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The collection of recyclable materials is only the first step of the process we
call recycling. Interesting new products are being manufactured from your recyclables and
turning up in the marketplace. When you buy goods with recycled content, your purchases
help to create a demand for materials collected in recycling programs. Remember to ask
about a product's "postconsumer content." This means the product was made from
materials that were used and recycled by consumers, rather than from manufacturing wastes.
Here is a look at some of the materials you recycle and the new products that
are being made from them:
Recycled Paper
Paper and paperboard products represent approximately 40 percent of the United States
municipal solid waste. "Recycled" once meant brown paper full of specks and
blotches. Now recycled papers are available in many attractive styles, grades, and colors.
Whatever your need, there is probably a recycled paper to suit your purposes.
Recycled Glass
Glass accounts for about 4 percent, by weight, of California's waste stream. Most is
container glass. The remainder is plate glass, fiberglass, light bulbs, and other types.
Recycled glass is currently being used to manufacture all kinds of containers, pressed
and blown glass products, beautiful floor and wall tiles, glass blocks, sandblasting
material, and reflective paint for road signs. It is also used as a drainage medium, in
filtration systems, and in road building materials.
Recycled Plastics
Plastic waste comprises 5 percent of California's waste stream. Recycled plastics are
being manufactured into many new products. While all materials are theoretically
recyclable, the different plastic types may or may not be recyclable in your community,
depending on recycling services available in your area. The most commonly recycled
plastics are:
- Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the most actively recycled resin in
the postconsumer plastics waste stream. Most PET recycled comes from beverage containers.
Recycled PET is made into polyester fibers used as stuffing for jackets, pillows, and
sleeping bags. Five 2-liter PET bottles can fill a man's ski jacket; 36 can stuff a
sleeping bag.
- High density polyethylene (HDPE). Much of the recycled HDPE comes from
milk and water bottles and is used to make containers for detergents, motor oil, and some
food products.
- Polystyrene (PS) is used in a wide variety of consumer products, such as office
equipment, video cassette casings, hangers, flower pots, packaging "peanuts,"
toys, and insulation.
- Low density polyethylene (LDPE). Film plastics are the most common type
of plastic packaging and represent an enormous source of potentially recyclable
postconsumer plastic. Consumer and manufacturer interest in plastic film products with
recycled content, such as trash, grocery, merchandise, and garment bags, is expected to
increase because of the lower color-consistency requirements of this product.
- Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is primarily used in construction and other
applications where collectors have difficulty identifying and separating plastic resins.
Markets involving recycled PVC include siding and drain pipe, which can use large
quantities of lower-quality resin.
- Polypropylene (PP) is commonly used to manufacture products with
extended lifetimes such as furniture and auto battery cases. Automobile makers are
experimenting with recycling PP scrap from old cars into new car bumpers.
- Other includes all other resins and layered multimaterial plastics.
- Commingled or mixed plastics are low value mixtures of postconsumer plastics. These are
fueling public interest in products such as plastic lumber, to replace the use of
pressure-treated wood. With extended lifetimes and low maintenance requirements, plastic
lumber is suitable for use as landscape timbers, picnic tables, pallets, and marine piers.
Compost
The growing demand for landfill alternatives in this country is leading more communities
to implement yard waste composting projects. Composting provides an environmentally sound
method of waste disposal because it relies on natural biological processes under
controlled conditions. Composting can reduce the volume of materials by 30-60 percent.
Landscape trimmings are made into a variety of soil amendments and mulches which help to
keep weeds out and moisture in.
Steel
More than two-thirds of the amount of steel produced each year is recycled, making steel
the most actively recycled material. Beyond the large volume of steel recycled each year,
all steel products are guaranteed to have recycled content because new steel is made from
old steel.
Steel is also a green framing material in sustainable home development, as is steel
roofing.
Tires
Of the estimated 28.2 million tires discarded in California annually, approximately 60
percent are landfilled, stockpiled, or illegally dumped! 16 percent are reused, exported,
or retreaded. Besides being retreaded for reuse, tires are processed into raw materials
(crumb rubber) for use in rubberized and rubber modified asphalt paving materials. Tires
are also used in building construction, erosion control, artificial marine habitats, crash
barriers, and playground equipment.
Used Oil and Antifreeze
Used motor oil is re-refined into new motor oil, as well as transmission fluid and
lubricating oils of very high quality. It takes three gallons of used motor oil to produce
one gallon of re-refined motor oil, compared to using 75 gallons of crude oil just to make
one gallon of virgin motor oil. Used antifreeze is also re-refined for reuse.
Construction and
Demolition Debris
Wood waste is processed into a variety of products such as compost, mulch, sawdust,
woodchips, pressed wood logs, and fiberboard. Drywall is crushed and used as a soil
amendment, or in the manufacture, along with old newspaper, of floor underlayment. Look
also for fiberglass insulation and paint with recycled content.
For More Help:
Publication #500-94-031
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