Recycling

[LJP07]

This thread is about Recycling and the previous, current, and possibly future methods that could be involved to help the problem. It should also be about large-scale incineration and land-fill sites and whether these are a problem, could be improved or are absolutely great.

 

Maybe opinion is that people think it's worthless to recycle and couldn't be bothered, if so, their opinion should be expressed here. It should discuss new methods that people think could be employed on a larger scale to help improve recycling overall.

 

It should discuss how recycling affects the environment, whether it needs to be world scale to work or else be pointless. Possible effects of recycling and effects if it's not employed to countries expectations and current global affairs currently on-going to help the problem that is recycling.

 

I think we should start the discussion on Incineration. Personally, I don't know much about these but I know there is much debating in parts of Ireland currently whether they are any good currently, does anyone have any contributions to make towards this method of recycling?

[freeztar]

I think we should use Venus as our landfill.

All the stuff that is capable of being reprocessed should be recycled (depending on emissions).

I'm going to be cremated. It saves space and doesn't cause problems with floods. Most likely, your descendants will be consuming the atoms that once composed "me". :)

[LJP07]

Incineration

 

Incineration would be defined as the deliberate combustion of waste while trying to control the pollutants to a certain level. However, they don't just produce pollutants, they also produce ash, obviously since their burning. Although Incinerators that control the level of gaseous emissions are called Waste to Energy Plants (WtE). Incineration is more beneficial over land-fill sites as it destroys pathogens ( due to high temperatures ) which land-fill wouldn't do, or nearly as effectively.

 

The gaseous emissions/pollutants that Incinerators normally produce are Sulphur Dioxide, NOx compounds, Hydrogen Chloride along with other trace gases. The ash at the bottom most likely contains, lead, cadmium, copper and zinc. However, scientists agree that they are more concerned over levels of Furan and Dioxan gases produced.

 

Furan ( Furane ) is a heterocyclic organic compound. It's toxic and carcinogenic. It's chemical formula is C4H4O. Dioxan are halogenated organic compounds. The most common in pollutants is 2,3,7,8 tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. Again like Furan, these are highly toxic and cause many human ailments ( often irreversable. ) These include Endometriosis, Cancer, Permanent Neural damage, birth defects, and immune damage.

 

The Stockholm Convention is an agreement internationally to help control pollution. It concerns what are called Persistant Organic Pollutants. This international treaty wishes to stop all forms of Dioxin entering our atmosphere. Dioxin levels are also increased from Diesel used vehicles and burning wood.

 

There are arguments for and against Incineration:

 

For:

 

1. Finding new space in urbanised regions for landfill is becoming difficult.

2. Government vowing to reduce Furan and Dioxan emissions dramatically.

3. Incineration of medical waste products, results in sterile ash.

4. Some countries in Scandinavia use this and there are no problems there.

5. Complying with the Stockholm Convention reassures people to pollutants.

 

Against:

 

1. Environmental Harm

2. Foul smell and disturbance locally.

3. Possibility of health issues in the vicinity.

4. Expense of building one, may look unsightly in urbanised region.

5. Ash containing toxic products.

 

Here are some links regarding Incineration:

 

Race Against Waste : Incineration

 

Incineration, Information on

 

Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants(POPs)

 

Dioxin Homepage and www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/minimize/factshts/dioxfura.pdf

[Ganoderma]

we are planning out our house/property now and i am looking into waste management/treatment. i would like to have all the outgoing waste stay on the property and used somewhere, likely ending up in an ornamental plant area.

 

I was thinking having a tank setup with whatever bacteria they use, then have it go through UV sterilization and finally placed in a private area to go through natural decomposition.

 

i was shocked to see that many kids here in taiwans country side didn't even know what plastic really was. we run a school so i made up a board that showed what is recyclable and what is not. students and parents even told me, thats not recyclable... anyway when we first opened the school we went through 1 garbage can of recycling in a month, and usually 1 a day of "garbage". now, 1 year later, we go through 1 garbage can every 2-4 days (usually 2/week) and 1-2 cans of recycling every day. we recycle and compost everything we can currently, and are looking into other things like human waste, shower waste etc.

 

I also find that many many things can be reused for a long time rather than being recycled. i have so many plastic containers being used for plants now its not funny. tires used for garden walls whatever.

 

one thing that is not recycled here yet is Styrofoam, and they use it allot. Especially for disposable plates/bowls etc...i also cannot find a good use for it either, so alas it sits in a pile until we finally throw it out.

[Titas Aduksus]

Simply put recycling can prolong [some] of the resources of the planet, that should make it a consideration, plastic - uh! I hate the stuff, wood is far better, locks a bit of CO2 for a while as well :eek_big: I think one of the main reasons people do not recycle as much as they could is down to time, it has to be easier/quicker to chuck something whole into the trash rather than seperate it into parts that can be reused. Then there's fashion, trend etc, your kitchen is three years old [and probably still in functional order], but you want a change. If I buy anything new I always leave the polystyrene packing in the shop, let them pay for it to be disposed of. Junk mail - easy, there's usually a prepaid in there somewhere so in it all goes and back to source.

Buying fruit, hasn't nature already packaged it yet they add onther layer ...

 

It's attitude that needs changing. But I think this can only come from us.

Incinreation vs land fill to me suggests we are not prepared to tackle the cause of the problem.

[Ganoderma]

good points. i think the best way will be for the government or whoever takes care of waste to just accept all recycling as is. in my home in canada you put your garbage in one can and the recycling in the other, mixed to gether. recycling was also free, garbage was expensive. also creates jobs to help sort it. thats how we do it in taiwan too. 2 bags. garbage and mixed recycling. this way is not any more effort than throwing it all into one.

[Michaelangelica]

I think we should use Venus as our landfill.

All the stuff that is capable of being reprocessed should be recycled (depending on emissions).

I'm going to be cremated. It saves space and doesn't cause problems with floods. Most likely, your descendants will be consuming the atoms that once composed "me". B)

I want to be composted.

Far less energy involved. How do I mange that? I need a really good grinder.

 

Then again I could donate my body to medical students to play with.

 

Apparently organs are hard to re-cycle unless you actually die in hospital and can be put on "life" support. (To keep you fresh). My driving license says I want to donate any useful body parts but apparently my next-of-kin can veto that. (They probably won't as they would be too amazed to see that there was anything left that was still useful)

 

Incineration

mmmm. . .

touchy topic

Most everything burnt gives off toxic gasses.

The best system so far is the BEST Energies pyrolysis machine.

It can go though about c.4+ tonne of organic biomass (up to 70% water content!) an hour with about the same emissions as a diesel truck.

 

Then you are left with plastic, chicken bones, scraps that would attract rats and cockroaches and kitchen peelings.

 

I now compost kitchen peelings with local seaweed from the lake and horse & chicken manure from the farm around the corner. I usually add some grass clippings from my suburban lawn but usually just use it as mulch.

I used to put peelings in an open toped/bottomed bin. It took about twelve months to fill if I added some paper occasionally. I then started another bin. left the first to turn into worm castings. I did "seed" it at first with some worms. The worms and the possums seemed to appreciate my re-cycling efforts.

 

Of late with my interest in Terra preta I am now grinding up egg-shells in a mortar and pestle (It is surprising how much you can get in a short time). The lavenders love it.

 

I experimented with bones by taking the big Christmas ham-bone down to the lake where the crabs cleaned it. I brought it home and intended to grind it up. It is still sitting on the back path waiting for an inspirational idea on how to achieve that. Perhaps this is a bit a "bridge too far" as far as recycling goes.

The council bin has a recycling side and a rubbish side.

My daughter does not believe they really re-cycle anything. It's all pretend, she says.

The thing I throw out mainly is paper (local) & junk mail (I don't buy newspapers I read the web for news) plastic soda bottles and grog bottles.

I am a bit wary of composting the paper, although I do own a paper shredder.

 

In SA there is a 5 Cent deposit on all bottles-plastic and glass. I believe they therefore recycle 90% of them. When I was a kid all soft drink bottles had a "deposit" on them and it was a great way to make pocket money. Beer bottles were also sold to glass companies My scout troop just about built their hall from beer bottles (My public spirited dad helped a lot).

 

Sometimes I am very dim and it was pointed out to me that just recycling things was not good enough if you didn't buy products that were recycled. I found that a surprising new idea.

 

My plant nursery has a spot where people can leave, or pick up, plastic pots.

I usually 'pick up' and have collected pots that would have cost $200 new. I tend to shop at that nursery because of this.

 

We (Oz) are trying to get rid of supermarket plastic bags by using cloth "green' bags. Invariably I forget to take mine and consequently feel guilty.

The cloth bags are good.(cost $1) They are strong and hold a lot more. They do tend to get diverted to many other uses too, collecting seaweed, library books, taking the cat for a walk, storage etc

 

In the end maybe we all need to consume less.

I am thinking of asking for some donations to my favorite charities like Amnesty and the Blue Dragon Children's Foundation this year instead of birthday presents (Unless they buy me a new Apple Mac!):eek2:

[LJP07]

Landfill

Landfill would be defined as an area of land significantly lower in height which deposits of refuse/garbage is deposited in layers during which compaction and over-layering of soil takes place. The Environmental Agency demands that levels of landfill compaction are actually kept to an absolute minimum.

 

However, landfill sites or dumps do cause much worry and upset for the following reasons:

 

1. Local pollution, gaseous total emissions of the whole process.

2. Pollution of waters nearby and water reserves.

3. Noise levels dramatically increase nearby.

4. Damage to local infrastructure due to amount of heavy traffic used.

5. Air contamination of grit and dust to the nearby vicinity.

6. Damaging the local ecosystem, killing fish in rivers too.

7. Unpleasant odours may remain as a result of this.

8. Wasted land use, for some opinions though.

9. Economic costs of setting one up.

10. Ruining local landscape of what might of been rural lands.

11. Damages to the local drainage system or other similar effects.

12. Radioactive Isotopes may cause cancer among those nearby.

 

These are the arguments against the use of landfill as a use for eliminating wastes. Are these arguments enough to say no to landfill or should these be set aside completely and let local people be upset? People don't have to be right next to the landfill or near it to be affected, significant distances are also affected, even if people regard it not being in that area.

 

Here are some links regarding landfill use:

 

Howstuffworks "How Landfills Work"

 

Race Against Waste : Landfill

 

LANDFILLS ; Excellent Source.

 

 

 

[Michaelangelica]

Dell has just said they will come and pick up and dispose of old computers of theirs

 

I put the link in "DIY Planet Cooling" thread

should have put it here

[Michaelangelica]

environment cartoons - offthemark.com - by Mark Parisi

 

In Australia we have three bins for different types of rubbish.

Doesn't everyone have that?

[Ganoderma]

here if you go somewhere public we do. often there is a can/bottle bin, food waste, paper/cardboard, plastic and "waste". but not everywhere has this. in our smaller village there is a garbage truck and a recycle truck that follows it, so its mixed.

 

ironically the Mcdonalds here seem to recycle far better than most! they have recycle, waste and food waste bins and everyone uses them properly!