Burn ‘Em All Or Sort ‘Em Out: Recycle vs. Incineration Heidi Beutel Tarsha Brown Reginald Jacques Howard West Deborah Wierzchowski April 11, 2000

Objective n To determine if it is better to Recycle or Incinerate plastics made from synthetic polymers –Statistics –advantages –disadvantages –impact on environment –which is more economical

Why Recycle or Incinerate l Question arises about what to do with plastic or post-consumer waste l Waste accumulation has been a problem throughout history l Growth in technology requires new materials l Most consumer waste end up in landfill

Definition of plastic l The term plastic is used to describe commercial materials made from synthetic polymers Þ“poly” (many) and “mers” (parts) Þ not all polymers are plastics

Two types of polymers l Thermoplastic polymers ÞLinearly structured with slight branching from the base units ÞFormed upon heating l Thermoset polymers ÞFormed with irreversible cross-linkages of covalent bonds during polymerization, or post-polymerization treatments ÞCannot be heat softened

Thermoplastic and Thermoset Wastes Per Sector

Seven different types of plastic resins ¶ Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE) Þ the most commonly used for soft drink bottles, waste containers, vegetable oil bottles · High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Þ also very common for film containers, vitamin bottles, milk jugs and butter tubs

Continued ¸ Vinyl/Polyvinyl Chloride (V/PVC) Þused in the manufacture of food wraps, vegetable oil bottles, blister packages, clear health and beauty bottles ¹ Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) Þused to make caps, netting, shrink wraps, garment bags and plastic bags

Continued º Polypropylene (PP) Þ used to make butter tubs, yogurts containers, bottle tops, carpets and food wraps » Polystyrene (PS) Þ includes disposable cutlery ¼ Other includes either layered, mixed plastics or thermosets.

Defining the numbers l Numbers represent the ease of difficulty for each plastic to be recycled l Scientist are working towards finding a way to recycle the higher number ÞOnly 50% of plastics get recycled ÞOnset of debate over recycle vs. incineration

Recycling l Prior to 1989 plastic recycling limited to soft drink bottles l Today plastic recycling has grown into a national network with curbside and drop-off collection programs l Recycling and product manufacturers have high demand for greater post- consumer resins

Growth in post-consumer plastic bottles

Growth in plastic bottles recycling l Plastic bottle recycling increased six-fold since 1990 Þmanufacturers and consumers value plastics for their low cost, versatility and performance benefits Þconsumer demand safety and convenience Þ prefer to buy products in plastic bottles Þlight weight and shatter resistant

Comparing recycling rate of plastic bottles between

The Recycling process n Sort and clean different plastic groups n Melt plastic into bales n Break bales up and grind into small flakes n Wash, rinse and dry flakes in hot air n Color/pigment may be added or maybe run through a pelletizer

Other Forms of Recycling l PE  bean bag toys, lumber l tires  jogging track, roads, mousepads l PETE  jackets, sleeping bag filling, carpet, audio/video tapes

Incineration l Plastics with plasticizers and resins can not be efficiently or economically recycled Þcost and energy required to produce bottles can never be recovered ÞIncineration plants are constructed with energy recovery in mind

Incineration Process n Waste is fed into combustion chamber n Waste is incinerated n Gases rise into a furnace section n Heat from furnace is transferred to water pipes n Heated water is sent through steam producing system

Advantages of Incineration l Waste Reduction Ý plastics completely discarded l Resource Conservation Ý Energy produced used for energy needs

Advantages of Recycling l Waste Reduction Ý reuse of plastic waste l Resource Conservation Ý use of raw materials reduced

Conclusions l Recycling Ýsave money Ýuse less raw materials Ýno environmental emissions compared to incineration Ýincineration - ash waste Ýlandfills years to decompose

Questions?