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INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS RECYCLING
Basic Considerations
Introduction
Every industry, from the
manufacturing of durable, household, and leisure goods for consumers to all
forms of energy production (oil, natural gas, electricity…), creates varying
types of re-usable and recyclable materials. Much like household solid waste,
such as cardboard, printer paper, newspapers, cans, and plastic containers,
industrial waste is also a valuable commodity that can easily and effectively be
reused and recycled. Reasons for recycling these
industrial waste materials include:
·
Lessens the producer’s demand for raw materials thus preserving the environment;
·
Energy is conserved and greenhouse gas emissions reduced by lessening the
quantity of products manufactured through high energy demand processes.
·
Saves money for both the producer and consumer as materials cost is lessened.
Overview
Industrial materials recycling is also known as by the
government term, “beneficial use.” Both expressions refer to reusing or
recycling waste materials generated from industrial processes. These industrial
waste materials can be safely and successfully used in the manufacture and
repair of buildings, roads, bridges, consumer goods and products, and a myriad
of other construction-related projects. Currently, hundreds of millions of tons
of non-hazardous industrial waste materials are not be re-used and recycled – at
a substantial cost to both the company generating the waste and the companies
engaged in the production of new goods who must purchase more expensive raw
materials as recycled materials are not available.
Non-hazardous industrial waste materials include items such as gypsum, coal ash, slag, foundry sand, and various construction and demolition materials. Each of these unique by-products can be recycled or re-used in many different ways. Examples of best-practices in recycling include the following:
·
Crushed concrete and asphalt used as structural fill or in pavement;
·
Road embankments, concrete, and fill incorporating recycled coal fly ash, spent
foundry sand and slag;
·
Using recycled coal ash in the manufacturing of ceiling tiles and cement; and
·
Utilizing flue gas gypsum, spent foundry sand, and paper byproducts for
agricultural amendments and soil manufacturing.
Common Recycled Industrial
Materials
There are four industrial categories that present
opportunities for recycling. Each one will be discussed in greater detail below.
2. Coal Combustion Products
3.
Foundry Sand
4. Scrap Tires
Demolition & Construction
Materials
Demolition and construction materials are comprised of the waste created through
demolition, construction, or repair of bridges, roads, and industrial and
residential buildings. These materials include substances such as glass, metals,
wood, concrete, plastics, and recovered building components such as furniture,
fixtures, pipes....
Reducing, re-using, and recycling these
materials reduces the need for landfills, lessens the impact on the environment,
creates new jobs in the green economy, and has the possibility of reducing
demolition and construction expenses by avoiding costs associated with purchase
and disposal of waste.
Coal
Combustion Products
Coal combustion products, also referred to
as CCPs, are materials produced from power plants reliant on coal for energy
production. These products include Fly Ash, Bottom Ash, Boiler Slag, Flue Gas
Material (FGD); and other materials such as cenospheres, fluidized bed
combustion ash, and scrubber residues.
The primary beneficial use of these coal combustion industrial waste products is as a substitute for gypsum, gravel, or sand in building materials. Other beneficial uses of CCPs include use in wallboard, concrete, cement, grout, structural and flowable fill, ice and snow traction control, soil amendment, blasting grit and abrasives, roofing granules, stabilization and solidification of waste, and many more.
Foundry
Sand
The Industrial waste produced by aluminum, steel, and iron
foundries result in spent foundry sands. Foundries require new sand for casting
molds, and the sand can be recycled several times while maintaining its
effectiveness. However, mechanical abrasion and heat will render the sand
unusable over time, and a certain percentage of the total sand is continuously
removed from production and replaced with new sand. The spent or unusable
foundry sand is typically disposed of at a landfill.
For an example of the use of foundry sand, in cold climates,
utilizing recycled foundry sands as base material
at construction site extends the work season as recycled foundry sands
have a lower freezing temperature than most soils. This not only extends the
time work can be completed at the site but also saves costs from using more
expensive heaters and warming equipment.
Scrap
Tires
The proper
disposal and recycling of tires designed for both passenger cars and heavy-duty
equipment is a major concern as illegal dumping of tires results in
contamination of the environment. All efforts must be made to ensure that
unusable tires are collected and recycled.
Current recycled used for unusable tires include the following:
-
Aggregate derived from tires for landfill and road construction.
-
Rubber flooring and ground materials for use in new products such as sports surfaces and playground.
-
Rubberized asphalt for use in road surfaces.
-
Tire-derived fuel as a fossil fuels replacement in certain devices.
Conclusion
Rules and regulations concerning the recycling of industrial
waste vary from state to state so businesses looking for opportunities to re-use
and recycle their material waste should contact their state’s environmental
protection office. Additionally,
business owners looking to reduce their disposal and/or acquisition costs should
look to resources such as Green America to investigate recycling and re-use
opportunities for their industrial materials.
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