7517 Principles of Sustainable Resource ManagementUnit 205 Know the materials arising within the waste and recycling industry

Outcome for the unit Just one...

Know the materials arising within the industry

Types of waste: Controlled, e.g. household, commercial Hazardous Biological Biodegradable Active Inert

Waste types

Controlled waste: Household materials

Dry recycled Paper and cardboard Garden material Residual waste

Commercial material Same as above

Hazardous materials:

Materials that could cause harm to peoples health or the environment, either immediately or over a period of time

E.g. Lead acid batteries, fluorescent tubes, some paints, inks, powders, chemicals, radioactive material...

Biological material: Material that contains or has been

contaminated by a biohazardous agent.

Biological waste includes: surgical dressings Syringes & needles blood vials absorbent material personal protective equipment

Biodegradable material: Broken down by micro organisms

into its base compounds. Foods Organic waste Biodegradable plastics Human waste

Ideal treatment is composting rather than landfill

Active and Inert materials: Active materials

normally from the building trades and include: Piping and plastics Wood an ductwork Products which will

continue to decay but not break down

Inert materials are normally from the building trade: Most forms of concrete brick glass soil clay and gravel

Waste facilities Not all sites can accept all

types of waste Site permit will restrict the

types of material for disposal, for example: Gypsum/plasterboard(high sulphate content) Asbestos

If in doubt, check...

Waste Hierarchy Prevention Using less material in design and manufacture. Keeping products for longer; re-use. Using less hazardous material.

Preparing for re-use Checking, cleaning, repairing, refurbishing, repair, whole items or spare parts.

Recycling Turning waste into a new substance or product. Includes composting if it meets quality protocols.

Other Recovery Including anaerobic digestion, incineration with energy recovery, gasification and pyrolysis which produce energy (fuels, heat and power) and materials from waste; some backfilling operations.

Disposal Landfill and incineration without energy recovery.

Research exercise: Group 1

Research the Household Waste Recycling Act 2003 EU Landfill Directive

Group 2 Research what can be produced from recycling: paper,

cardboard, cans, plastic containers, glass and tyres Group 3

Research: In-vessel composting, Windrow composting and anaerobic digestion

Recycling.. Household Waste Recycling Act 2003

Waste collection authorities to collect at least two types of recyclable waste from all households

To increase recycling rates Contributed to the rates we have today

EU Landfill Directive The Directive's overall aim is "to prevent or reduce

as far as possible negative effects on the environment, in particular the pollution of surface water, groundwater, soil and air, and on the global environment, including the greenhouse effect, as well as any resulting risk to human health, from the landfilling of waste, during the whole life-cycle of the landfill".

EU Landfill Directive Change in the way we dispose of waste in this

country and will help drive waste up the hierarchy through waste minimisation and increased levels of re-use, recycling and energy recovery.

Recycling materials into.....Paper More paper, depending on quality – 7 times

Cardboard Paper, jiffy bags, loft insulation, car bodies, packaging, animal bedding, coffins

Cans New cans, car and aviation , bike frames, train tracks, pipes. Never loses quality

Plastics new bottles, car parts, bins, home composters . It can also be used to make clothing

such as fleece jackets and hats or fibre filling for sleeping bags and duvets. Plastic milk bottles are used in street and garden furniture

Glass Reused where possible (brown, clear) or crushed and turned into fine sand to be used

as building sand, if processed further can be used as floor and wall insulation and lightweight construction aggregate.

Tyres Surfaces for playgrounds, shock absorption, car parts, retreads, fuel, mulch for

landscaping, 3G sports pitches

In-vessel Composting

Used to treat food and garden waste mixtures Closed environment, temperature controlled Introduced to ensure that all meat and other products

of animal origin meet the treatment standard required to guarantee the protection of the environment and human health.

Natural bacteria breaks down the material

Windrow Composting

Open air composting Garden waste Mainly of organic and biodegradable materials

associated with the agricultural industry Cannot be used for organic materials generated by

the catering trade or from animal waste by law

Anaerobic Digestion Break down of biodegradable material

in the absence of oxygen Methanogen micro-organisms break

down the garden and food waste Source of renewable energy – Biogas Biofertiliser, which is rich in nutrients

such as nitrogen, phosphorus and other elements required for healthy plant growth and fertile soil.