Recycled raw materials and their processing. Recycling and use of household waste
Recycling not only saves space in landfills, but also improves incineration efficiency by removing non-combustible materials from the waste stream.
Recyclable materials in solid waste
Glass usually processed by crushing and remelting (preferably the original glass is the same color). Low-quality broken glass, after crushing, is used as a filler for building materials (for example, the so-called “glassphalt”). In many Russian cities there are enterprises for laundering and reusing glassware.
Steel and aluminum cans melted down to obtain the corresponding metal. However, smelting aluminum from soft drink cans requires only 5% of the energy required to make the same amount of aluminum from ore, and is one of the most profitable types of “recycling”.
Paper waste Various types have been used for many decades along with conventional cellulose to make pulp - the raw material for paper. Mixed or low-quality paper waste can be used to make toilet paper, wrapping paper and cardboard.
Plastic recycling in general - a more expensive and complex process. Some types of plastic (for example, PET - two- and three-liter transparent bottles for soft drinks) can be used to produce high-quality plastic with the same properties, others (for example, PVC) after processing can only be used as construction materials.
Composting is a waste recycling technology based on their natural biodegradation. Composting is most widely used to process waste of organic – primarily plant – origin, such as leaves, branches and grass clippings. There are technologies for composting food waste, as well as an unseparated stream of solid waste.
Composting is a biochemical process of decomposition of the organic part of solid waste by microorganisms. In biochemical reactions, organic material, oxygen and bacteria interact and release carbon dioxide, water and heat. As a result of self-heating to 60-65 degrees C, most pathogenic microorganisms, helminth eggs and fly larvae are destroyed.
Waste processing plants operate using aerobic biothermal composting technology, in which a significant (more than 50%) part of solid waste is neutralized and converted into compost - a valuable organic fertilizer.
By analogy with direct waste incineration, the technology of direct composting of solid waste has the same fundamental drawback - it takes little into account the composition and properties of the feedstock, which explains the unsatisfactory operation of waste processing plants and the low quality of the finished product.
Production and utilization of biogas, formed during the decomposition of organic components of solid waste - most often used directly at landfills (in the USA, for example, there are about 80 installations for burning methane produced by rotting garbage in landfills). At the same time, Germany and Japan have developed a technology for producing biogas from the organic fraction isolated from solid waste during their enrichment in special plants.
The main disadvantage of composting is that it produces an environmentally unsafe product that contains harmful substances, mainly heavy metals, that pollute the soil. Cleaning compost is associated with significant costs, and therefore an increase in the price of the product, and is sometimes impossible at all.
Experience shows that the use of a composting product requires significant control by environmental and sanitary-epidemiological services. Compost can be used to fertilize trees and shrubs, parks, and lawns, but not to fertilize crops used for food.
Thermal methods
Incineration of initial waste, although it is a simple and universal method of waste disposal, has a lot of disadvantages, the main one of which is a large residue slag, high level of education dioxins and acid gases, which are released at the gasification stage and lead to air pollution due to high humidity with a large proportion (above 40%) of food waste. For these reasons, in practice the temperature in the furnace does not exceed 550 °C.
12.7.1. Waste incineration .
Advantages- incineration reduces the amount of waste ending up in landfills and can be used to generate electricity. Although indiscriminately burning all waste is a technology of the past. Incineration requires pre-treatment of solid waste. When separating from solid waste, they try to remove large objects and metals (both magnetic and non-magnetic) and further crush it. In order to reduce harmful emissions from waste, batteries and accumulators, plastic, and leaves are also removed.
− Waste volume is reduced to 5% and weight to 25% of the initial volume. This reduces the need for disposal space.
− Modern installations make it possible to utilize up to 80% of the energy reserves in waste.
− After burning waste, the release of methane into the atmosphere, which is formed in landfills and is the cause of a greenhouse effect 20 times more significant than carbon dioxide, stops.
Incineration of an unseparated waste stream is currently considered extremely dangerous.
An important task in the operation of waste incineration plants is the disposal or disposal of toxic ash and slag, the mass of which amounts to up to 30% of the dry mass of solid waste and which, due to its physical and chemical properties, cannot be disposed of in conventional landfills. For safe disposal of ash, special storage facilities with control and treatment of wastewater are used.
The main disadvantage of waste incineration plants is the difficulty of purifying gases released into the atmosphere from harmful impurities, especially dioxins and nitrogen oxides.
At waste incineration plants, where a single-stage gas purification scheme is used, which does not allow for complete purification and can cause air pollution. Technologies for deeper gas purification are currently being developed.
Modern incinerators equipped with emission treatment systems, power generators, and used in combination with other solid waste disposal methods can help manage the waste stream, especially in densely populated areas.
Pyrolysis
Pyrolysis ‒ a thermochemical process in which the organic part of waste is decomposed and useful products are obtained under the influence of high temperature in special reactors.
Pyrolysis allows you to eliminate solid and paste-like waste without prior preparation. It is also very important that this method allows you to eliminate waste with high humidity, waste “inconvenient” for burning, including ‒ various hydrocarbon materials. Another advantage of especially high temperature pyrolysis ‒ This is the production of combustible gas that can be used as fuel. But there is also a dioxin danger for these industries.
Burial.
The existing solid waste disposal system in the Russian Federation is based on the oldest method of waste disposal - burying the vast majority of waste (about 98%) in landfills and unorganized landfills. In the absence of equipped landfills that meet sanitary and hygienic requirements, municipal solid waste is deposited in landfills, which pose a serious danger, since they significantly affect all components of the environment and are a powerful pollutant of atmospheric air, soil and groundwater due to the occurrence of unpredictable physical processes in their bodies. -chemical and biochemical processes.
The situation is aggravated by the fact that due to the lack of separate collection of solid waste, medications with expired expiration dates, broken mercury-containing thermometers and fluorescent lamps, containers are thrown into a common container, and often next to it, along with paper, polymer, glass and metal containers, food waste with residues of pesticides.
Disposal of solid waste at landfills continues to be necessary for waste that is not recyclable, non-combustible, or burns with the release of toxic substances.
A waste disposal site is a complex system. Modern “sanitary” landfills that meet environmental requirements bear little resemblance to the landfills we are familiar with: they are complex engineering structures equipped with water and air pollution control systems that use the methane generated during the decay of garbage to produce heat and electricity.
Every year, every person leaves behind tons of garbage. Garbage is taken to landfills, where in most cases it rots. Moreover, this process can last for centuries. Throughout the decomposition of garbage, toxic substances are released into the atmosphere, soil and groundwater. All toxins subsequently settle in the human body, causing the development of cancer and other equally serious diseases.
Meanwhile, any waste can serve as secondary raw materials for the production of various products. Recycling waste allows you to benefit and save natural resources.
The scale of the problem is clear to many people. And it can only be resolved by stimulating the creation of waste processing plants. Such enterprises are able to solve the problem of littering and environmental pollution. But first you need to understand what kind of waste can be used to obtain recyclable materials, and what the waste recycling process is.
Types of recycling
Raw materials can be processed in various ways.
One of the most popular are thermal methods. These include:
- incineration carried out at landfills is a disposal method that allows the release of landfill territory, but causes significant damage to the environment;
- low-temperature pyrolysis allows you to obtain heat, from which thermal and electrical energy is generated;
- allows you to obtain secondary products used in the production of various building materials, including ceramic tiles.
There are other, less expensive ways to recycle waste. One of them is filling the landfill with earth. In this case, the garbage decomposes, resulting in the release of methane. It is subsequently purified and converted into natural gas.
Another method that does not require significant costs is composting.
However, this disposal method is only suitable for organic waste. These include:
- paper;
- food products;
- vegetable waste.
As a result of such processing, it is possible to obtain valuable organic fertilizer, which can be used in agriculture and on private property.
What waste is suitable for recycling?
Recycling waste allows you to improve the environmental situation, as well as obtain recyclable materials suitable for the further production of various products. Such products include products made of glass and metal, as well as paper and building materials.
The following types of waste are suitable for recycling:
- scrap metal;
- polymers;
- broken glass and glass containers;
- waste paper;
- textile;
- rubber, in particular car tires;
- wood;
- electronics;
- mercury lamps;
- petroleum products.
Benefits of Metal Recycling
Scrap metal is separated from other types of waste using magnetic separation, after which it is compressed, packaged and sent to foundries for further processing.
Most often, the raw material for recycling is ferrous metal scrap, in particular cast iron. People often take cast iron bathtubs and radiators to landfills. Waste from industrial enterprises also ends up there in the form of cast iron pallets, shavings and oversized pieces remaining after casting, as well as old equipment.
Meanwhile, cast iron scrap is a valuable raw material. Unlike the production of this metal, repeated melting cycles do not harm the environment.
At the same time, secondary raw materials can be used in the production of plumbing fixtures, cars, building materials and in other industries.
For industrial production, non-ferrous metals are of particular value, since their resource is limited. On the territory of Russia, technologies are used that make it possible to remelt the following types of non-ferrous metals:
- lead;
- copper;
- zinc;
- aluminum
Electric induction furnaces are used to melt them, which significantly saves natural resources. In addition, primary casting is accompanied by the release of sulfur gases, lead salts and heavy metals into the environment. Recycling of non-ferrous metals does not have these disadvantages, which has a positive effect not only on the environment, but also on the cost of the final products.
Benefits of Polymer Recycling
The difficulty of processing raw materials, which include polymers, lies in the need to purify them. economically unprofitable, since this process is much more expensive than the production of primary raw materials. That is why polymer waste, for example, plastic bottles, is used in the production of concrete products, as well as wood-polymer boards.
For example, PET bottles in which drinks are packaged are used to make raw materials for the production of insulation for jackets. In addition, these raw materials are used to manufacture the following products:
- door panels;
- containers;
- pallets;
- carpets;
- car bumpers and grilles.
In the manufacture of all these products, recycled materials do not require purification. And since it is much cheaper than the primary one, all this directly affects the cost of the final products.
Benefits of glass recycling
Glass is the only material that can be recycled endlessly without compromising its quality. Just 1 ton of recycled glass saves more than half a ton of sand, two hundred kilograms of limestone and the same amount of soda.
By adding various additives to broken glass, manufacturers are able to produce products with certain qualities. For example, adding boron makes it possible to produce heat-resistant cookware. And the addition of glass fiber is necessary in the manufacture of fiber optic cables.
Benefits of recycling waste paper and textiles
When recycling paper, unlike primary production, there is no harm to the environment. At the same time, recycling enterprises manage to recover about 80% of cellulose fibers from recycled materials, which allows them to produce new batches of paper and cardboard.
The following products are made from raw materials obtained through recycling:
- cardboard packaging;
- toilet paper;
- Construction Materials.
When producing new paper, recycled materials are mixed with primary ones.
Textiles and shoes are also recyclable. In this case, part of the textiles suitable for further use are cleaned, repaired, and then sent to charity.
Clothes that are unwearable are also cleaned, recycled and used to make new products, such as some types of paper. Recycled raw materials are also suitable for, but in this case, secondary fibers are mixed with primary fibers.
Benefits of Rubber Recycling
When car tires burn, carcinogens are released into the atmosphere, posing a threat to human health. In addition, rubber is an excellent raw material for the production of new tires, rubber shoes, and building materials. For example, crumb rubber is used as a filler in children's playgrounds and stadium paths. Rubber can also become a raw material for production if it is subjected to pyrolysis.
Benefits of wood processing
When preparing an array, the volume of waste significantly exceeds the used part. Waste suitable for recycling includes:
- bark;
- wood chips;
- roots;
- croaker;
- branches.
Large lump waste is used for the production of paper, as well as construction materials and chemicals. Sawdust is a useful material used in the manufacture of fillers for dry closets and charcoal. In addition, they are used in agriculture as bedding for animals and birds.
And waste that has no industrial significance is subjected to high-temperature pyrolysis, during which it is possible to obtain energy.
Benefits of Recycling Electronics and Mercury Vapors
When recycling waste, old electronics are of considerable value, from which various chemical elements are obtained, including precious metals, glass and polymers.
Electronics recycling makes it possible to obtain all kinds of chemical elements
All metal obtained from the sorting process is melted in furnaces, pressed, packaged, and then sent to foundries for further processing. All remaining components undergo pyrolysis, during which they obtain energy.
Mercury lamps cause irreparable harm to the environment. That is why collection points for waste materials are organized in Russia. Subsequently, the material obtained from these products is neutralized and converted into a sorbent from which paving slabs are made. Glass bulbs are used in the manufacture of new lamps.
Waste petroleum products are primarily used for the production of motor oil and construction materials. Their recycling can significantly reduce the emission of harmful vapors into the atmosphere, as well as reduce the degree of contamination of soil and groundwater.
Conclusion
Modern technologies used in waste disposal make it possible to recycle more than 70% of solid waste. There are many waste processing enterprises successfully operating in Russia. And each plant makes a huge contribution to environmental protection.
For this type of activity to develop successfully, it is necessary not only to organize waste collection points with special containers, but also to establish communication between recycling companies and manufacturers of finished products. Otherwise, people will suffocate from the increasing volumes of garbage, and natural resources will sooner or later run out.
Over the past 30 years, humanity has spent a third of the resources available on Earth. Every year, resource consumption increases by one and a half percent. Therefore, saving natural resources, searching for alternative resources, recycling raw materials, and reusing waste are becoming so important.
Over the last century, the world's population has increased 4 times, and industrial production has increased almost 20 times. But modern technology does not allow us to properly purify air and water or dispose of production waste. Currently, about 80 billion tons of garbage have accumulated in dumps. And these mountains are growing because only a third of the by-products are processed.
Everyone knows convenient plastic bottles. They decompose in the ground for hundreds of years, while a tin can will take 10 years, and cardboard only 1-2 years. In general, the decomposition time of polyethylene depends on its structure and can exceed several thousand years.
Every year the population throws away more and more packaging, tires, and household appliances. Today, the issue of waste reuse is again on the agenda. The “second life” of waste helps save significant amounts of raw materials and energy.
Hundreds of flowers made from plastic bottles. All this is an exhibition called “A Thousand Suns”, taking place in the US state of Michigan
All over the world, waste paper, packaging, glass, wood, metal, household appliances are recycled - waste recycling has become one of the fastest growing industries. We, with a generous hand, send it all to landfills.
Here's a unique motorcycle made from old car and bicycle parts
Modern electronic components recycling plant in Tokyo
On average, one ton of computer junk contains as much gold as 18 tons of gold-bearing rock.
An interesting use for plastic bottles was found in the city of Roubaix, France. They were used to build these spherical meeting rooms in the park.
What to do with the huge number of vuvuzelas left over from the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa? A competition was held to reuse these musical instruments. In this place they were used to make an original lamp.
You can make original designer bags from film from old video cassettes.
Old pipe recycling plant
This man rummages through a landfill in Manila, Philippines, looking for copper and other metals. For many people living here, this is their only source of income.
A tiger made from everything. He took part in the Chinese New Year parade in Sydney
Globe model created by designer from plastic bottles, Petah Tikva, Tel Aviv
Collection and recycling point for old mobile phones in Tokyo
In the Israeli city of Kiryat Gat there is a “tank graveyard” where about 700 decommissioned armored vehicles are located. They are sold for processing at a price of $0.25/kg
In the American city of Columbus, Ohio, stores have special bins for old, unnecessary glasses. They are then collected, disinfected and distributed free of charge to those in need.
Exhibition in Taipei, April 9, 2010. One of the Taiwanese companies built a three-story exhibition pavilion from 1.5 million plastic bottles instead of bricks.
Interesting installation in Sydney, Australia - a Christmas tree made from old bicycles
Aluminum can recycling plant in Laval, France
Violinist of the Paraguayan symphony orchestra "Melodies of Trash", whose musicians play instruments made from waste materials
10-meter transformable robot made from scrap car, Beijing
You can also make fuel for cars from plastic bottles. A worker at a plastic recycling plant holds a container of fuel oil in Hong Kong on August 24, 2011. It will be able to turn 3 tons of old plastic into 1,000 liters of fuel in the future.
By the way, this year specialists from a Russian company from the city of Tomsk presented an installation that is capable of producing as much as 900 grams of fuel from 1 kilogram of crushed plastic bottles.
18-meter catamaran made from 11,000 plastic bottles, Sydney, Australia
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The material is current as of 08/04/2014
Waste as secondary raw materials
The definition of secondary raw materials is regulated by GOST R 54098-2010 Resource conservation. Secondary material resources. Terms and Definitions . Under secondary raw materials refers to “recycled material resources that can currently be reused.” In this case, secondary material resources are understood as “production and consumption waste”.
Secondary material resources ( BMP) is production and consumption waste generated in the national economy, for which there is the possibility of reuse directly or after additional processing. Suitable for recycling production and consumption waste generated in material production, the service sector and in the processes of final consumption of products (clause 3.2.1 of GOST R 54098-2010).
Recycled raw materials- this is a homogeneous and certified part of secondary material resources formed from collected, accumulated and specially prepared for re-use of production and consumption waste or products that have served a specified period or are obsolete.
Also, recyclable materials are material recovered for use as raw materials, obtained from used products and waste, with the exception of waste generated in the primary production process (clause 3.3.1 of GOST R 54098-2010).
The production of secondary raw materials from waste refers to the primary (preliminary) processing of waste, which involves obtaining from them immediately (without the accumulation of secondary resources) certain types of secondary raw materials that meet the requirements of the relevant regulatory (GOST, GOST R, STO) or technical (TU, TO) documents on secondary raw materials as products.
Waste is a secondary raw material only if it can be used either instead of primary raw material, or as a fundamentally new type of raw material without significant processing and preparation for use (cleaning, washing, drying, and other similar preparatory operations).
In the production of consumer goods, the use of recycled materials in most cases is limited by hygienic and aesthetic factors (clause 3.4.16 of GOST R 54098-2010).
Types of secondary raw materials
Types of secondary raw materials - These are groups of secondary raw materials, characterized by homogeneous characteristics in the composition of accumulated secondary resources and intended for use as materials, substances and/or fuel and energy resources.
Types of secondary raw materials are determined in accordance with the codes established in the All-Russian Product Classification (OKP) and in the Federal Waste Classification Catalog (FKKO).
The main nomenclature of secondary raw materials is established in GOST R 54099-2010. The most common types of secondary raw materials: wood, food, polymer, construction, textile, waste paper (according to clause 3.3.2 of GOST R 54099-2010).
Collection of secondary raw materials
Containers, collections, bags with collected secondary raw materials, pressed bales of waste paper must be transported by motor transport or garbage trucks to the warehouses of secondary raw materials enterprises (clause 17 of SP dated January 22, 1982, No. 2524-82).
Organizations and enterprises for the procurement and primary processing of secondary raw materials (procurement and production offices, production and procurement enterprises, procurement warehouses, bases, factories that carry out the primary processing of secondary raw materials) should be located in industrial and warehouse zones of populated areas (clause 24 of SP dated 22.01 .1982 No. 2524-82).
Responsibility for compliance with sanitary rules rests with the heads of organizations and enterprises engaged in the procurement and primary processing of secondary raw materials (clause 44 of SP dated January 22, 1982 No. 2524-82).
Fine! Processing of secondary raw materials - this is a set of technological operations for the preparation of secondary raw materials for their subsequent use (clause 3.4.22 of GOST R 54098-2010). Primary processing of secondary raw materials should be carried out in compliance with all necessary precautions (working clothing and personal protective equipment in the form of masks and gauze bandages), taking into account the possibility of the presence of pathogenic bacteria in the raw materials (in accordance with clause 11 of SP dated January 22, 1982 No. 2524- 82). Reuse of waste Reuse of waste - This is any organizational and technological process in which products or their components, including packaging, that have served the period established in the regulatory and technical documentation, are reused for the same purpose for which they were originally created or for another useful functional purpose. Prior to reuse, waste pretreatment may include any method of inspection, cleaning or repair in which the product or its component parts that are waste are pretreated in such a way that they can then be reused without other pretreatment. Waste treatment includes processes of waste disposal or disposal, including pre-treatment processes (clause 3.4.6 of GOST R 54098-2010). Waste groups used as secondary raw materials:
Main features of the secondary raw materials market in Russia:
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A series of articles devoted to the recycling of raw materials, various garbage and waste: metals, paper, glass, plastic waste, etc.
Metal recycling
All metals, and especially non-ferrous ones, are expensive raw materials. Therefore, their secondary processing is almost always economically justified. The largest volumes of recycling today come from steel.
Cardboard recycling
It is known that waste paper is a raw material that is quickly and easily recycled. Modern technologies carry out this process without producing unnecessary waste or harming the environment.
Aluminum recycling
Aluminum (AL) is a metal widely used in everyday life and industry. Recycling of this raw material has its own characteristics, because... aluminum is contained both in large industrial household scrap and in foil, shavings and packaging in measured quantities.
Recycling of polypropylene waste
The processing of plastics with the subsequent manufacture of products from them is especially relevant for plastic waste, which is most often found in the form of polyethylene and polypropylene.
Glass recycling
Even if you do not take into account the environmental aspect, glass recycling is a great opportunity to open your own business. Enormous financial costs will not be required, but payback can be expected in a very short time. It should be added that the glass is completely recycled, so production does not harm the environment.
Paper recycling
Today, 73% of industrial products are produced in paper packaging; it is one of the few materials that is recycled. Paper processing includes collection of material, sorting into groups (A, B, C), fiber dissolving, cleaning, and additional dissolving.
Recycling of scrap and waste precious metals
The acceptance of secondary raw materials and their processing, with the goal of producing precious metals, is regulated by regulatory legal acts of the Russian Federation. An organization engaged in this type of activity must register with the State Assay Supervision Inspectorate, which is part of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation.
Tire recycling
The most common method of recycling tires, from which you can still get financial benefits, is to renew them. Restoration is carried out by installing a new tread using the hot and cold method.
Polyethylene processing: equipment, technology
Polyethylene recycling is one of the few recycling technologies that provides a solution to the environmental problem of waste and can also bring good profits.
Recycling of waste paper
Interesting fact: in European countries, about 75% of the total raw materials used for the production of paper products come from household waste. In Russia, just think about this terrible figure, no more than 12%. The reason for this is the weak interest of the state and private companies in running the “waste paper” business, which, by the way, has high profitability with the right approach.
How did the recycling sign come about?
You can often find a recycled sign on products - this indication is confirmation that the product is suitable for further processing or is made from recycled material.
