Where Does Your Recycling Go?

This is a question that hardly crosses the mind of a majority of people as long as it doesn’t end up causing them discomfort. As a matter of fact, before the National Sword Policy, China bought half of the World’s recyclables as raw material. With the restriction by China, this question has become one of international importance. The journey of recyclables has been explained by experts at Starr Dumpsters in this article, so have a nice read.

The recyclables is collected by the refuse division

After you empty your recyclables into the blue recycling dumpsters and roll carts, it is collected by refuse vehicles. These vehicles then proceed with these recyclables to the transfer stations where they are then weighed. The recyclables are then packed into a trailer which then takes them to the Materials Recovery Facility.

Materials gets sorted and baled

In the materials recovery facility, the recyclables, this is a mix of paper, plastic bottles, tins, cans, and cardboard. With the aid of machines and manual labor, these materials are then sorted into different grades and categories. A conveyor belt is where the materials are then placed. There’s a magnet and its electrical charge called eddy current present around the conveyor belt. The attractive force of the magnet pulls out ferrous metals while the effect of the eddy current elicits a jumping movement of any aluminum present in the conveyor belt into the collection bin.

The rest of the materials then proceed on a separate conveyor belt. They are then separated further. Glass for example undergoes further separation by color. Workers positioned on the line pull out cardboard and paper found on the conveyor and throw then into different bins. The method of separation of the plastic is either by density, in which case an air knife is used or manually. The processed materials are then baled.

Recycled materials turned into new products

The recycled and baled materials are sold to manufacturers who process them to new materials. No material is processed the same, as they each have different properties. Plastic for example is separated and then shredded. The shredded particles are then melted. It is then converted into products such as plastic pipes and fabrics. Glass is crushed into pieces known as cullet. The cullet is then well cleaned and further melted to create products such as cement or tile. Aluminum and steel are first shredded and then melted. It is then allowed to cool. It is thence flattened into rows or sheets, which can be reused for producing new products. The recycling process of paper and cardboard is done with mainly water and a few additives. It is mixed with water in a blender to form pulp. This mixture is decontaminated before undergoing an ink removal process. The final product is later dried on a large screen. 

Recycled product ready for purchase

These recycled products greatly reduce your carbon footprint and also saves energy. With these products back in the market, it becomes available for a potential customer therefore creating a healthy demand for the product and strengthening its market.

If you’re embarking on a home remodeling or cleanup project and you need the services of a dumpster company, call us today and experience dumpster rental that is as easy and quick as ordering a pizza!