Pregunta | Respuesta |
glass | This material can be recycled four times before it begins to degrade. It is crushed, melted down and then remoulded. By recycling this material, energy savings of 25% are made and the raw materials of limestone, sand and soda ash are conserved. |
aluminum | Half of our drinks cans are made from this material. It is not magnetic. It is the most commonly occurring metal in the world, but it still has a high scrap value because it is expensive to extract from its ore. |
plastic | This material is widely used because it is versatile, durable and lightweight. There are over fifty types in common use. 75% of these can be melted and recycled, the other 25% will not melt. It is difficult for the householder to identify which items can and cannot be recycled. |
paper and cardboard | On average, each person uses up 2.5 trees every year when using this material. We only recycle 33% of it but even cigarette boxes could be recycled. Every time this material is recycled, the fibres get shorter and weaker and can therefore only be used to make a lower quality product. |
textiles/material | It is best to send these unwanted items to charity shops where they can be reused. If they are sent for recycling and are un-wearable they are graded according to their fibre type. They are then broken down and can be used to make blankets, furnishing materials, mattresses, industrial wipes, car insulation and roofing felt. |
organic waste | About 20% of our household rubbish is made up of this material. The recycling of it can take place in your own garden. It can include: grass cuttings, tea-bags, egg shells, vegetable and fruit peelings and newspaper. Moisture and heat will help to recycle this material. Normally it will take between six months and a year for this material to be ready for use again. |
batteries | The lead component from these items can be recovered. Lead can be particularly harmful in a landfill site. Very few facilities reclaim these items. Therefore it is best to buy rechargeable ones. |
fridges and freezers | If these items are old and cannot be repaired, parts of them can be recycled. They can provide scrap metal. CFC gases (chlorofluorocarbons) can be extracted and returned to the equipment manufacturers where they are reused in new equipment. CFC gas contributes to the destruction of the ozone layer, so it is important to recycle it rather than to generate more. |
oil | The domestic use of this material is mainly in the car. It should be recycled because: pouring it down the drain or dumping it is illegal because it could contaminate the water supply, burning it is illegal because it causes air pollution and it is a finite resource and will not last forever. More and more tanks are being provided where people can take this material for reprocessing. |
steel | About three quarters of all cans currently used in this country are made from this material. They are coated in a very thin layer of tin (hence the name 'tin can') in order to prevent rusting. This material is magnetic and can therefore be identified for recycling. |
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