Smart
Recycling


By
Rex
A.
Crouch




Copyrighted
©
by
Rex
A.
Crouch
2009


1



 Preface


Our
stuff,
the
things
we
want,
need,
and
use
on
a
daily
basis.

Where

does
it
all
come
from?

Part
of
smart
recycling
is
understanding
the

resources
we
use,
how
we
get
them,
and
how
we
process
them.


Everything
we
use
is
either
grown,
or
mined.

These
are
our

resources—grown
or
extracted.

Some
of
these
resources
are

renewable,
and
some
are
not.

Some
are
recyclable,
and
others
can’t

be
used
again.


Developing
a
scientific
foundation
for
the
nonscientists


Smart
recycling
begins
by
knowing
where
our
resources
come
from,

how
much
energy
we
expend
on
extracting
those
resources,
how

much
energy
is
spent
on
the
refinement
of
the
resource
to
make
it

usable,
and
finally,
when
the
product
is
expended,
the
most
efficient

way
to
recycle
the
resource.


With
this
knowledge
base,
the
concept
of
resource
lifecycle
is

introduced.

A
cycle
in
which
the
resource
is
recovered,
developed,

used,
and
recovered
again.


2



 


Metal
 is
 an
 essential
 part
 of
 automobiles,
 trains,
 planes,
 appliances,

electronics,
 nails,
 satellites,
 medical
 equipment,
 buildings,
 wind

machines,
power
generation,
communications,
coat
hangers,
Internet,

plumbing,
and
household
wiring
just
for
starters.


There
 are
 a
 variety
 of
 different
 types
 of
 metal,
 and
 through

metallurgical
 practices,
 we
 have
 developed
 even
 more
 metals
 for

specialized
purposes.


Let’s
 start
 with
 iron.
 
 When
 our
 oceans
 were
 first
 formed
 about
 4

billion
 years
 ago,
 the
 waters
 were
 inundated
 with
 iron.
 
 If
 we
 could

have
 seen
 this
 early
 earth,
 the
 oceans
 probably
 appeared
 as
 a
 rust

color,
and
we
didn’t
have
an
oxygenated
atmosphere,
but
rather
very

high
 carbon
 dioxide
 (CO2)
 contents.
 
 CO2
 is
 one
 carbon
 atom
 bonded

with
 two
 oxygen
 atoms.
 
 The
 earliest
 life
 thrived
 in
 this
 hostile

environment.




An
 organism
 called
 a
 Stromatolite,
 a
 photosynthetic
 cyanobacteria,


developed
 in
 the
 Precambrian,
 and
 developed
 a
 means
 of
 liberating

the
oxygen
from
the
carbon
in
the
CO2
molecule.

This
was
a
disaster,

for
some,
as
the
oxygen
was
poisonous
to
them.

But
the
development

of
oxygen
resulted
in
the
Cambrian
explosion
of
life
on
Earth.

When

the
 oxygen
 was
 liberated,
 it
 initially
 bonded
 with
 iron
 atoms
 that

inundated
 the
 waters.
 
 The
 periodic
 symbol
 for
 iron
 atom
 is
 (Fe).
 
 At

this
 point
 we
 have
 identified
 one
 element
 as
 being
 an
 atom.
 
 When

two
or
more
elements
bond,
they
are
referred
to
as
molecules.

As
the

oxygen
bonded
with
the
iron,
it
developed
into
two
primary
types
of

molecules
being
Magnetite
(FE3O4),
and
Hematite
(Fe2O3).

Magnetite


3



is
 magnetic,
 and
 hematite
 is
 not.
 
 After
 bonding,
 the
 magnetite
 and

hematite
 molecules
 precipitated
 to
 the
 ocean
 floors
 along
 with
 silica

(Si),
 and
 formed
 banded
 iron
 formations.
 
 They
 are
 called
 banded

because
the
alternating
layers
of
iron,
and
silica
create
brilliant
bands

in
 the
 rocks.
 Those
 formations
 are
 what
 we
 mine
 today
 for
 our
 raw

iron
ore.


The
 overburden
 is
 removed
 to
 expose
 the
 ore
 body,
 and
 mining

equipment
is
used
to
extract
the
iron
ore.

Once
extracted
it
must
be

processed
 into
 raw
 iron.
 
 To
 do
 this
 heat
 is
 applied.
 
 In
 earlier

refinement
techniques,
this
was
done
with
coal,
or
natural
gas.

Today,

many
 refineries
 use
 electricity
 to
 heat
 their
 refractory
 furnaces.
 
 To

refine
the
ore,
the
oxygen
must
be
removed.

Ironically,
carbon
which

was
 removed
 during
 the
 Precambrian,
 and
 Cambrian
 is
 the
 most

readily
available
element
for
bonding
to
the
oxygen
atoms.

This
takes

place
by
adding
coke
(a
dry
carbon),
or
charcoal
to
the
furnace.

Once

the
 oxygen
 atoms
 have
 bonded
 with
 the
 carbon
 atoms,
 the
 iron
 is

called
 “wrought
 iron.”
 
 Wrought
 iron
 still
 has
 silica
 in
 the
 mix.
 
 To

further
 refine
 the
 iron,
 the
 temperature
 of
 the
 furnace
 must
 be

increased,
and
limestone
is
added.


Limestone
 is
 also
 a
 mined
 product,
 normally
 extracted
 from
 large


quarries.

Limestone
(CaCO3)
bonds
with
the
silica
in
the
molten
iron,

and
floats
to
the
top
where
it
is
call
slag.

At
this
point
the
iron
is
call

“pig
iron.”

Limestone
is
also
a
key
ingredient
to
cement.


From
here,
the
iron
can
be
used
for
a
variety
of
applications.


Iron
 is
 used
 to
 make
 steel,
 and
 stainless
 steel
 that
 we
 find
 in
 our

everyday
cookware,
appliances,
furniture
items,
automobiles,
surgical

equipment,
and
jewelry.




The
process
for
making
steel
requires
that
about
0.5%
to
1.5%
carbon

is
 added
 to
 the
 molten
 iron.
 
 This
 must
 be
 done
 while
 keeping
 the


4



oxygen,
 and
 silica
 from
 being
 reintroduced.
 
 
 The
 amount
 of
 carbon

added
 is
 based
 on
 the
 needs
 of
 the
 client.
 
 The
 higher
 the
 carbon

content,
the
harder
the
steel
will
be.

There
is
a
threshold
in
which
it

may
become
brittle.




The
steel
is
still
in
a
molten
state.

To
create
stainless
steel
chromium

(Cr)
is
added.


Chromium
is
also
mined,
and
is
not
extracted
in
pure

form.

Chromium
ore
is
called
chromite
(FeCr2O4),
as
you
can
see
from

the
 extra
 iron,
 and
 oxygen
 atoms
 in
 the
 chemical
 formula,
 some

process
 will
 be
 required
 to
 create
 pure
 chromium.
 
 Just
 like
 steel,

there
are
many
grades
of
stainless
steel.


There
are
a
wide
variety
of
steels,
and
steel
alloys
for
special
purposes

in
science,
industry,
and
military
applications.



COPPER


Copper
is
a
metal,
and
an
element
on
the
periodic
table
(Cu).

Copper

is
 found
 in
 all
 circuit
 boards,
 almost
 all
 electronic
 devices,
 household

wiring,
 water
 supply
 plumbing,
 power
 lines,
 generators,
 and
 electric

motors.

Some
radioactive
isotopes
of
copper
are
used
to
treat
cancer,

and
diagnosis
diseases.


Life
would
be
pretty
boring
without
copper.


Copper
 is
 mined
 from
 native
 copper,
 porphyry,
 or
 massive
 sulfide

deposits.
 
 Native
 copper
 means
 that
 the
 copper
 is
 found
 in
 masses.


Porphyry
copper
deposits
is
a
deposit
where
the
small
fractures
were

filled
 by
 copper.
 
 In
 both
 cases,
 the
 copper
 atoms
 were
 carried
 into

these
cavities
from
within
the
earth
by
extremely
hot
water,
a
process

called
 hydrothermal
 deposits.
 
 A
 massive
 sulfide
 deposit
 will
 contain

copper
ore
such
as
the
mineral
chalcopyrite
(CuFeS2),
which
accounts

for
almost
half
of
the
copper
production
in
the
world.

In
this
case,
the

copper
 atom
 must
 be
 leached
 out
 of
 the
 chalcopyrite
 using
 sulfuric

acid.
 
 
 Even
 the
 sulfuric
 acid
 must
 be
 mined
 and
 processed.
 
 The

sulfuric
 acid
 comes
 from
 sulfide
 minerals,
 and
 is
 naturally
 occurring.


Other
 metals
 found
 in
 massive
 sulfide
 deposits
 include,
 but
 are
 not


5



limited
 to
 nickel,
 zinc,
 pyrite,
 pyrrhotite,
 marcasite,
 galena,

arsenopyrite,
silver,
and
gold.



ALUMINUM


Aluminum
 comes
 from
 bauxite
 ore
 which
 is
 a
 mined
 in
 a
 variety
 of

ways,
 surface
 and
 subsurface.
 
 The
 production
 of
 Aluminum
 from

bauxite
ore
is
a
three
step
process.
First
the
alumina
is
extracted
from

bauxite
 ore.
 The
 bauxite
 is
 crushed,
 and
 then
 mixed
 with
 sodium

hydroxide.

Afterwards,
it
is
placed
in
a
high
temperature
digester
and

sealed.

High
pressures
develop
in
the
sealed
digester
which
forces
a

reaction,
 and
 results
 in
 aluminum
 oxide,
 and
 gangues.
 
 Gangues
 are

unwanted
rocks,
metals,
and
minerals.

The
gangues
typically
form
in

the
bottom
of
the
digester
unit.
The
aluminum
oxide
is
the
component

found
 after
 the
 digesting
 phase.
 
 The
 aluminum
 oxide
 still
 isn’t
 pure

aluminum.
 
 The
 aluminum
 oxide
 is
 evaporated
 off,
 and
 then
 allowed

to
precipitate
into
a
tank
where
it
crystallizes.

The
crystals,
which
look

like
large
chunks
of
alum,
are
washed,
and
then
dried.




The
aluminum
is
then
heated
to
melting
point,
and
poured
into
ingots,

or
other
forms
for
use
by
fabricators.


If
 there
 have
 been
 orders
 for
 special
 purpose
 aluminums,
 other

materials
may
be
added
to
the
aluminum
while
it
is
still
in
the
molten

state.

Chlorine
may
also
be
bubbled
through
the
molten
aluminum
to

further
remove
impurities.



There
 are
 many
 other
 metals
 we
 could
 address
 that
 have
 special

applications
in
science,
medicine,
and
industry,
they
are
all
mined,
and

they
 all
 require
 hazardous
 processes
 to
 make
 them
 suitable
 for
 our

needs.

When
we
use
these
materials,
we
need
to
think
about
what
it

took
 to
 bring
 that
 resource
 to
 us,
 and
 what
 it
 the
 best,
 and
 cleanest

way
we
can
reuse.

The
answers
may
be
surprising.


6



With
our
visions
of
clean
energy,
and
wind
farms,
we
see
wheat
fields

sharing
the
winds
with
energy
producing
machines.

I
chose
to
discuss

the
steel,
copper,
and
aluminum
for
this
very
reason.


Wind
 Machines
 all
 have
 a
 steel
 support
 structures,
 aluminum


housings,
 and
 the
 generators
 inside
 are
 made
 of
 steel,
 magnets,
 and

copper
wire
windings.

Degradation
of
the
concrete
foundation,
stress

fractures
 in
 the
 steel,
 warping
 of
 the
 aluminum,
 and
 breaks
 in
 the

copper
wires
will
one
day
render
that
wind
machine
ineffective.

These

machines
do
eventually
breakdown.


This
 brings
 me
 to
 the
 concept
 of
 resource
 lifecycles.
 
 
 Mining
 is

necessary,
but
the
resources
our
mines
produce
are
limited.

When
we

produce
 products
 it
 should
 be
 from
 the
 stand
 point
 of
 how
 will
 that

product
be
recycled.




Nearly
all
metals
can
be
easily
recycled,
and
it
is
financially
worth
your

time
to
recycle
metal
products.


Smart
consumers
look
to
see
if
products
are
healthy,
how
many
trans

fats,
 and
 saturated
 fats
 will
 be
 consumed.
 
 Is
 the
 product
 organic

ensuring
 the
 consumer
 they
 are
 not
 ingesting
 hormones,
 and
 other

chemicals.
 
 Smart
 consumers
 need
 to
 be
 smart
 about
 all
 of
 their

products.

Where
does
the
packaging
come
from?

Can
it
be
recycled?

If
 it
 can
 be
 recycled,
 how
 much
 energy
 goes
 into
 recycling
 it?
 
 From

the
 shelf,
 to
 the
 consumer,
 recycled,
 and
 back
 on
 the
 shelf.
 
 This

becomes
the
resource
lifecycle.


Where
we
can
all
make
a
difference


Consumers
 should
 avoid
 buying
 products
 that
 are
 difficult
 to


impossible
to
recycle.


7



Manufactures
should
design
their
products
to
be
recycled,
and
market

them
as
such.


SUMMARY
OF
METALS


Metals
 are
 energy
 intensive
 to
 mine,
 but
 essential
 to
 our
 everyday

lives.
 
 While
 mining
 has
 become
 a
 clean
 science,
 it
 still
 has
 an

environmental
 impact,
 we
 can
 minimize
 the
 amount
 of
 mining
 by

recycling,
 and
 understanding
 that
 metals
 are
 one
 of
 the
 most
 easily

recycled
resources
we
have.


8






The
battery
is
one
of
the
most
dangerous
subjects,
and
probably
least

thought
about.

If
disposed
in
a
landfill,
batteries
can
leach
into
water

tables,
 streams,
 lakes,
 and
 their
 cleanup
 is
 problematic,
 expensive,

and
 possibly
 outside
 of
 the
 human
 scope.
 
 If
 destroyed
 in
 a
 public

incinerator,
the
vapors
enter
the
atmosphere.

Many
types
of
batteries

contain
mercury
(Hg).

Mercury
is
vaporized
at
very
low
temperatures.


The
 vapor
 from
 mercury
 is
 toxic
 in
 that
 it
 quickly
 passes
 through
 the

lungs,
 damaging
 the
 brain,
 heart,
 liver,
 kidneys,
 and
 the
 pulmonary

system.

This
is
just
but
one
type
of
battery.

There
are
many
special

batteries
 out
 there.
 
 Possibly
 the
 three
 worst
 types
 to
 end
 up
 in

landfills
 are
 Mercury,
 Lead,
 and
 Cadmium.
 
 We
 use
 batteries
 in
 our

watches,
 smoke
 detectors,
 cell
 phones,
 hearing
 aids,
 automobiles,

computers,
 calculators,
 and
 even
 houses
 off
 the
 grid
 using
 solar,
 and

wind
 power
 rely
 battery
 arrays
 to
 store
 the
 power
 they
 harvest
 for

later
use.


Understanding
our
batteries,
and
how
to
recycle
them
is
imperative
to

the
 product
 life
 cycle
 process,
 and
 increasing
 the
 quality
 of
 Earth’s

health.


Batteries
have
two
contacts.

The
negative
contact
is
called
the
anode.


The
positive
contact
is
the
cathode.

Inside
a
battery
there
are
plates

of
 two
 different
 materials,
 one
 of
 the
 plates
 has
 I
 higher
 negative

charge
than
the
other.

The
electrons
want
to
pass
through
the
circuit

to
get
to
the
positive
side
of
the
battery,
and
balance
the
number
of


9



electrons
on
both
sides.

The
substance
that
allows
electrons
to
move

within
 the
 battery
 is
 called
 the
 electrolyte.
 
 When
 the
 battery
 has

balanced
the
charge
on
each
side,
it
is
effectively
dead.




A
simple
battery
can
be
made
by
wetting
a
piece
of
paper
with
lemon

juice,
 and
 pressing
 a
 penny
 to
 one
 side
 of
 the
 paper,
 and
 a
 nickel
 to

the
 other
 side.
 
 However,
 batteries
 for
 sustained
 voltages,
 and

currents
are
more
complicated.


ALKALINE
BATTERIES


Alkaline
 batteries
 are
 the
 most
 frequently
 purchased,
 and
 used


batteries.
 
 They
 are
 the
 common
 9
 volt,
 AA,
 AAA,
 C,
 and
 D
 cell

batteries
you
encounter.

Alkaline
batteries
have
been
reengineered
in

the
recent
past
to
make
them
safer
for
disposal
in
landfills.

This
is
to

say
 there
 is
 no
 mechanism,
 as
 we
 know
 of
 today,
 to
 recycle
 alkaline

batteries.


Alkaline
 batteries
 are
 alkaline
 electrolyte
 of
 potassium
 hydroxide


(KOH)
base.


The
alkaline
of
potassium
hydroxide
has
a
high
pH,
it
is

the
opposite
of
acids.

This
may
seem
perfectly
harmless
to
toss
into

the
ground
but
potassium
hydroxide
normally
has
pH
values
of
about

13,
 and
 most
 plants
 are
 comfortable
 with
 pH
 values
 in
 the
 6
 to
 7

range.

There
are
two
problems
with
this
type
of
battery.

One
is
that,

it
 may
 have
 been
 reengineered
 to
 be
 safer
 for
 the
 environment,
 but

it’s
not
totally
safe.

Second,
there
is
no
economical
means
to
recycle

this
battery
at
this
time
however,
there
are
new
innovation
everyday.



The
resource
lifecycle
for
an
alkaline
battery
ends
when
you
throw
it

in
the
trashcan.


If
 you
 use
 even
 6
 alkaline
 batteries
 in
 a
 year,
 you
 may
 be
 better
 off

financially,
investing
in
rechargeable
batteries.


10



ZINC‐CARBON
BATTERY


Much
like
the
alkaline
battery,
these
are
the
common
9
volt,
AA,
AAA,

C,
 and
 D
 cell
 batteries
 you
 encounter,
 except
 they
 are
 cheaper,
 and

less
 expensive.
 
 These
 are
 the
 batteries
 that
 frequently
 come
 with

products
 that
 boast
 “batteries
 included,”
 and
 these
 are
 the
 batteries

that
most
frequently,
swell,
burst,
and
leak.

The
battery
is
composed

of
 a
 mixture
 of
 manganese
 dioxide
 (MnO2),
 and
 carbon
 powder.
 The

electrolyte
is
a
thick
paste
of
zinc
chloride
(ZnCl2).

Their
power
output

is
 excellent,
 but
 their
 reliability
 is
 low.
 
 It
 is
 not
 uncommon
 to
 find

“Made
in
China”
printed
on
these
batteries.

The
metals
in
this
battery

are
 recoverable,
 but
 the
 processes
 are
 costly.
 
 While
 the
 manganese

dioxide
is
rather
benign,
and
can
be
disposed
of
with
little
to
no
effect,

the
zinc
chloride
is
acidic.

Depending
on
the
purity,
the
pH
of
the
zinc

chloride
 may
 vary
 in
 the
 3
 to
 5
 range.
 
 As
 mentioned
 before,
 most

plants
prefer
a
pH
in
the
6
to
7
range.


Much
like
the
alkaline
battery,

there
 is
 no
 economic
 means
 to
 recycle
 this
 battery.
 
 This
 is

unfortunate
because
zinc
is
recovered
from
sulfide
deposits
which
are

difficult
to
mine.

Mining
sulfide
deposits
that
contain
copper,
nickel,

cadmium,
 zinc,
 and
 sometimes
 gold
 and
 silver,
 requires
 years
 of

baseline
 studies
 on
 the
 water
 tables,
 and
 surrounding
 waterways,

legal
 challenges
 from
 everyone
 who
 opposes
 sulfide
 mining
 yet
 still

use
 the
 products
 of
 sulfide
 mines,
 very
 expensive
 bonds,
 and

specialized
procedures
to
contain
the
acids.

Yes,
this
form
of
mining

can,
 and
 is
 done
 safely,
 it
 is
 simply
 more
 difficult
 than
 most
 other

deposits.

A
note
about
mining
as
a
hazard
to
the
environment.

Civil

War
 era
 mining
 techniques
 were
 in
 fact
 hazardous
 to
 the

environment.
 
 It
 was
 not
 until
 the
 1970’s
 did
 humans
 begin
 to

understand
 the
 impact
 we
 were
 making
 on
 our
 planet.
 
 If
 you
 look

back
at
information
from
the
60’s
and
70’s,
you
will
see
that
pollution

pouring
 from
 smoke
 stacks
 was
 a
 symbol
 of
 our
 advancement
 in
 the

industrial
 age.
 
 Today
 we
 are
 dealing
 with
 the
 ramifications
 of
 Civil

War
 era
 mining
 techniques,
 but
 everything
 has
 changed
 since
 then.



11



Blacks
are
free,
women
have
the
right
to
vote,
and
mining
techniques

are
cleaner
and
safer
for
the
environment.


NICKEL‐CADMIUM


Nickel‐cadmium
(NiCd)
can
fill
the
role
of
the
alkaline,
or
zinc‐carbon

batteries
as
they
come
in
the
standard
9
volt,
AA,
AAA,
C,
and
D
cells.


The
 battery
 is
 composed
 of
 nickel
 oxide
 hydroxide,
 and
 metallic

cadmium.
 
 As
 just
 mentioned,
 nickel,
 and
 cadmium
 are
 mined
 from

sulfide
 deposits.
 
 
 The
 batteries
 do
 however,
 have
 a
 lower
 working

voltage,
 but
 their
 ability
 to
 provide
 higher
 currents
 make
 them
 a

workhorse.




While
 examining
 a
 suite
 of
 ore
 samples
 from
 the
 Kidd
 Creek
 mine
 in

Timmins,
Ontario,
Canada,
I
found
one
of
the
samples
was
brecciate,

and
smelled
like
battery
acid.

I
found
that
the
small
ore
sample
that

contained
 copper,
 nickel,
 cadmium,
 and
 zinc,
 about
 the
 size
 of

tangerine,
 was
 producing
 electricity.
 
 This
 is
 a
 process
 called

spontaneous
potential,
and
can
be
used
for
finding
sulfide
deposits.




Nonetheless,
 the
 nickel‐cadmium
 battery
 is
 rechargeable,
 has
 a
 very


long
 useful
 life,
 and
 when
 they
 are
 no
 longer
 viable,
 they
 can
 be

economically
 recycled.
 
 The
 resource
 lifecycle
 is
 positive
 for
 this

battery.


BUTTON
BATTERIES


These
 are
 the
 small
 batteries
 that
 go
 in
 wrist
 watches,
 hearing
 aids,

and
other
small
devices.

These
batteries
are
frequently
made
of


• Zinc‐air

• Mercuric
oxide

• Silver
oxide


12



These
 are
 all
 recyclable,
 they
 may
 be
 collected
 by
 some
 jewelers,

pharmacies,
 or
 there
 may
 be
 a
 direct
 recycle
 center
 near
 you
 that

accepts
 them.
 
 In
 any
 case,
 these
 batteries
 contribute
 to
 a
 positive

resource
lifecycle.




LEAD‐ACID


Lead
(Pb),
and
sulfuric
acid
(H2SO4)
is
the
standard
battery
we
find
in

automobiles.
 
 Many
 places
 require
 that
 you
 pay
 a
 deposit,
 if
 you
 are

not
exchanging
an
old
battery
for
a
new.

This
is
an
incentive
to
recycle

this
 battery.
 
 These
 batteries
 are
 big,
 heavy,
 and
 bulky
 which

frequently
results
in
the
battery
being
dumped,
ending
up
in
ditches,

landfills,
 and
 even
 lakes.
 
 
 If
 you
 know
 of
 someone
 who
 needs
 to

dispose
of
this
type
of
battery,
give
them
some
help
in
getting
it
to
a

recycle
center.

Manufacturers
want
to
recycle
this
battery
because
it

is
 more
 cost
 effective
 than
 mining
 the
 materials
 to
 make
 a
 new
 one.


Just
about
anyplace
that
sells
lead‐acid
batteries
will
accept
it.


LITHIUM



Lithium
 batteries
 are
 used
 in
 our
 computers,
 cell
 phones,
 and
 are

finding
 a
 new
 place
 in
 electric
 cars.
 
 Lithium
 batteries
 have
 various

compositions
 but
 a
 common
 one
 that
 involves
 a
 long
 product
 life
 is

the
 lithium‐thionyl
 chloride
 battery
 cell.
 This
 cell
 is
 composed
 of
 a

liquid
mix
of
thionyl
chloride
(SOCl2),
and
lithium
tetrachloroaluminate

(LiAlCl4).
 
 Lithium
 also
 has
 to
 be
 mined.
 
 Lithium
 is
 derived
 from
 the

mineral
Spodumene.

Spodumene
LiAl(SiO3)2,
 as
the
chemical
formula

suggests,
 has
 one
 lithium
 atom,
 one
 aluminum
 atom,
 and
 a
 chain
 of

silica
 and
 oxygen
 atoms.
 
 To
 refine
 the
 ore
 may
 involve
 numerous

processes,
depending
on
what
accessory
minerals
are
present.

As
an

example,
 the
 mineral
 can
 be
 decomposed
 in
 sulfuric
 acid
 to
 liberate

the
 lithium
 and
 aluminum
 from
 the
 silica
 and
 oxygen.
 
 This
 leaves
 a

lithium
 aluminate.
 
 Of
 course
 this
 must
 be
 refined
 to
 a
 pure
 lithium.



13



There
 is
 a
 refractory
 process,
 or
 a
 chemical
 process
 that
 can
 be

followed.

In
both
cases,
it
is
very
energy
intensive
to
produce
lithium.

Furthermore,
the
countries
with
the
most
significant
lithium
deposits

in
the
world
are
not
always
friendly
with
their
trading
partners.

It
is
in

the
best
interest
of
everyone
that
we
recycle
this
battery
to
ensure
we

have
the
resource
available
to
power
our
future
automobiles.


SUMMARY
OF
BATTERIES


Batteries
 are
 a
 necessary
 part
 of
 our
 lives,
 and
 essential
 to
 storing

power
 that
 was
 harvested
 by
 green
 technologies
 such
 as
 solar
 and

wind.
 
 The
 composition
 of
 the
 batteries,
 and
 the
 state
 of
 our

technology
 determines
 what
 elements
 can,
 and
 cannot
 be

economically
 recycled.
 Batteries
 are
 frequently
 reformulated,
 check

the
 labels.
 Being
 informed,
 and
 buying
 smart
 will
 pressure

manufactures,
 and
 their
 engineers
 to
 produce
 more
 effective,
 safer,

and
more
easily
recycled
batteries.




14






As
 said
 before.
 
 If
 it
 isn’t
 grown,
 it
 has
 to
 be
 mined.
 
 Plastic
 is
 made

from
oil
is
derive
from
petroleum
mining.

Oil
is
called
a
fossil
fuel
but

in
 reality,
 oil
 was
 formed
 from
 algae,
 plants,
 and
 possibly
 some
 fish,

and
 maybe
 a
 dinosaur
 or
 mammal
 got
 into
 the
 mix.
 
 All
 forms
 of

petroleum
are
different
combinations
of
hydrogen
(H),
and
carbon
(C)

atoms
 known
 as
 hydrocarbon
 chains.
 
 When
 crude
 oil
 is
 refined,
 the

impurities
 are
 removed,
 and
 the
 various
 grades
 of
 oil
 to
 gas
 are

produced.
The
process
is
called
Fractional
Distillation.

The
crude
oil
is

heated
 to
 its
 vaporizing
 point.
 
 Once
 it
 is
 vaporized,
 it
 enters
 the

distillation
column
where
the
lighter
vapors
rise
to
the
top
and
escape

through
the
cooling
tube
where
it
returns
to
a
liquid
state.

The
lighter

the
vapors
have
few
carbon
atoms.

At
the
very
top
you
can
envision

methane
being
produced
with
a
chemical
formula
of
HC4.

Gasoline
is

expected
to
have
about
8
carbon
atoms,
and
diesel
further
down
has

about
twice
that
amount
of
carbon
atoms.

The
below
cartoon
depicts

how
the
heavier
atoms
condense
lower
in
the
distillation
column,
and

the
lighter
atoms
reach
the
top
of
the
column
before
condensing.

The

system
is
far
more
complicated
than
the
cartoon
with
a
series
of
traps,

and
barriers,
and
computerized
control
flow,
but
the
general
concept

is
accurately
depicted.


15



 


A
lot
of
seismic
efforts
are
employed
to
find
the
oil
deposits,
there
are

legal
battles
that
are
fought
making
the
product
more
expensive,
the

drilling
is
expensive,
and
dangerous.

More
people
are
killed
each
year

in
 petroleum
 mining
 accidents
 than
 subsurface
 mining
 accidents.


Moving
the
oil
from
the
site
to
the
refinery
is
costly,
and
in
cases
like

the
 Exxon
 Valdez,
 it
 can
 be
 detrimental.
 
 The
 actual
 process
 of

vaporizing
crude
oil
is
both
energy
intensive,
and
dangerous,
but
yields

refined
oil,
the
fundamental
element
to
make
our
plastics.

That
was
a

lot
work
to
get
that
plastic
bag.


When
it
comes
to
plastics,
being
smart
consumers,
and
supporting
the

resource
 lifecycle
 process
 involves
 looking
 at,
 and
 understanding
 the

recycle
code
on
the
container.


Some
plastics
are
easy
to
recycle,
and

others
very
difficult,
and
energy
intensive.

The
plastics
are
marked
by

a
 code,
 developed
 by
 the
 Society
 of
 Plastic
 Engineers
 that
 identifies

what
 resins
 were
 used
 to
 make
 the
 plastic.
 
 The
 resins
 used

determines
how
easy
it
will
be
to
recycle
the
plastic.


16



 Polyethylene
 Terephthalate
 (PET
 or
 PETE).
 
 PETE
 is

normally
clear,
and
is
a
good
moisture
barrier.
PETE
is

frequently
used
in
beverage
bottle,
sandwich
bags,
and



injection
 molding
 products.
 PETE
 is
 the
 easiest
 plastic

to
recycle
and
is
in
high
demand.


High
 Density
 Polyethylene
 (HDPE).
 
 HDPE
 is
 used
 to


make
bottles
for
milk,
water,
paint,
heavier
liquids,
and

household
 chemicals
 such
 as
 drain
 cleaner.
 Like
 PETE,



HDPE
has
good
moisture
barrier
properties.

This
is
the

next
easiest
plastic
to
recycle.


Vinyl
(Polyvinyl
Chloride
or
PVC)
(PVC).

PVC
is
used
for

durable
 products
 such
 as
 rain
 gear,
 shower
 curtains,

and
 sewer
 plumbing.
 
 It
 is
 also
 used
 to
 contain



biohazards
 such
 as
 blood.
 
 Recycling
 PVC
 is
 energy

intensive.


Low
 Density
 Polyethylene
 (LDPE).
 
 Is
 tough,
 and
 still


flexible.
 
 It
 is
 durable,
 and
 it
 frequently
 used
 to
 make

storage
 bins,
 and
 trashcans.
 
 Like
 PVC,
 LDPE
 can
 be



recycled
but
is
energy
intensive.


Polypropylene
 (PP).
 
 PP
 is
 a
 hard
 rigid
 plastic
 with
 a


high
 melting
 point
 making
 it
 ideal
 for
 housing

automobile
 batteries.
 
 This
 plastic
 too
 is
 very
 energy



intensive
to
recycle.


Polystyrene
(PS).
PS
can
be
formed
as
a
rigid
plastic
or

as
a
foam.

It
has
a
low
melting
point,
and
is
frequently

used
 as
 drinking
 cups,
 and
 lids.
 
 This
 is
 a
 very
 easy



plastic
to
recycle.


17



 Other.

This
symbol
means
that
the
plastic
is
made
with

resins
 that
 do
 not
 fall
 into
 any
 of
 the
 other
 six

categories.




Some
recycling
centers
will
not
accept
items
marked
with
3,
4,
5,
or
7

however,
most
accept
1,
2,
and
6.


These
 plastics
 codes,
 for
 the
 most
 part,
 are
 sorted
 by
 hand
 for

recycling.

After
sorting
they
are
bundled.

The
bundles
are
ground
up,

fed
to
an
extruder,
screened,
then
reheated
and
formed
into
pellets.


The
pellets
are
then
boxed
and
shipped
to
manufactures.



Technology
 will
 expedite
 the
 process
 of
 sorting.
 
 Most
 recently,
 a


device
 that
 shreds
 the
 plastic
 into
 equal
 sized
 pieces,
 and
 using
 high

pressure
 water
 forcing
 the
 plastics
 through
 a
 cyclone,
 has
 proven

successful
in
sorting
plastic
types
through
weight,
and
gravity.


Like
batteries,
plastics
play
a
vital
role
in
our
society.

In
supporting
the

resource
lifecycle,
making
smart
choices
about
the
product
containers

we
purchase
will
make
a
difference.



Applying
critical
thinking
is
also
important.

In
lieu
of
buying
a
liter
of

water
 in
 a
 plastic
 bottle,
 it
 is
 more
 economical
 to
 buy
 a
 one
 liter

stainless
 steel
 water
 bottle,
and
fill
it.

If
you
have
a
requirement
 for

filtered
 water,
 it
 can
 be
 purchased
 by
 the
 gallon
 for
 less
 cost,
 and

resulting
in
fewer
plastic
containers
purchased
to
recycle.



SUMMARY
OF
PLASTICS


Plastic
 is
 great
 stuff
 that
 has
 revolutionized
 science,
 medicine,


clothing,
tools,
automobiles,
and
almost
every
aspect
of
our
lives.

But

we
still
need
to
be
smart
consumers,
and
critical
thinkers.

When
we


18



buy
 an
 item
 that
 is
 coded
 as
 3,
 4,
 5,
 or
 7,
 we
 should
 ensure
 we
 are

buying
 a
 truly
 durable
 product.
 
 If
 the
 product
 is
 a
 trashcan,
 it
 will

probably
be
coded
as
a
4.

Some
trashcans
are
thin,
fragile,
and
break

in
a
week,
and
others
at
a
higher
cost
will
last
years.


19






Basic
 glass
 is
 a
 remarkably
 simple
 product
 consisting
 of
 silica
 (SiO2),

your
ordinary
beach
sand,
heated
to
about
2300⁰C
or
4200⁰F.



Humans
have
been
making
glass
since
about
3000
BC,
but
during
the

bronze
age,
many
developments
in
the
technology
advanced.


Today
we
use
standard
glass
for
food
containers,
mirrors,
light
bulbs,

and
windows.

More
specialized
forms
of
glass
are
used
in
arc
lamps,

airlines,
older
TV
picture
tubes,
and
ballistic
glass.


Of
 course
 ordinary
 glass
 would
 never
 serve
 the
 needs
 of
 ordinary

people,
 and
 the
 product
 it
 modified
 through
 introductions
 of
 various

other
chemical
elements.


Sodium
carbonate
(Na2CO3)
consists
of
two
sodium
atoms,
one
carbon

atom,
and
three
oxygen
atoms.

Introducing
sodium
carbonate
to
the

silica
 reducing
 the
 melting
 temperature
 to
 about
 1500⁰C
 or
 2700⁰F

requiring
 less
 energy
 to
 manipulate
 the
 glass.
 
 To
 enhance
 the

chemical
 durability
 of
 the
 glass,
 other
 elements
 are
 added
 such
 as

aluminum
 oxide
 (AlO),
 calcium
 oxide
 (CaO),
 and
 even
 magnesium

oxide
(MgO).


If
 the
 melted
 glass
 were
 allowed
 to
 cool
 slowly,
 then
 crystallization

would
occur,
but
that
is
not
a
desired
feature
in
glass.

Subsequently,

rapid
 quenching
 is
 conducted
 to
 cool
 the
 glass
 quickly
 freezing
 the

atoms
 in‐place.
 
 This
 prevents
 the
 atoms
 from
 forming
 organized


20



patterns,
 and
 the
 amorphous
 nature
 of
 glass
 provides
 us
 the

characteristics
we
want
and
need.


As
you
might
imagine,
producing
glass
is
a
dirty,
and
energy
intensive

process.

The
recycling
of
a
single
glass
bottle
saves
enough
energy
to

run
a
100
watt
light
for
up
to
four
hours,
and
it
results
in
20%
less
air

pollution,
 and
 50%
 less
water
pollution
that
the
production
of
a
new

bottle
 from
 the
 initial
 raw
 resources
 that
 were
 mined
 to
 begin
 with

would
cause
(Recycling
Facts,
2009).


The
 process
 of
 recycling
 glass
 begins
 by
 cleaning
 the
 glass,
 removing

labels,
 plastic
 and
 metal
 tops,
 and
 any
 other
 foreign
 objects.
 
 Once

cleaned,
 the
 glass
 can
 be
 crushed
 into
 a
 material
 basic
 called
 cullet.


Because
 of
 the
 other
 materials
 added
 to
 the
 processed
 glass,
 the

process
 glass
 melts
 at
 a
 lower
 temperature
 than
 the
 initial
 raw

materials.
 
 If
 you
 allow
 you
 glass
 containers
 to
 go
 to
 a
 landfill,
 it
 will

take
 more
 than
 4000
 years
 for
 it
 to
 biodegrade.
 
 Some
 recycling

centers
do
not,
or
do
not
want
to
accept
glass
because
of
its
weight,

and
the
distance
to
the
nearest
processing
plant.


SUMMARY
OF
GLASS


Glass
is
a
durable
item
used
in
homes
and
industry.

It
is
much
more

cost
 effective,
 and
 less
 destructive
 to
 recycle
 glass,
 than
 to
 make
 it

from
raw
materials.
It
has
a
very
high
resource
life
cycle


21






In
this
section
we
will
not
only
look
at
lighting,
and
lamp
recycling,
but

another
 critical
 subject
 to
 nature
 being
 light
 pollution,
 and
 light

trespass.



For
 household
 lighting
 we
 have
 various
 options
 that
 relate
 to
 energy

efficiency,
and
environmental
safety.




INDOORS
LIGHTING



Household
 lighting
 typically
 consist
 of
 incandescent
 light
 bulbs,
 but


fluorescent
 lamps,
 high‐intensity
 discharge
 lamps,
 and
 light‐emitting

diodes
are
becoming
more
popular.


INCANDESCENT
LIGHT
BULBS


The
 incandescent
 light
 bulb
 is
 simple,
 and
 cheap
 to
 make.
 
 It
 was

invented
 in
 the
 very
 early
 1800’s.
 
 It
 operates
 with
 either
 an

alternating
 current
 (AC),
 or
 a
 direct
 current
 (DC).
 
 The
 earliest

incandescent
bulbs
operated
off
of
DC
batteries.

Because
of
this
they

are
great
for
home,
and
flashlight
use.


The
housing
of
the
bulb
is
a
thin
glass
envelope,
the
base
is
made
of

metal,
 and
 the
 insulator
 between
 the
 two
 metal
 contacts
 is
 made
 of

foamed
 glass.
 
 The
 filament
 that
 actually
 produces
 the
 light
 was

originally
 made
 of
 carbon,
 but
 it
 was
 later
 found
 that
 tungsten
 was


22



more
effective.


Tungsten
(W)
is
a
metal
element.

It
is
usually
mined

from
 magmatic
 or
 hydrothermal
 deposits,
 or
 locations
 where

volcanoes
once
lived,
and
waters
passed
over
the
still
hot
deposits.

As

with
 almost
 everything
 we
 encounter,
 tungsten
 does
 not
 come
 in
 a

pure
form,
and
it
must
be
processed
to
be
usable.

Tungsten
is
derived

from
either
wolframite
((Fe,
Mn)
WO4),
or
scheelite
(CaWO4.)

In
both

ores,
 the
 tungsten
 is
 bound
 to
 four
 oxygen
 atoms.
 
 In
 the
 first
 ore

mentioned,
 wolframite,
 notice
 that
 the
 (Fe,
 Mn)
 are
 carried
 in

parethesis.

This
mean
that
either
iron
(Fe),
or
manganese
(Mn)
atoms

can
 be
 used
 in
 the
 chemical
 sequence.
 
 In
 the
 second
 form,
 the

Calcium
(Ca)
atom
bonds
with
the
WO4
to
form
scheelite.


The
 wolframite,
 and
 scheelite
 ores
 are
 both
 difficult
 to
 mine.
 
 The

processing
of
 the
 material
first
involves
crushing
the
ore.

Separating

can
 usually
 be
 done
 by
 gravity
 (gravimetric
 methods).
 
 If
 FeWO4
 is

being
milled,
magnetics
can
also
be
used
to
help
separate
the
iron.


To
 further
 refine
 the
 tungsten,
 it
 must
 be
 brought
 up
 to
 the
 melting

point
 which
 is
 energy
 intensive
 as
 tungsten
 has
 one
 of
 the
 highest

melting
points
of
any
element
(3422 °C,
6192 °F).




The
 earlier
 bulbs
 were
 vacuum
 sealed,
 allowing
 the
 tungsten
 to
 last

longer.
 
 Now,
 home
 use
 bulbs
 are
 typically
 filled
 with
 a
 mixture
 of

argon
 and
 nitrogen
 gases.
 
 Smaller
 flashlight
 bulbs
 are
 sometimes

filled
with
krypton
or
xenon
gas.



Because
of
variations
in
the
thickness
of
the
wire,
hotspots
form,
the

wire
breaks
leading
to
the
end
of
the
bulb’s
life.

To
make
the
lamps

last
longer,
lower
temperatures
are
maintained
across
the
wire.

This

is
done
by
using
a
longer,
and
thicker
wire.


Another
 variation
 is
 the
 halogen
 lamp.
 
 In
 lieu
 of
 argon
 and
 nitrogen

gases,
halogen
gas
is
used
at
a
low
pressure.

This
allows
the
tungsten


23



to
operate
at
a
higher
temperature,
and
subsequently
a
brighter
light

is
produced.


Zenon,
krypton,
and
argon
are
all
noble
gases
that
are
obtained
from

our
 atmosphere
 through
 various
 distillation
 techniques.
 
 Halogen
 on

the
 other
 hand
 is
 manufactured
 from
 various
 halides
 in
 a
 not
 so

expensive
process.


The
manufacturing
of
the
glass
from
sand,
the
mining
and
refinement

of
the
metals,
distillations
of
the
gases,
this
is
a
lot
of
work
and
effort

put
 into
 something
 that
 we
 simply
 through
 away.
 
 The
 resource

lifecycle
on
this
is
really
low.

The
economic
practicality
of
recycling
an

incandescent
lamp
is
also
really
low.

This
would
involve
breaking
the

glass
 and
 letting
 the
 gas
 go
 back
 into
 the
 atmosphere,
 which
 makes

sense
because
that’s
where
it
came
from.

Separate
the
tiny
little
piece

of
 tungsten,
 the
 other
 metal
 parts,
 and
 send
 them
 to
 three
 different

recyclers.

This
would
make
sense
if
there
were
large
collection
points

that
processed,
but
the
economics
have
to
be
there
to
support
it.


FLUORESCENT
LAMPS


Fluorescent
lamps
are
more
complicated
than
the
incandescent
lamp.


This
 lamp
 uses
 electricity
 to
 excite
 mercury
 vapor
 inside
 of
 the
 glass

envelope.
 The
 excited
 mercury
 atoms
 oscillate
 at
 a
 very
 short

frequency.

This
oscillation
causes
the
phosphor
coating
the
inside
of

the
 glass
 to
fluoresce,
and
subsequently
produce
the
visible
light
our

eyes
need
to
see.


Another
 factor
 that
 makes
 the
 fluorescent
 lamp
 more
 complicated,


and
 expensive
 is
 the
 ballast.
 
 The
 ballast
 regulates
 the
 flow
 of

electricity
in
the
lamp.

This
lamp
however,
uses
much
less
electricity,

and
last
longer
thus
making
is
cost
effective
to
use
this
light.


24



Because
 these
 lamps
 do
 contain
 mercury
 vapor,
 they
 should
 be

handled
with
care.

Should
the
lamp
be
broken,
some
considerations

should
be
taken
into
account.

The
EPA
universal
waste
rule
requires

that
the
broken
lamp
be
cleaned
up
and
placed
in
a
structurally
sound

sealed
 container.
 
 In
 some
 States,
 “Universal
 Waste”
 status
 is
 lost

when
 lamps
 are
 broken.
 
 In
 these
 states,
 the
 broken
 lamp
 must
 be

handled
 as
 a
 full‐hazardous
 waste
 (National
 Electrical
 Manufacturers

Association,
2004).


The
cleanup
procedure
for
a
broken
fluorescent
lamp
is
as
follows
and

is
derived
directly
from
the
EPA
verbatim
(EPA,
2009)


Before
Clean‐up:
Air
Out
the
Room


• Have
 people
 and
 pets
 leave
 the


room,
 and
 don't
 let
 anyone
 walk

through
the
breakage
area
on
their

way
out.


• Open
a
window
and
leave
the
room

for
15
minutes
or
more.


• Shut
 off
 the
 central
 forced‐air

heating/air
 conditioning
 system,
 if

you
have
one.



Clean‐Up
Steps
for
Hard
Surfaces


• Carefully
scoop
up
glass
pieces
and

powder
 using
 stiff
 paper
 or

cardboard
 and
 place
 them
 in
 a

glass
 jar
 with
 metal
 lid
 (such
 as
 a

canning
 jar)
 or
 in
 a
 sealed
 plastic

bag.


• Use
 sticky
 tape,
 such
 as
 duct
 tape,

to
 pick
 up
 any
 remaining
 small

glass
fragments
and
powder.



25



 • Wipe
 the
 area
 clean
 with
 damp

paper
 towels
 or
 disposable
 wet

wipes.
 Place
 towels
 in
 the
 glass
 jar

or
plastic
bag.


• Do
 not
 use
 a
 vacuum
 or
 broom
 to

clean
 up
 the
 broken
 bulb
 on
 hard

surfaces.



Clean‐up
Steps
for
Carpeting
or
Rug


• Carefully
 pick
 up
 glass
 fragments


and
 place
 them
 in
 a
 glass
 jar
 with

metal
 lid
 (such
 as
 a
 canning
 jar)
 or

in
a
sealed
plastic
bag.


• Use
 sticky
 tape,
 such
 as
 duct
 tape,

to
 pick
 up
 any
 remaining
 small

glass
fragments
and
powder.


• If
 vacuuming
 is
 needed
 after
 all

visible
 materials
 are
 removed,

vacuum
 the
 area
 where
 the
 bulb

was
broken.


• Remove
the
vacuum
bag
(or
empty

and
wipe
the
canister),
and
put
the

bag
 or
 vacuum
 debris
 in
 a
 sealed

plastic
bag.



Clean‐up
Steps
for
Clothing,
Bedding
and
Other
Soft
Materials


• If
 clothing
 or
 bedding
 materials


come
in
direct
contact
with
broken

glass
 or
 mercury‐containing

powder
 from
 inside
 the
 bulb
 that

may
stick
to
the
fabric,
the
clothing

or
bedding
should
be
thrown
away.

Do
 not
 wash
 such
 clothing
 or

bedding
 because
 mercury

fragments
 in
 the
 clothing
 may


26



 contaminate
 the
 machine
 and/or

pollute
sewage.


• You
can,
however,
wash
clothing
or

other
 materials
 that
 have
 been

exposed
to
the
mercury
vapor
from

a
 broken
 CFL,
 such
 as
 the
 clothing

you
are
wearing
when
you
cleaned

up
 the
 broken
 CFL,
 as
 long
 as
 that

clothing
 has
 not
 come
 into
 direct

contact
with
the
materials
from
the

broken
bulb.


• If
 shoes
 come
 into
 direct
 contact

with
 broken
 glass
 or
 mercury‐
containing
 powder
 from
 the
 bulb,

wipe
 them
 off
 with
 damp
 paper

towels
 or
 disposable
 wet
 wipes.

Place
the
towels
or
wipes
in
a
glass

jar
or
plastic
bag
for
disposal.



Disposal
of
Clean‐up
Materials


• Immediately
 place
 all
 clean‐up


materials
 outdoors
 in
 a
 trash

container
or
protected
area
for
the

next
normal
trash
pickup.


• Wash
your
hands
after
disposing
of

the
 jars
 or
 plastic
 bags
 containing

clean‐up
materials.


• Check
 with
 your
 local
 or
 state

government
 about
 disposal

requirements
 in
 your
 specific
 area.

Some
 states
 do
 not
 allow
 such

trash
 disposal.
 Instead,
 they

require
 that
 broken
 and
 unbroken

mercury‐containing
 bulbs
 be
 taken

to
a
local
recycling
center.



27



Future
 Cleaning
 of
 Carpeting
 or
 Rug:
 Air
 Out
 the
 Room
 During
 and

After
Vacuuming


• The
next
several
times
you
vacuum,

shut
 off
 the
 central
 forced‐air

heating/air
 conditioning
 system

and
 open
 a
 window
 before

vacuuming.


• Keep
 the
 central
 heating/air

conditioning
 system
 shut
 off
 and

the
 window
 open
 for
 at
 least
 15

minutes
 after
 vacuuming
 is

completed.



While
the
material
inside
the
lamp
is
hazardous,
careful
handling,
and

knowledge
 in
 safe
 disposal
 of
 the
 product
 can
 mitigate
 the
 risk

involved.




The
 benefits
 of
 using
 this
 lamp
 out‐weight
 the
 risks.
 
 It
 uses
 less

electricity,
 last
 longer,
 and
 is
 recyclable.
 
 The
 problem
 with
 recycling

this
 lamp
 is
 finding
 a
 location
 that
 accepts
 them—regardless
 of
 the

challenge,
 this
 product
 needs
 to
 be
 recycled
 because
 we
 don’t
 need

mercury
 vapor
 in
 our
 atmosphere.
 
 This
 product
 has
 a
 medium
 high

resource
lifecycle.


HIGH‐INTENSITY
DISCHARGE
LAMP


The
high‐intensity
discharge
lamp
uses
two
tungsten
electrodes
inside

a
 clear
 quartz
 envelope.
 
 The
 envelope
 is
 filled
 with
 gases
 and
 metal

salts.

The
electricity
causes
a
heat
producing
arc
the
melts
the
metal

salts
causing
them
to
form
a
plasma.

This
is
a
much
brighter
light
than

the
incandescent
or
the
fluorescent
lamp
and
not
actually
suitable
for

home
 use,
 but
 it
 efficient
 for
 lighting
 warehousing,
 gyms,
 or
 other

large
structures.


28



Like
 the
 fluorescent
 lamp,
 this
 light
 uses
 a
 ballast
 to
 control
 its

electricity
 flow.
 
 This
 is
 an
 energy
 efficient
 light,
 and
 has
 a
 high

resource
lifecycle.


High‐intensity
 discharge
 lamps
 should
 be
 handled,
 and
 recycled
 like


mercury
vapor
lamps.


LIGHT‐EMITTING
DIODE
(LED)


The
LED
is
listed
here
under
indoors
lighting,
but
it’s
finding
its
place
in

outdoors
 lighting
 now
 which
 will
 also
 be
 addressed.
 
 The
 reason
 for

the
indoors
listing
was
is
that
this
light
was
initially
used
exclusively
in

indoors
 electronics
 components.
 
 The
 basic
 LED
 is
 made
 of
 gallium

antimonide
 (GaSb),
 GaAs,
 indium
 phosphide
 (InP),
 and
 silicon‐
germanium
(SiGe).

These
materials
are
all
mined.


LEDs
 are
 incredibly
 energy
 efficient.
 
 As
 we
 have
 developed
 the

technology,
we
have
learned
how
to
make
the
LED
operate
in
various

frequencies
 which
 now
 allow
 us
 to
 make
 heat
 producing
 infrared,
 to

visible
yellow,
blue,
and
even
white
light
LEDs.




The
 anode
 and
 cathode
 of
 the
 LED
 are
 housed
 inside
 an
 epoxy.


Applying
 planar
 optics
 to
 the
 end
 of
 the
 housing,
 engineers
 have

developed
a
means
to
control
how
the
LED
disperses
its
light.

It
may

radiate
out
50
degree,
just
30
degrees,
or
even
be
pin
point.


At
the
current
time,
there
is
no
practical
means
of
recycling
this
type

of
light.


LIGHT
POLLUTION
&
LIGHT
TRESPASS


Before
addressing
the
different
types
of
outdoor
lighting
there
are
two

subjects
that
too
often
go
unnoticed.


29



Light
 pollution
 is
 light
 going
 up
 into
 the
 sky.
 
 One
 may
 wonder
 just

how
 significant
 that
 is
 to
 recycling,
 and
 environmental
 protection.


There
are
three
aspects
to
this.




ONE‐
 Light
 going
 up
 into
 the
 sky
 is
 wasted
 light.
 
 It
 means
 we
 used

more
light
than
was
necessary
for
the
purpose
at
hand.

It
means
we

wasted
the
electricity
to
produce
that
excess
light.





TWO‐
Light
disrupts
nature.

The
National
Park
Service
said
it
best‐




“The
 darkness
 is
 part
 of
 nature's
 clock.
 The
 changes
 in
 light

and
dark
trigger
hormonal
changes
in
wildlife.”


They
 expressed
 the
 importance
 of
 darkness
 for
 our
 nocturnal


creatures,
 the
 importance
 of
 darkness
 in
 the
 mating
 of
 many
 large

mammals,
 and
 the
 how
 light
 disrupts
 the
 natural
 beauty
 of
 our
 park

systems
(National
Park
Service,
2007).


THREE‐
Finally,
in
our
own
self
interest.

If
you
have
visited
places
that

do
not
have
humans
wasting
electricity,
you
can
look
up
and
see
the

Milky
 Way.
 
 Most
 people
 have
 probably
 never
 looked
 up
 to
 see
 the

galaxy
 we
 live
 in
 because
 they
 can’t
 see
 it
 for
 the
 excessive
 light

pollution.
 
 Many
 children
 in
 inner‐urban
 environments
 have
 never

even
seen
the
stars.



Light
 pollution
 has
 other
 impacts
 on
 humans.
 
 It
 is
 disrupting
 our

advances
in
astronomy.

Many
ground
based
stellar
observatories
are

currently
 being
 threatened
 by
 light
 pollution.
 
 Light
 pollution
 makes

these
multimillion
dollar
facilities
worthless.

This
begs
us
to
ask
why

do
 we
 need
 all
 of
 the
 lights
 on
 at
 night?
 
 Why
 do
 the
 doctors’
 and

lawyers’
offices
have
to
be
lit
all
night
with
lights
pointing
straight
up

at
 their
 signs?
 
 Has
 anyone
 ever
 really
 needed
 a
 midnight
 lawyer?


Does
leaving
lights
on
all
night
improve
security?

The
answer
to
that


30



question
 is
 “NO.”
 
 Leaving
 lights
 on
 all
 night
 provides
 criminals
 with

working
lights.


No
one
notices
the
person
under
the
light.

A
motion

detector
 light
 does,
 on
 the
 other
 hand
 get
 attention.
 
 Another

drawback
 to
 leaving
 business
 lights
 on
 all
 night
 is
 that
 you,
 the

customer,
is
the
one
who
is
paying
the
electric
bill
for
that
business.




LIGHT
TRESPASS


Light
trespass
is
a
simple
subject
that
involves
inconsideration
for
our

fellow
humans,
as
well
as
nature.

Light
trespass
can
be
explained
by
a

scenario.

Your
next
door
neighbor
is
paranoid
of
crime,
subsequently

he
 lights
 his
 house
 up
 like
 a
 football
 stadium.
 
 The
 light
 blares
 into

your
bedroom
causing
a
daylight
atmosphere
that
disrupts
your
sleep.


Your
 neighbor’s
 light
 is
 trespassing
 in
 your
 bedroom.
 
 Light
 trespass

not
only
occurs
to
people,
but
to
animals,
and
plants
too.


OUTDOOR
LIGHTING


Outdoor
 lighting
 normally
 consists
 of
 street
 lamps,
 security
 lights,


porch
 lights,
 stadium
 lamps,
 street
 lights,
 and
 motor
 vehicle
 lights.


Outdoor
 lighting
 needs
 to
 be
 applied
 with
 critical
 thinking
 in
 concert

with
 technological
 advancements,
 and
 a
 little
 knowledge
 about
 the

albedo
of
the
surface
is
needed.

Albedo
is
a
ratio
that
gives
a
result
of

0
to
1
wherein
0
is
dark
and
1
is
bright.

This
ratio
tells
us
how
well
an

object
 will
 diffuse
 or
 reflect
 light.
 
 A
 street
 light
 over
 a
 blackened

street
 probably
 reflect
 little
 light,
 should
 that
 same
 street
 be
 snow

covered,
the
light
reflection
may
be
high.


STREET
LAMPS


Street
 lamps,
 and
 parking
 lot
 lamps
 are
 primarily
 for
 the
 safety
 of

pedestrians.

They
don’t
need
to
be
bright
enough
for
you
to
sit
in
you

car
and
read,
they
merely
need
to
be
bright
enough
for
the
pedestrian


31



to
 navigate
 the
 sidewalk,
 or
 to
 get
 from
 their
 transportation
 to
 the

door.

Any
brighter
than
that,
then
light
pollution
is
the
result.


Good
street
lamps
are
considered
full
cut‐off.

These
street
lamps
look

like
 a
 box
 pointing
 straight
 down,
 100%
 of
 the
 light
 directed
 down

using
this
type
of
light.


Decorative
lights
are
frequently
the
worse.

These
allow
up
to
100%
of

the
light
to
go
up,
and
actually
do
little
for
effective
ground
lighting.




The
typical
street
lamp
known
as
the
cobra
allows
30%
of
the
light
to

go
up.


Any
outdoor
light
that
is
not
pointing
down
is
bad.



32



Some
 cities,
 and
 even
 states
 are
 implementing
 laws
 to
 reduce
 light

pollution.
 
 Connecticut
 laws,
 leading
 the
 pack,
 now
 aim
 at
 reducing

stray
light
from
street
lamps.

This
can
most
effectively
be
approached

by
the
design,
and
using
a
full
cut‐off
design.


With
 the
 various
 designs
 that
 range
 from
 good
 to
 bad,
 we
 have
 a

variety
 of
 different
 lamps
 that
 can
 actually
 be
 employed
 in
 these

designs.





As
 a
 project
 in
 mapping
 light
 pollution
 over
 Traverse
 City,
 Michigan,

and
 how
 it
 impacts
 the
 observatory
 there,
 the
 following
 overlay
 was

developed
and
placed
on
the
Traverse
City
map:


33



The
spiked
areas
in
the
previous
overlay
directly
related
to
the
areas

where
 most
 auto
 dealerships
 were
 located,
 the
 downtown
 area,
 the

postal
distribution
center,
and
the
airport.


Thinking
the
airport
 was
excusable
was
wrong,
the
majority
sky‐glow

at
 the
 airport
 was
 coming
 from
 the
 parking
 lot
 lights;
 the
 approach

lights
were
only
used
when
aircraft
were
inbound.




The
 auto
 dealerships
 were
 running
 up
 the
 cost
 of
 cars
 with
 their

electric
bills,
and
the
city
was
charging
the
taxpayers
a
lot
of
money
to

keep
street
lamps
lit,
and
city
buildings
lit‐up
like
they
were
open
for

business
 all
 night.
 The
 U.S.
 Postal
 distribution
 center
 was
 a
 serious

contributor
to
the
light
pollution
as
well.


The
 below
 picture
 was
 taken
 with
 infrared
 film
 to
 demonstrate
 the

intensity
of
the
Traverse
City
lighting.


City
Building


If
protecting
nature
isn’t
a
good
enough
reason
to
stop
light
pollution,

then
maybe
lowering
our
taxes,
and
reducing
the
cost
of
end
item
are

good
enough.

We
are
paying
higher
taxes,
and
more
for
end
items,
to

disrupt
nature
with
our
light
pollution.


34



The
various
types
of
lamps
that
go
into
these
designs
also
range
from

good
to
bad.


High
pressure
sodium
lamps
contain
small
amounts
of
mercury.

These

lamps
produce
the
bright
white
light
you
see
in
some
street
lights,
and

many
 park
 lot
 lights.
 
 Other
 bright
 white
 lamps
 used
 in
 street
 lights

include
 the
 mercury
 vapor,
 high‐intensity
 discharge,
 and
 the
 metal

halide.
 
 This
 type
 of
 light
 used
 as
 street
 lights
 actually
 produce

dangerous
glares,
and
are
not
necessary
in
parking
lots.


The
 low
 pressure
 sodium
 vapor
 lamp
 produces
 a
 softer
 red
 colored

light,
close
to
590
nm
in
wavelength.

This
type
of
lamp
does
not
last

as
 long
 as
 the
 high
 pressure
 sodium
 lamp,
 but
 it
 produces
 less
 light

pollution,
and
is
easier
to
recycle.


The
most
effective
street
lighting
found
so
far
is
the
LED.

These
lights

can
be
smart,
and
adjust
for
varying
surface
albedos
of
dry,
rain,
and

snow.

They
cost
the
least
to
operate,
and
they
are
the
most
durable.


The
 City
 of
 Raleigh,
 North
 Carolina
 installed
 23
 LED
 street
 lights
 in
 a

pilot
project.

They
found
that
the
23
LED
lights
will
save
the
city
over

$100,000.00
in
energy
cost
over
20
years
(City
of
Raleigh,
2008).


With
 an
 increased
 use
 in
 LED
 lighting,
 there
 may
 possibly
 be
 an

economic
recycling
method
in
the
future.


While
the
type
of
lighting
was
important
to
cover
as
it
applies
to
our

domestic
 lives,
 it
 was
 also
 important
 to
 cover
 housing
 designs,
 and

light
 types
 as
 they
 apply
 light
 pollution,
 light
 trespass,
 and
 the

resource
lifecycle.

These
are
all
relevant
to
saving
energy,
and
being

environmentally
 aware
 however,
 these
 programs
 frequently
 occur
 at

the
 city,
 or
 state
 level,
 and
 require
 civic
 awareness,
 and
 action
 to

pressure
governments
to
implement
the
right
decision.




35



SUMMARY
OF
LIGHTS


Fluorescent
 lamps
 are
 the
 most
 economical,
 and
 recyclable
 lighting


available
 for
 residential
 use.
 
 The
 use
 of
 LED
 lighting
 in
 conjunction

with
 full‐cutoff
 light
 hoods
 provides
 the
 best
 lighting,
 and
 the
 lowest

operating
cost,
while
protecting
the
environment
from
light
pollution,

and
trespass.


36






Got
wood?


One
 of
 the
 most
 unusual
 presentations
 occurred
 at
 the
 mining

convention
 in
 Toronto,
 Canada
 in
 2007.
 
 Dr.
 Patrick
 Moore,
 PhD.
 of

Ecology
was
the
keynote
speaker
for
the
Prospectors
and
Developers

Conference.
 
 Dr.
 Moore
 was
 the
 founder
 of
 Green
 Peace.
 
 He
 is
 the

man
 you
 see
 in
 the
 photos
 on
 the
 little
 rubber
 raft,
 putting
 himself

between
 the
 harpoon
 gun
 and
 the
 whale.
 
 He
 is
 the
 one
 you
 see
 in

pictures
body
blocking
men
with
baseball
bats
from
killing
baby
seals.



He
is
a
person
with
the
academic
credentials
in
ecology
to
pontificate

about
the
subject,
and
is
willing
to
put
his
life
on
the
line
to
defend
his

beliefs.

Subsequently,
Dr.
Moore
has
earned
the
respect
of
most
free

nations
 on
 Earth
 for
 his
 efforts.
 
 Dr.
 Moore
 explained
 that
 he
 was

proud
of
the
organization
that
he
helped
form,
but
at
the
end
of
the

Vietnam
war,
war
protestors
with
nothing
to
do
began
filling
the
ranks

of
 Green
 Peace.
 
 He
 saw
 his
 organization
 become
 overwhelmed
 by

militant
environmentalists
who
didn’t
understand
the
big
picture.

He

further
 said
 he
 was
 tired
 of
 being
 against
 everything,
 and
 wanted
 to

be
 for
 something.
 
 That
 was
 an
 inspirational
 note
 for
 anyone.
 
 Dr.

Moore
 left
 Green
 Peace,
 and
 moved
 on
 to
 form
 Greenspirit.
 
 Dr.

Moore
asked
“Where
is
the
positive
vision?”

And
from
his
website
he

explains‐
 “Greenspirit,
 a
 concept
 that
 combines
 environmentalism

with
 both
 a
 deep
 appreciation
 of
 nature
 and
 an
 enthusiasm
 for
 the

challenge.
 "Spirit"
 as
 in
 spiritual
 and
 "spirit"
 as
 in
 team
 spirit.”
 
 He


37



focuses
 on
 reusable
 and
 renewable
 resources,
 and
 with
 that
 he

postulates
that
more
trees
are
the
answer
(Moore,
2009).



Forestry
 once
 consisted
 of
 clear
 cutting,
 but
 has
 become
 a
 science

with
degrees
in
forestry
that
address
ecology,
and
sustainment
of
the

natural
resources.



Wood
 is
 a
 fascinating
 resource.
 
 It’s
 renewable—if
 we
 cut
 one
 tree

down
we
can
grow
another,
or
more.

With
responsible
harvesting,
we

can
actually
increase
the
population
of
trees
on
Earth
while
preventing

devastating
 wild
 fires.
 
 A
 trip
 through
 British
 Columbia
 reveals
 how

intensely
 they
 rely
 upon
 their
 forestry
 industry.
 
 Forest
 are
 well

managed,
 in
 fact,
 it
 looks
 like
 the
 rainforest
 of
 North
 America.


Firebreaks
are
well
cared
for
and
wide
enough
to
ensure
fires
cannot

jump
breaks.

They
understand
the
importance
of
their
resource.


Wood
is
also
generous
enough
to
come
in
a
variety
of
hardneses,
and

colors.

Wood
can
be
found
in
colors
ranging
from
black,
brown,
grey,

green,
and
white.

The
woods
can
range
from
balsa
or
cork,
to
hickory

or
ebony.



We
 use
 wood
 in
 more
 ways
 than
 most
 people
 would
 imagine.
 
 Of

course
 there
 is
 home
 construction,
 heat,
 musical
 instruments,
 paper,

cardboard,
 boats,
 some
 planes,
 toys,
 and
 art.
 
 But
 what
 about
 chip,

the
dust,
ash,
and
even
the
old
used
wood.


The
old
used
wood
can
be
reused
again.

A
tragedy
and
travesty
in
the

same
sweeping
moment.

A
neighbor
wanted
his
100
year
old
maple

floor
replaced
because
it
was
buckling.
This
was
an
effect
of
the
house

foundation
 settling.
 The
 replacement
 would
 be
 a
 new
 ¾
 inch
 OSB

flooring
covered
by
carpet.

Technically
there
was
nothing
wrong
with

the
maple
floor,
it
could
have
been
removed,
and
used
in
a
cabin,
an

attic,
or
other
creative
construction
practices.

The
construction
crew


38



came
in,
set
their
saw
blades
for
¾
inches
and
chopped
out
the
maple

floor
 in
 short
 sections.
 
 A
 half
 dozen
 people
 came
 forward
 upon

hearing
of
this
offering
to
remove
the
floor
for
free.


It
is
easy
to
see
a
reuse
for
old
maple
floors,
but
what
about
old
2X4s?


In
older
homes,
2X4s
are
often
made
of
hardwood,
such
as
oak.

Many

times
 the
 construction
 was
 balloon
 construction
 wherein
 the
 old
 oak

2X4s
 span
 from
 the
 foundation
 to
 the
 attic
 in
 one
 long
 timber
 as

opposed
to
8
foot
long
pine
2X4s
you
find
used
now.

The
opportunity

to
disassemble
an
old
home
is
a
very
financially
viable
recycling
effort.


For
 those
 involved
 in
 birding.
 
 The
 practice
 of
 watching,
 feeding,

housing,
 and
 enjoying
 birds.
 
 Old
 wood
 offers
 the
 birder
 the

opportunity
 to
 build
 houses
 and
 feeders.
 
 Even
 an
 old
 pallet
 would

make
nesting
homes
for
a
dozen
Finches.



Bat
houses
are
another
option
for
old
pallets.

In
fact,
the
applications

for
 old
 pallets,
 and
 other
 pieces
 of
 wood
 are
 only
 limited
 to
 your

imaginations.


Wood
chips
and
saw
dust
have
their
applications
in
resource
lifecycle.


Commercially,
these
materials
can
be
used
to
make
composite
woods,

and
 fire
 logs.
 Individually
 they
 are
 often
 found
 uses
 in
 compost,
 or

added
to
gardens.

Some
people
caution
that
woodchips,
or
wood
dust

from
pressure
treated
wood
should
not
be
used
for
these
applications

because
of
the
arsenic
content
in
the
pressure
treating.

Experiments

in
 various
 climate
 show
 that
 the
 arsenic
 does
 not
 actually
 leach
 into

the
 ground
 but
 then
 again
 the
 wood
 is
 not
 biodegrading
 either—this

defeats
 the
 purpose
 of
 using
 it
 on
 gardens.
 
 It’s
 not
 a
 wise
 idea

vaporize
 the
 arsenic
 by
 burning.
 
 Probably
 the
 best
 recourse
 for
 the

chips
 and
 dust
 of
 arsenic
 treated
 wood
 is
 to
 return
 it
 to
 the
 land
 via

the
landfill.

This
requires
use
all
to
use
these
materials
is
a
responsible

manner.


39



Another
 application
 of
 old
 wood
 is
 to
 use
 it
 as
 a
 heat
 source
 in
 our

homes.

Yes,
burning
the
wood
releases
CO2
into
the
atmosphere
but

if
 the
 wood
 is
 allowed
 to
 biodegrade,
 the
 process
 of
 biodegradation

also
 results
 in
 CO2.
 
 In
 fact,
 the
 natural
 decomposition
 of

biodegradable
materials
results
in
more
CO2
production
than
humans,

and
 CO2
 production
 is
 a
 natural
 result
 of
 the
 biogenic
 process

(National
Solid
Wastes
Management
Association,
2005).


Left
with
ashes
from
the
burned
wood.
The
recycling
options
are
still

many
 that
 range
 from
 fertilizer,
 pet
 deskunker,
 making
 soap,

controlling
algae
and
pests,
as
just
a
few
uses
for
the
ash.






SUMMARY
OF
WOOD


Wood
 is
 entirely
 renewable,
 recyclable,
 and
 completely


biodegradable.

Wood
has
a
great
resource
lifecycle.


The
subject
of
wood
takes
us
to
paper.


40






Paper
and
cardboard
are
produced
from
trees.




The
history
of
paper
goes
back
to
about
8
BC
when
it
was
first
made
in

China.

The
basic
process
of
making
paper
involves
using
wood
pulp
in

a
dilute
solution
of
water.

Draining
the
water,
and
pressing
it
dry.


From
here
other
materials
become
involved
for
special
purposes
in
the

paper.

Cotton
and
textiles
such
are
linen
are
frequently
found
used
in

papers
 today.
 
 Commercial
 paper
 manufacturing
 involves
 either
 a

mechanical
 pulping
 or
 chemical
 pulping
 process,
 revolving
 screens,

gravimetric
methods,
and
vacuums.


That
 is
 very
 abbreviated.
 
 The
 actual
 process
 started
 by
 identifying
 a

section
of
trees
to
be
harvested.

This
was
done
by
a
qualified
forester.


The
lumber
company
then
removed
the
trees,
cut
them
into
sections,

loads
them
onto
logging
trucks,
and
transports
them
to
the
mill.

We

should
remember
that
logging
is
normally
found
to
be
one
of
the
most

dangerous
 jobs
 by
 the
 Department
 of
 Labor
 with
 a
 high
 fatality
 rate

each
year.

Once
the
wood
reaches
the
mill,
the
process
can
begin.


Beginning
with
the
pulping‐


If
the
purpose
is
to
make
white
paper
for
writing,
a
mechanical
pulping

process
is
used.

In
the
mechanical
pulping
process
hydrogen
peroxide

(H2O2)
 is
 used;
 this
 is
 two
 hydrogen
 atoms
 bonded
 with
 two
 oxygen


41



atoms.
 
 The
 hydrogen
 peroxide
 is
 a
 very
 mild
 acid
 that
 bleaches
 the

paper
white
without
damaging
its
integrity.


If
 the
 purpose
 is
 to
 make
 brown
 paper
 for
 paper
 sack,
 a
 chemical

pulping
 process
 is
 used.
 
 There
 are
 different
 approaches
 in
 the

chemical
 process
 which
 uses
 either
 kraft
 or
 sulphate,
 both
 are

alkalines,
 and
 a
 sulphite
 which
 is
 typically
 acidic.
 From
 the
 sulphite

approach,
 sulfurous
 acid
 and
 a
 sulfur
 compound
 which
 may
 be
 a

combination
 of
 ammonium,
 calcium,
 sodium,
 or
 even
 a
 magnesium

bisulfate.
This
mixture
is
heated

to
about
140⁰C
about
8
hours.

In
the

kraft
 sulphate
 approach,
 sodium
 hydroxide
 and
 sodium
 sulfate.
 The

chips
are
heated
at
175⁰C
until
done.



Whether
 mechanical
 or
 chemical,
 the
 processed
 pulp
 is
 then
 washed

to
remove
any
chemical
or
other
impurities.



Subsequently,
 paper
 mills
 have
 been
 notorious
 pollutants
 of
 the

environment.
 
 
 They
 have
 made,
 many
 advances
 in
 the
 technologies,

and
these
advances
will
continue,
but
eliminating
the
hazards
of
paper

production
has
not
been
completely
solved.





To
 recycle
 paper
 it
 must
 first
 be
 collected,
 transported
 to
 a
 recycling

facility,
 go
 through
 a
 chemically
 intensive
 deinking
 process,
 and
 then

added
to
the
mix
of
woodchips
to
create
the
pulp
for
the
next
batch
of

paper.





Whether
 you
 are
 recycling,
 or
 creating
 paper
 anew,
 this
 process

involves
 a
 lot
 of
 chemicals,
 heat,
 and
 waste
 material
 that
 is
 usually

burned.



While
 the
 resource
 lifecycle
 for
 paper
 is
 high,
 the
 question
 “to
 what

expense?”
should
be
asked.

Some
argue
that
recycling
paper
uses
as

much
energy
as
harvesting
the
trees.

However,
allowing
paper
to
go


42



to
landfills
results
in
the
biodegradation
of
the
paper
which
produces

methane,
a
greenhouse
gas.

An
alternative
is
to
incinerate
the
paper

in
 which
 the
 heat
 produced
 can
 be
 used
 to
 produce
 energy,
 and
 the

carbon
dioxide
output
can
be
controlled.


Requiring
a
municipality
to

incinerate
waste
paper
would
involve
intensive
civic
involvement,
and

most
 likely
 an
 incinerator
 investment.
 Once
 again
 critical
 thinking
 is

suggested.






SUMMARY
OF
PAPER


Paper,
while
it
does
have
a
high
resource
lifecycle,
the
process
of

recycling
it,
involves
nearly
as
much
energy
as
producing
the
material.


The
process
of
recycling
it,
involves
the
same
hazardous
chemicals

uses
to
create
paper
to
begin
with.

We
have
to
remember
that
paper

is
not
always
durable,
it
is
bridgeable,
it
comes
from
renewable

resources,
but
is
not
the
cleanest
product
to
recycle.

43










SMOKE
DECTECTORS


Smoke
detectors
have
a
lifespan
of
about
ten
years.

Smoke
detectors

contain
a
small
amount
of
radioactive
material
call
americium
(Am),
a

metal
which
is
whiter,
and
more
silvery
than
plutonium,
but
is
only

one
proton,
and
neutron
away
from
being
plutonium.

Americium
is

prepared
in
the
same
manner
as
plutonium.

Americium
can
be

manufactured
in
a
nuclear
reactor,
or
by
bombarding
plutonium
with

neutrons.


Needless
to
say,
this
is
a
product
that
needs
to
be
recycled.

It
does

not
need
to
be
in
our
landfills,
and
most
certainly,
incinerating
is
not
a

good
idea
either.


You
probably
won’t
find
a
recycling
center
for
smoke
detectors.

The

most
effective
way
of
recycling
this
product
is
to
remove
the
plastic

housing
of
the
smoke
detector
for
plastic
recycling,
then
mail
the

circuit
boards
with
americium
make
to
its
manufacturer.



CELL
PHONES


Don’t
throw
away
that
old
cell
phone.

You
can
drop
it
off
at
any
cell

phone
dealer.

These
cell
phones
are
refurbished,
and
given
to
people

who
are
threatened
by
domestic
abuse.

They
are
programmed
to

make
911
calls
only.

Your
old
cell
phone
may
save
a
life.


COMPUTERS


44



Some
computer
manufactures
are
now
trying
to
make
their
computers

recycle
friendly.

This
paper
does
not
endorse
one
brand,
or
another,

but
if
the
consumer
takes
the
time
to
research
the
product,
the

recyclability
of
the
product
will
be
mentioned.

45










So
spaghetti
sauce
is
on
the
shopping
list.

In
the
isle
are
found
all
the

brands
in
glass,
plastic,
and
metal
containers.

The
easiest
material
of

the
 three
 to
 recycle
 is
 metal.
 
 Metal
 doesn’t
 have
 to
 be
 cleaned
 the

way
 other
 materials
 are.
 
 Plastic
 has
 to
 be
 separated,
 separated,

shredded,
 and
 cleaned,
 before
 it’s
 recycled.
 
 This
 is
 somewhat
 an

energy
 intensive
 process.
 
 Then
 there
 is
 glass.
 
 After
 the
 cleaning,

there
 is
 no
 separation
 involved,
 and
 glass
 can
 be
 easily
 recycled.


However,
glass
is
much
heavier
than
a
metal
sized
container
of
similar

size.

In
this
case,
the
metal
container
would
be
best
container
to
buy.



You
 forgot
 your
 earth
 friendly
 shopping
 bags.
 
 The
 bagger
 ask
 if
 that

will
 be
 paper
 or
 plastic.
 
 In
 this
 case,
 plastic
 is
 easier
 to
 recycle,
 and

uses
fewer
hazardous
chemicals.



When
we
purchased
a
product,
we
should
also
consider
the
material

that
 the
 container
 is
 made
 of,
 and
 how
 easy
 that
 product
 can
 be

recycled.



What
is
the
resource
lifecycle
of
the
product?














46





References






City
of
Raleigh.
(2008,
October
23).
LED‐Based
Streetlights
Light
Up



Areas
Around
Convention
Center.
Retrieved
March
28,
2009,



from



http://www.raleighnc.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_


0_2_306_210_0_43/http%3B/pt03/DIG_Web_Content/news/


public/News‐PubAff‐LED_Based_Streetlights_L‐20081023‐


11221451.html


EPA.
(2009).
Spills,
Disposal
and
Site
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