Wastes and the Environment: Where Do Your Recycling Go - Research Paper Example

 Recycling refers to the process in which used materials, which otherwise may be dumped as garbage, are collected and processed into new usable products (Morgan, 2009). Things that end up in the recycling bin include plastics, mixed papers and newspapers, aluminum and other tin cans as well as glass jars and scrap metal. During collection wastes, the haulers can be either companies given permit by the city council or plans made the city itself. Trucks transport wastes to landfills or transfer stations. In U.S., different companies that deal with waste management collect the garbage or trash. Wastes are then transported to transfer stations, which are locations that accept wastes especially if they are recyclable (Morgan, 2009). These stations are strategic to ensure that the large trucks do no transport the wastes to their final destinations before sorting is done. In the sorting center, the process of separating the recyclable materials from non-recyclable trash is undertaken. Additionally, the recyclable materials undergo another separating process that may involve use of machines. The sorting company vends the materials to different companies that use them as their raw materials in production of high brand products. The 4Rs have been useful in proper recyclable waste disposal. These methods include re-using, reducing, recycling, as well as rotting as compost manure (Morgan, 2009). When the vehicles arrive at the transfer site, they are weighed and information on where they were collected is recorded. These enables the body in charge of recycling determine the volume of materials to be recycled. The recycling is scrutinized to ensure that there are no extremely contaminated materials because if there are, they cannot be recycled. This is becasuse they may be ruined or damaged hence will have long-term effects. They are then sent to the landfills together with the non-recyclables to be buried.At the landfills; the trash is buried in contained ways (Ashford, 2010). Trucks deliver the trash to open cells of the landfills, at the open cells; the trash is visible since it is still on the open surface. Heavy tracks known as compactors then drive over the trash at the open cells (Ashford, 2010). The compactors are responsible for squeezing out air from the trash. Finally, once the cell is full, a layer of material made of dirt covers it (Ashford, 2010). Another cell is then opened. Lately, the landfills are covered with materials, which ensure that the contaminants inside the landfill do not leak out (Ashford, 2010). Modern landfills also have gas collectors, which collect most of the methane and other greenhouse gas emissions from the landfills. Once the recyclables are separated from the non-recyclables, they are taken to the Materials Recovery Facility where the mixed recyclables are sorted into material types using advanced technology (Sirrine, 2010). The materials are first put in a huge spinning drum where objects such as bottles and cans fall through holes in the walls of the drum. Secondly, the recycling is moved to conveyor belts where magnets attract and repel steel and aluminium cans. In addition, the laser-guided jets of air separate the plastic containers. Materials, which had been put in the recycling by mistake, are then removed before the sorted recycling fall into collection points and packaged. These final products are then re used for the same or new different purposes (Sirrine, 2010). Glass containers are crashed into fine powder and are used for road resurfacing or paving. Plastic bottles on the other hand can be used to make green recycling boxes or even planter pots. Materials that re used in the previous form include aluminium and steel. For food and green garden wastes such as peelings, tea bags and other food scraps in addition to grass cuttings, weeds, dead flowers and twigs, they are collected together in one vehicle. Once collected, they are transported into an industrial composing facility where they are shredded and put into compost tunnels (Morgan, 2009). The process of composting takes up to three months. The products are then screened and transported to local agricultural as well as horticultural outlets. For paper and cardboards, they are mixed with hot water to convert them into pup. Industrial soap is applicable in removing the ink from the papers whereas they screen the fibres to get rid of staples, plastics and glue as well. Recycled paper is then dried and wound on reels before being turned to products suchas newspapers, books and magazines in addition to loft insulation purposes. For the cardboards, they are turned into boxes for packaging besides being used as animal bedding or even coffins. Currently, manufacturing companies like those dealing with vehicles utilize plastic in making of their bodies. For instance, the bumpers or the side paneling and the dashboards are made of plastic materials to lessen the weight besides cutting down the fuel consumption rate of vehicles. Moreover, most vehicle manufacturing companies use most of recycled materials such as seatbacks and seat cushions in manufacturing of brand new cars. The making of the seatbacks from the recycled materials is in such a way that it is safe and comfortable to the user. This indicates that some of the used rugs that we dump are recycled besides the material used to make such useful products. It is also plain in the way the Coca-Cola companies recycle their packaging products such as the bottles and the cans. The company usually maintains and buys its packaging containers and keeps on recycling them to new packaging cans. Through recycling of its packaging containers, this is an indication that some of the dumped trash is recycled because such Coca-Cola packaging is always present in recycling bins. Other companies that utilize recycled materials are such as companies that deal with plastics in making household goods or utensils, the metal dealers companies among others (Sirrine, 2010). Recyclables can also be exported to other countries such as China, which do not have the raw materials in addition to having many manufacturing industries, which need these recycled materials. This process is not only economical but also environment friendly Even though not all waste materials can be recycled, those that undergo recycling seem to provide profits since they re-sell. This is evident from the fact that the garbage management companies seem to be increasing over the last few years. Most of the materials that undergo the recycling process are such as the plastics, cans, glass, food waste, garden waste, paper banks among other materials (Morgan, 2009). All these materials undergo a certain process to give out useful materials besides which they sell to different companies as raw materials for some of their products. References Ashford, M. (2010). What happens inside a landfill? Life's Little Mysteries Contributor.       Morgan, S. (2009). Waste, recycling and reuse. London: Evans. Sirrine, C. (2010). Cool crafts with old wrappers, cans, and bottles: Green projects for resourceful kids. Mankato, Minn: Capstone Press. Read More