1. Waste Recycling

2. Goals Define terms related to waste reduction
Hazardous waste recycling
Discuss advantages associated with waste reduction and recycling.
Discuss recycling of specific MSW components
Discuss ways to increase recycling

3. Terminology
Reduction: Reduction in generation, reduction in amount of material, increase lifetime, or eliminate the need
Recycle - used, reused, or reclaimed, use of the material as a source raw material, involves physical transformation
Reused: The direct use or reuse of a secondary material without prior reclamation
Reclaimed: regeneration of wastes or recovery of usable materials from wastes (e.g., regenerating spent solvents in a solvent still). Wastes are regenerated when they are processed to remove contaminants in a way that restores them to their usable condition materials that must be reclaimed/recycled prior to use or reuse
Recovery - Process to recover useful material from mixed waste (energy is an example)

4. Hazardous waste materials that are recycled may be:
Excluded from the definition of solid waste and fall out of RCRA altogether;
Subject to less-stringent regulatory controls; or
Required to comply with the full universe of hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal regulations.

5. Inherently waste-like materials
The following materials are solid wastes when they are recycled in any manner:
(1) Hazardous Waste Nos. F020, F021 (unless used as an ingredient to make a product at the site of generation), F022, F023, F026, and F028.
(2) Secondary materials fed to a halogen acid furnace that exhibit a characteristic of a hazardous waste or are listed as a hazardous waste

6. Materials are solid wastes (and potentially hazardous waste) if they are recycled in the following ways:
Used in a manner constituting disposal - Directly placing wastes or products containing wastes on the land is considered to be use constituting disposal.
If, however, direct placement on the land is consistent with its normal use (e.g., pesticides), then the material is not regulated as a solid waste.
For example, heptachlor can potentially be a P-listed waste. This pesticide is not regulated as a solid waste, however, when it isused as a pesticide.
Burned for energy recovery
Reclaimed (with some exceptions) - materials that must be reclaimed/ recycled prior to use or reuse
Accumulated speculatively

7. Materials that are not solid waste (and therefore not hazardous wastes) when recycled:
(i) Used or reused as ingredients in an industrial process to make a product, provided the materials are not being reclaimed; or
(ii) Used or reused as effective substitutes for commercial products; or
(iii) Returned to the original process from which they are generated, without first being reclaimed or land disposed.

8. Materials Subject to Less Stringent Standards
Universal Waste regulations include batteries, pesticides, lamps (e.g., fluorescent bulbs), and mercury-containing equipment (e.g., thermostats) (see 40 CFR Part 273).
Used Oil includes petroleum-based or synthetic oil that has been used (see 40 CFR Part 279 ).
Waste-Derived Fertilizers (e.g., zinc fertilizer products) and Other Materials Used in a Manner Constituting Disposal (see 40 CFR Part 266 Subpart C).
Materials Utilized for Precious Metal Recovery (see 40 CFR Part 266 Subpart F).
Spent Lead-Acid Batteries (see 40 CFR Part 266 Subpart G - note that lead-acid batteries may also be managed as a Universal Waste).
Hazardous Waste Burned in Boilers and Industrial Furnaces

9. Recycling Advantages
Prevents the emission of many greenhouse gases and water pollutants,
Saves energy,
Supplies valuable raw materials to industry,
Creates jobs,
Stimulates the development of greener technologies,
Conserves resources for our children’s future, and
Reduces the need for new landfills and combustors.

10. MSW Recycling Goals 25% by 1995 (was met) 30% by 2000 (was met)
35% by 2005 (not met)

13. Recycling Challenges Location of wastes (9000 curbside programs)
Uncertainty of supply
Administrative and institutional constraints
Legal restrictions
Uncertain markets
Technical challenges to recycling
Changes in materials (i.e. light weighting)
Too many items in waste
Actually encourages waste production (because recycling will take care of it)

14. SWANA Recommendations to Increase Reduction/Recovery
Encourage more extensive product stewardship by product designers, manufacturers retailers, and consumers
Expand efforts by federal, state, and provincial governments to develop markets for recycled materials and recovered energy
Provide financial incentives for investments in recycling, composting and the use of recovered materials

15. SWANA Recommendations to Increase Reduction/Recovery
Include WTE and conversion technologies in renewable portfolio standards and green power programs
Encourage the recovery and use of landfill gas by maintaining federal tax credits and through renewable portfolio standards and green power programs
Support technology transfer and research efforts that have the potential to increase waste recovery rates

16. Commodity
% of MSW Recycled
Paper and Paperboard
48.1
Steel
36.4
Aluminum
21.4
Glass
18.8
Plastics
5.2

17. Paper Recycling Problems Chlorination produces dioxins/furans
Inks are petrochemical based
Acid used to break fibers shortens life
Coating of high gloss paper
Demand for high quality paper
Glues, laminates, plastics, inks not water soluble
Paper can only be reused 4-12 times, always need a virgin source

18. Paper Recycling ~ 50% of consumed material and growing
Goal 55% by 2012
Strong markets for old corrugated cardboard (OCC) and newsprint (ONP)
Expanding domestic and international demand
Office paper lower demand

19. Steel Recycling
Expanding economy – increased steel demands; China and India biggest markets
36.4% of steel is recycled
Use of plastic for automobiles is a problem
One ton steel recycled saves 2500 lb of iron ore, 1000 lb of coal, 40 lb of limestone, and significant energy savings

20. Aluminum Recycling About 51 percent of aluminum cans is being recycled
Twenty years ago it took 19 aluminum cans to make one pound, but today, aluminum beverage cans are lighter and it takes 29 cans to make a pound.
Americans throw away enough aluminum every three months to rebuild our entire commercial air fleet.
Making new aluminum cans from used cans takes 95 percent less energy and 20 recycled cans can be made with the energy needed to produce one can using virgin ore.
Domestic recycling has declined recently, collection is expensive

21. Glass Recycling Glass always lags other recyclables
Alternative markets needed – grind for construction fill, “glassphalt,” fiberglass
Transportation of heavy glass is expensive
Raw materials are inexpensive
Contamination is an issue
Reuse used to be common practice; however as manufacturing plants became larger and decreased in number, bottles had to be carried further for refilling.
More colored glass is imported than used domestically

22. Plastic Recycling Problems Light weight, bulky, low density
Wide variety of polymers
Concerns over contamination for reuse
Difficult to differentiate among types

23. Plastic Recycling
PET and HDPE have high prices due to domestic and international demand
Curbside recycling is down, driving prices up
More expensive oil prices makes virgin plastic more expensive

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Last updated July 2008 by Dr. Reinhart