How can recyclable materials be processed

These metal ingots are sold to manufacturers where they can be remade into almost anything, such as:. Aluminum is another product that can be recycled indefinitely without any reduction in the quality of the materials.

There is a high demand for aluminum, so most cans you throw into the recycling are turned into new products in weeks. In fact, 50, aluminum cans are produced every minute. The separated aluminum is taken to a processing plant, and the cans are shredded.

These pieces are melted into sheets and made into new cans and aluminum foil. Aluminum is also made into car parts, airplane parts and the bodies of tractor-trailer trucks.

Glass is another material that can be reused and recycled indefinitely to make new glass products. It is far more energy-efficient and easier to make glass products from recycled glass than raw materials. The glass arrives at the reclaiming facility in all kinds of different colours, shapes and sizes. These are crushed down into tiny pieces called cullet or melted down to be formed into new containers. Cullet has smooth edges and can be used in making bricks or for use in paving surfaces.

Plastic can be a little more complicated to recycle than other materials. This complexity is because different plastics are made from different types of resin. Take a look at the bottom of a plastic container, and you will see an identifying number.

This number tells you what kind of plastic makes up the container. The different types of plastic cannot be mixed. Glass is collected, sorted by color then washed to remove any impurities. The glass is then crushed and mixed with sand, soda ash and limestone. This recycled glass mixture is then melted and molded into new products, such as bottles and jars.

The Hexstation 3-Bin Bottles, Cans and Glass Station make it easy to manage your glass, can and bottle recycling with one recycling solution. Electronic waste, or e-waste cell phones, laptops, computers, batteries, etc , is dismantled into various parts metal frames, power supplies, circuit boards, plastics either by hand or automated shredding equipment.

These recovered components are then collected and sent to various facilities for further recycling processing. Leaded glass from CRTs is reused in car batteries, ammunition, and lead wheel weights. Copper, gold, palladium, silver and tin are sold to smelters for recycling. Hazardous smoke and gases captured from recycling e-waste are contained and treated to mitigate environmental threat. It's important to recycle your e-waste correctly. This helps to minimize potential environmental impacts.

These E-Waste Recycling bins will let you set up an environmentally friendly recycling solution. Learn more by clicking here. Recycling textiles and clothing first requires collecting the textiles and clothing and sorting into type and color. Share your interesting facts on recycling Share with us if you know of any interesting statistic or historical fact about recycling.

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We respect your privacy. Email Marketing by GetResponse. Recycling plastics is easy. Read below what types of plastics can be recycled and only put those types of plastics in the container. Plastics have different formulations and have to be sorted before they are recycled to make new products. Mixed plastics can be recycled, but they are not as valuable as sorted plastics because the recycled physical properties of the plastic, such as strength, may vary with each batch.

You may leave the paper labels on the container, but throw away the plastic caps. Plastic caps are usually made from a different type of plastic than the container and cannot be easily recycled. Glass jars and beverage bottles of any color are acceptable for recycling.

Please remove any lids from bottles and jars. Window glass or laboratory glass are not acceptable and are handled separately. If you have a large amount of bottles and cans to recycle, you can arrange with your custodian to have them picked up, or contact Pitt Recycling at recycle fm.

If it is possible for you to do so, please crush cardboard boxes. Most types of cardboard are acceptable, but any cardboard treated with a wax or plastic coating is not acceptable and should be disposed of as trash. If you have a large number of boxes or if you have some boxes that are very heavy, you may arrange with your custodian to have them picked up, or contact Pitt Recycling at recycle fm. Packing material is currently not recycled by the University. However, there are options for recycling this material through local mailing services.

For information please contact you Pitt recycling team. Electronic Waste is unwanted computers, monitors, televisions, audio equipment, printers, laptops, fax machines, telephones, and other electronic equipment.

When electronic equipment breaks or becomes obsolete, it must be properly disposed or recycled. This electronic equipment may contain heavy metals and other materials that can become hazardous to human health and the environment, including:. Our finite reserves of natural resources are being depleted rapidly, particularly with the increasing use of disposable products and packaging. In , U. This is nearly 1 ton of waste per person per year, or approximately 4.

This rate of use and disposal takes a particularly heavy toll on irreplaceable natural resources such as minerals and petroleum. Reprocessing used materials to make new products and packaging reduces the consumption of natural resources.