Solution

• Source Reduction
• Recycle
• Composting

• Question for next lecture: What is

recycling label?
 Recycling Symbols/Labels
• Each arrow represents collection,
remanufacturing/reprocessing into a new product, and
consumer purchase. The symbol is only supposed to
be used on goods that are 'recyclable' or include
'recycled content', but it has no precise meaning.

• Recyclable aluminium & recyclable steel.

• A: commonly found on cardboard packaging and

denotes that the item is recyclable.
• B: the item is made from a certain percentage of
A B C recycled materials. Not necessarily environmental
friendly. Some paper (cosmetic, food) are not
recyclable.
• C: at least some content came from recycled material

• This symbol guarantees that packaging with this

symbol is recyclable and will be accepted by
cardboard recyclers
Recycling Symbols/Labels
Polyethylene terephthalate - Fizzy drink bottles and oven-
ready meal trays.
High-density polyethylene - Bottles for milk and washing-up
liquids.
Polyvinyl chloride - Food trays, cling film, bottles for squash,
mineral water and shampoo.
Low density polyethylene - Carrier bags and bin liners.

Polypropylene - Margarine tubs, microwaveable meal trays.

Polystyrene - Yoghurt pots, foam meat or fish trays, hamburger

boxes and egg cartons, vending cups, plastic cutlery,
protective packaging for electronic goods and toys.
Any other plastics that do not fall into any of the above
categories. - An example is melamine, which is often used in
plastic plates and cups.
 Compliance Scheme
• The NAPM (National Association of Paper Merchants)
offers certification to all branded papers and boards. a
minimum of 75% genuine waste paper and / or board
fibre, no part of which should contain mill produced
waste fibre (mill broke). Genuine waste is defined by the
scheme as:
• Converters' waste - paper which has left the mill and
has become waste during a converting process such as
cutting or slitting to meet a specific commercial order;
• Printers' waste - printed or unprinted waste collected
from a printing operation (trimmings, overs or rejects);
• Domestic or office waste - collected from homes and
offices, printed or unprinted

• Blue Angle Mark - German Quality Control Institute -

RAL Deutsches Institut
Compliance Scheme
• the German Packaging Ordinance for
the return of consumer packaging
• The Soil Association symbol is a
national independent quality mark
(operating under EU Regulation No.
2092/91) for organically grown food
and other products, such as compost.
 Source Reduction
• Best strategy
• Lightening the weight – steel can (60%
lighter),disposable diapers (50% less paper
pulp),aluminum can (30% less material).
• Use of returnable vs. non-returnable beverage
containers.
• Bottle laws (US) – laws facilitate the recycling / reuse of
beverage containers (both returnable & throwaways).
The Bottle Bill requires a 5-cent refundable deposit per
container on all beer, wine coolers, soda, and
carbonated water sold
• With bottle laws – more jobs are gained; costs to
consumers have not risen; a high % of bottles are
returned (80% to 97%); marked reduction in can & bottle
portion of litter.
 Other measure
• Resale – Yard /garage sales, flea market,
consignment clothing stores, not-new
market. (good example in US:
GOODWILL).
• Elimination of junk mail

GOODWILL donation center, US Goodwill retail store

 Recycle
• More than 75% of MSW is recyclable material.
• Less than 5% of the total MSW is actually
separated and recycled in Malaysia.
• There is a good demand for waste plastics,
paper and glass, with resale prices of about
US$60 t-1, US$44 t-1 and US$32 t-1,
respectively.
• Recovery of only 5% of the available waste
plastics, paper and glass is estimated to yield a
total of about US$3.4 million/yr.
 Recycling
• 2 levels of recycling: Primary &
Secondary.
• Primary – original waste is made back into
same material. (newspaper recycled to
make newspaper).
• Secondary – waste is made into different
product (cardboard from waste
newspaper).
 Primary items for recycling
• Paper (40% recovery before the launching of
recycling programme by the Federal Ministry of
Housing & Local Government; now 55%, Klang
Valley – highest paper recovery rate). Singapore
~ 90% recovery rate.
• Glass (?) – crushed, remelted → new containers
/ used as substitute for gravel or sand in
construction materials (concrete and asphalt).
• Some forms of plastic – remelted → carpet fiber,
outdoor wearing apparel, irrigation drainage tiles
& sheet plastic.
 Primary items for recycling
• Metal – Remelted & refabricated.
Aluminium recycling safe up to 90%
energy.
• Food wastes & yard wastes – compost
(Dr.Hasnah’s tiger worms).
• Textiles – shredded → strengthen
recycled paper products.
• Old tires – remelted/shredded → high-way
asphalt.
 Characteristics of successful
recycling programme
• Strong incentives – charges for general trash, no
charge for recycled goods.
• Mandatory regulations (warnings & sanctions for
violations).
• Residential recycling in curbside (free recycling
bins).
• Clear & feasible goals.
• Involve local industries.
• Municipality employs experienced & committed
recycling coordinator.
 Paper Recycling
• Most important recycled items.
• More than 25% of tree harvest → paper.
Recycling of paper saves trees.
• 1-meter stack of newspaper = 1 tree.
• Recycled paper = recovered & rerouted
‘wasted’ paper in manufacturing process.
• Post-consumer amount = recycling effort
(10%).
• Waste paper export – largest importer =
Taiwan (~ 2 million tons/yr).Taiwan has the
highest reused paper content 98%. US has
only 33%.