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When you set your recycling containers at the curb or alley, do you wonder what happens to the materials you recycle? You've set a recycling loop in motion. The recycling loop is symbolized by the three arrows in the recycle symbol. |
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The first thing that happens, of course, is that the materials are collectecd. Collection represents the first action in the recycling loop. |
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The recyclables that are picked up at the curb or from other collection sites are taken to recycling facilities for sorting. From there they are sent to factories to be remanufactured into new products. Remanufacture is the second action in the recycling loop. |
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Cans are soaked in a chemical bath that separates the tin coating from the steel. The cans are then washed, crushed into dense bales, and sent to a steel plant to be made into rebar and other recycled products. The remaining tin is refined into ingots, which can be used for new cans, solder, and a variety of other things. Recycled tin is higher in quality than mined tin since all the impurities have been removed. |
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Aluminum cans are melted, cleaned, reinforced with new aluminum, poured into ingots, rolled back into new can stock, and shipped to canning companies for filling. Aluminum foil is recycled in the same way. |
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Glass is cleaned, crushed, and mixed with sand, soda ash, and limestone. It is then melted at temperatures that can reach 2800 degrees F, molded, and blown into its final shape. It costs 40% less to reuse recycled glass than virgin materials, and glass can be recycled again and again. |
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Paper is sorted and then "de-inked," a process in which paddles beat the paper to remove old ink, glue, and staples. A screen shakes the pulp into a flat, wet mass which is then heated and passed through drying rollers. These rollers squeeze out the water a press the dry pulp into new paper and cardboard. |
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PET (#1) bottles such as soda pop containers are sent to a processing plant where they are washed, cut into quarter inch pieces, and removed of impurities such as glue. The pieces are shipped to plastic manufacturing plants to be made into new items such as bottles, carpeting, and fiberfill. |
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HDPE (#2) bottles such as milk jugs go through a similar process and are made into new items such as detergent and shampoo bottles, plastic lumber, recycling bins and toys. Because #2 containers such as margarine and yogurt tubs are made with a different process, they can't be recycled with the bottles, and are not collected for recycling in King County (except in Seattle). |
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