TITLE: SCRAP METAL REPURPOSING INTO STOOLS

Scrap metal
Every year, communities find a large amount of scrap metal litter. Much of this litter is a result of
illegal dumping of cars and construction waste. Illegal dumping of scrap metal promotes leaching
of toxic substances into the environment as well as causing visual pollution, safety issues and
degradation of wildlife habitats. If scrap metal was to be recycled or repurposed rather than
dumped, the waste problem would be solved and significant energy savings realised.

Scope of the Problem Objectives

When people think of litter they tend to
think of household waste such as plastic
bags and food packaging. Whilst these
materials are a major component of litter,
scrap metal is also significant. Scrap metal
composes over 50% of litter collected
across PNG.
 To reduce the waste materials in the society by encouraging good
environmental practices
 To produce useful products from the scrape materials & aids assessment of
the overall life cycle of products and understanding of materials;
 To reflects economic realities without creating market distortions that
impede environmental objectives

In addition to the waste management Methodology

problem presented by scrap metal, primary
metal production also causes a severe Problem Proposed design Scrap Collection/sorting
environmental impact. identification
Scrap metal littering Cutting, welding and drilling
When dumped in the environment, such as
car bodies can leach toxic chemicals from
oil, petrol, diesel, battery acid, coolants and Smoothing and painting
transmission and brake fluids. Cars dumped
in rivers can become lethal traps for
swimmers and for wildlife and scrap metal Product Presentation
dumped in the bush can spontaneously
combust causing fires.

Illegal dumping sites tend to attract

additional litter compounding the original
problem.

Why do people dump scrap metal?

Most people dump rubbish to avoid waste
disposal charges or the inconvenience of
organising waste removal or taking rubbish
to the waste management facility.

Sustainability Benefits of
Repurposing scraps
 Conserve valuable natural
resources and raw materials
 Avoid air and water pollution:
using repurposed materials
generally creates less pollution
 Save landfill space and ensures
materials don’t become litter!
 Reducing the need to dig for
Conclusion
virgin materials conserves soil
integrity and wildlife habitats
By engineering waste materials such as scrap metal to purposeful means to avoid
 Save energy: repurposed items the environmental costs of dumped rubbish and the risk of it leaching toxic
from scraps require less energy to chemicals into groundwater at landfill sites. In addition, we avoid the cost of taking
manufacture thus conserving oil rubbish to the waste management facility.
and reducing greenhouse gas
emissions References
Quick Scrap Metal Tips Australian Aluminium Council
Don’t become a litter bug, remember you can recycle to http://www.aluminium.org.au/Page. php?s=1005
earn a few bucks or
Clean Up Australia Ltd Rubbish Report 2009
Start becoming an inventor now by repurposing to useful Group 15 Canadian Sheet Steel Building Institute Sheet Steel
beneficial items (e.g. stools & tables). Factsheet 20 http://www.cssbi.ca/Eng/_pdf/Facts
20.pdf