans for recycling in New York to get the $.05 should you leave them as is or crush them? Also, do the labels need to be on them as not all bottles and cans can be cashed in for the .05 in New York? Yes, I know you can recycle anywhere but I’m talking about getting the CRV back.
The Expert answers:
Hello, i feel yes. You should crush them. It would give you more room so you can put more cans in the container! Therefore, you would make more money! Also, no, you should not leave the labels on them. I say no because they are plastic and it might mix in with the recycling process. They might decide how much money you get for the type of plastic it is maybe? Or even the size? They can decipher that though. It’s good that your recycling!! :]
Helen asks…
Is it okay to put crushed aluminum cans in the recycling bin?
Will those be processed just the same as normal cans?
if you crush them then they can’t be redeemed for the 5 cents that some homeless people use them for right? Or can they?
The Expert answers:
Yes they are processed the same way. I used to have a can-crusher, a little hand operated press that flattened cans out for easy keeping and storage. You could get a lot more of them into a box and they still were worth the nickel if you lived in CA or other states that refunded on cans.
Thanks for asking!
Maria asks…
Has anyone ever got thousands of dollars in just one recycling center drop off with aluminum and plastic cans?
I’m trying to find out the most anyone has got in recycling money in just one trip with plastic and aluminum cans at a recycling center.
The Expert answers:
About 17 years ago my dad was Scoutmaster and we kept ALL the troops cans in our backyard. I want to say we had a little over a ton and the recyler gave us 50 cents a pound because we had so mush and were scouts. We had a dad bring in a 18 wheeler to haul them off.
Mary asks…
How much can you get for recycling cans in Missouri?
I was told that you can take cans to a certain place in Missouri and be paid for it. I have a few pounds of soda cans that I’ve collected but can not find out how much they will pay you. My sister said it was $10 a pound last time she checked. I don’t know if that’s right or not because she lives in Texas now?
The Expert answers:
I don’t know about MO, but I tried it myself where I live. Let me tell you, if you are merely trying to sell the cans for the scrap value of the aluminum, you are in for a bigtime dissapointment. I totally filled the back of my fullsize pickup truck and took it to the recycling center. I think the total load weighed about 40 pounds…and I got 35 cent per pound. The result was a whopping $14. This was after saving and collecting aluminum cans for a full 2 months.
William asks…
Do you get 5 cents per can for recycling cans in Georgia?
Do you get any money for recycling cans in Georgia?
The Expert answers:
You don’t get 5 cents per can, but there are recycling companies who will pay by the ton.
You will only need about 5000 cans per ton, or something like that.
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