Chapter 4.

3 Recycling and waste exchange

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Recycling
What is recycling? The re-use and remanufacture of waste materials What is the purpose of recycling? To recover useful materials and save resources To prevent pollutants reaching the waste stream

What are the benefits of recycling? More efficient resource use, lower energy consumption, reduced pollution
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On-site recycling
Benefits: close to the point of generation less contamination lower cost raw materials reduced waste disposal costs

Costs: capital investment in equipment staff training maintenance and repair staff time residue disposal quality control
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Off-site recycling
Factors influencing off-site recycling:
if on-site recycling is not appropriate if on-site recycling is not cost-effective availability and location of recycling facilities availability of advanced technology economies of scale

Need:
storage for materials awaiting collection transport to off-site facility

Materials commonly recycled off-site include:

oils, solvents, electroplating sludges, lead-acid batteries

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Secondary raw materials

Use of secondary raw materials is common in some sectors eg metals, paper, oil

Economics of process may depend on recycling of by-products

Large international trade in many such wastes

Technology for processing requires large investment, high volumes

May generate new problematic residue stream

May provide opportunities for illegal practices

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Recycling technologies
Recycling Technology
Activated-carbon Absorption Distillation Steam Distillation Electrolytic Recovery Ion Exchange Hydrometallurgical Concentration Membrane Separation Evaporation Freeze-Crystallisation Pyrometallurgy
1 - Corrosive wastes 2 - Cyanide containing wastes 3 - Halogenated solvents 4 - Non-halogenated solvents 5 - Other organic wastes

Waste Type
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

6 - Oil-containing wastes 7 - Metal containing wastes 8 - Organic containing wastes 9 - Reactive wastes

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Solvent recovery 1

Simple solvent recovery plant, SE Asia 1990

Source: David C Wilson

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Solvent recovery 2

Source: David C Wilson 1990

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Case study: Battery recycling

PLACID Process
paste
leaching electrowinning residue washing purification Inert residues 99.99% Pb ingots melting and casting

Bi, Cu, As, Sb ...

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Case study: Advantages of process

No liquid effluent discharges Leaching residue is inert gypsum Dusts and drosses are recycled Leaded slags and soils can be treated

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Waste exchange
Puts generators in contact with potential users Example of off-site recycling Some free, some charge fees

List wastes available and wanted

Some local, some regional, a few national

Number increasing thanks to Internet

Printed catalogue or computerised online systems
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Types of waste exchange

Information clearinghouse or material broker
Information on wastes available Information on wastes available

Waste generator

Information on wastes wanted

Waste exchange

User
Information on wastes wanted

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Which wastes?
Wastes arising in small quantities

Wastes needing specialised recycling

High value materials not usable by generator

Low value materials

Off-specification products Contaminated material

Surplus and outdated materials

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Waste listings
Often divided into Requests and Offers eg Requests Offers
Ethanol, sodium hydroxide
Electronic scrap Fertilisers Metal containing wastes

Copper sulphate
Fluorspar Hydrochloric acid Magnesium hydroxide

Organic materials
Sludges

Filter cakes
Sodium sulphate

May give detailed description eg Phenol formaldehyde resin from vat coating of fibreglass. Solution contains 54% phenolic resin in 23% ethanol with 1% formaldehyde by net weight. 5 drums available.
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Measuring success
volumes recycled

raw materials saved

costs reduced awareness raised Example: US Dept of Defense Defense Reutilisation Marketing Organisation

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Influences on expansion of waste exchanges

Internet Integration of exchanges Government support and funding Research into opportunities for particular wastes Limited liability for users

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Chapter 4.3 Summary

Recycling of hazardous waste has a number of benefits It may take place on-site or off-site, depending on the waste and the technology It generates residues Many processes use secondary raw materials as feedstock Waste exchange helps promote re-use and recycling, maximise diversion from disposal

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