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Essay on Recycling

Students are often asked to write an essay on Recycling in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

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100 Words Essay on Recycling

Understanding recycling.

Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into reusable objects. It helps to reduce the usage of raw materials, which can save energy and prevent pollution.

Importance of Recycling

Recycling is vital for our planet. It reduces the need for landfilling and incineration. By recycling, we can conserve natural resources like timber, water, and minerals.

Types of Recycling

There are various types of recycling, such as paper, plastic, glass, metal, and electronic waste recycling. Each type has its own recycling process.

In conclusion, recycling is an essential practice for a sustainable environment. Everyone should participate in it.

Also check:

  • 10 Lines on Recycling
  • Paragraph on Recycling
  • Speech on Recycling

250 Words Essay on Recycling

Introduction.

Recycling, a practice that has been incorporated into our daily lives, plays a pivotal role in environmental sustainability. It is an efficient method to minimize waste, conserve resources, and mitigate environmental degradation.

The Necessity of Recycling

The increasing consumerism and rapid industrialization have led to an escalation in waste generation. The disposal of this waste, often non-biodegradable, poses severe threats to our environment. Recycling, therefore, emerges as a viable solution, transforming waste into reusable materials, reducing landfill burden and pollution.

Recycling and Resource Conservation

Recycling promotes resource conservation. Natural resources, such as timber, water, and minerals, are finite. Through recycling, we can reuse materials, thereby reducing the strain on these resources. For instance, recycling paper reduces deforestation, preserving biodiversity.

Energy Efficiency

Recycling is also energy-efficient. The process of extracting and refining raw materials for production consumes more energy than recycling. Aluminum recycling, for example, uses 95% less energy than producing it from raw materials.

Challenges and Solutions

Despite its benefits, recycling faces several challenges, including economic viability and contamination issues. However, with advanced technologies, recycling processes can be made more efficient and cost-effective. Education and awareness can also play a significant role in overcoming these challenges.

In conclusion, recycling is a crucial component of sustainable living. It not only conserves resources and energy but also mitigates environmental degradation. Despite the challenges, with collective effort and technological advancements, we can make recycling a more effective and universal practice.

500 Words Essay on Recycling

Recycling, a process of converting waste materials into reusable substances, is an essential component of modern waste reduction strategies. The practice is not a mere environmental fad, but rather a crucial measure to mitigate the adverse effects of waste on our planet. This essay delves into the importance of recycling, its benefits, and the challenges that impede its full implementation.

The Importance of Recycling

The importance of recycling cannot be overstated. As our consumer society continues to produce an immense amount of waste, the need for effective waste management strategies becomes increasingly critical. Recycling offers a solution to this problem by transforming waste into useful materials, thereby reducing the volume of waste that ends up in our landfills and oceans.

Moreover, recycling conserves natural resources. By reusing materials, we reduce the demand for virgin resources, which in turn helps to preserve our natural environment. This is particularly significant in the context of non-renewable resources, such as certain metals and fossil fuels.

Benefits of Recycling

Recycling carries a multitude of benefits, both environmental and economic. Environmentally, recycling reduces the strain on our planet’s resources. It decreases the need for raw materials, which means less deforestation and less disruption to habitats. Additionally, recycling saves energy. The process of extracting, refining, and transporting raw materials is energy-intensive, and recycling can significantly cut down on these energy requirements.

Economically, recycling can create jobs and stimulate economic growth. The recycling industry requires a vast workforce for collection, transportation, processing, and manufacturing of recycled goods. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, recycling and reuse activities in the U.S. accounted for 681,000 jobs in 2017, demonstrating the potential for economic benefits.

Challenges to Recycling

Despite its obvious benefits, recycling is not without its challenges. One of the primary issues is the lack of proper recycling infrastructure in many areas. Without convenient access to recycling facilities, individuals are less likely to recycle.

Another challenge lies in the complexity of the recycling process. Not all materials are equally recyclable, and some, like certain types of plastic, can be more costly and energy-intensive to recycle than to produce anew. This complexity can lead to confusion among consumers about what can and cannot be recycled, further hindering recycling efforts.

In conclusion, recycling is a critical component of sustainable living and waste management. Its environmental and economic benefits underscore its importance in our society. However, to fully harness these benefits, we must address the challenges that stand in the way of effective recycling. This includes developing better recycling infrastructure, improving public education about recycling, and researching more efficient recycling technologies. As we continue to grapple with the realities of our waste problem, recycling remains a crucial part of the solution.

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Essay on Recycling

The process of converting waste materials into a new material or object that is useful is known as recycling. It prevents the wastage of some useful materials and is responsible for reducing the consumption of the new material. Recycling is a process that acts as an excellent help for the earth's environment as it reduces energy usage, air pollution, and water pollution. In order to have a clear overview of recycling, one should give a read to the below-recycling essay.

A Long Essay on Recycling

With the increase in pollution every day, the world should develop different ways of securing the earth's environment for future generations. Recycling can be considered as one of the ways to control pollution because recycling is the key to reducing the wastage of some useful materials. Recycling aims at environmental sustainability by substituting raw material inputs into and by redirecting waste outputs out of the ecosystem. This paragraph was meant for giving a recycling essay introduction to the readers. While reading this article, one will understand the importance of recycling essays in the process of gaining knowledge.

Recyclable Materials

Recyclable materials are those materials that can be recycled easily. Recyclable material is an important topic in the essay on the recycling of waste. Some of the recyclable materials are many kinds of glass, paper, cardboard, metal, plastic, tires, textiles, batteries, and electronics. The process of composting or reusing biodegradable waste like food and garden waste can also be termed recycling. Material that is meant to be recycled is either given to a recycling center or is picked up from the garbage bins. The recyclable material is then sorted, cleaned, or reprocessed and transferred into a new material, which is then used for manufacturing new products. These materials that are used for manufacturing new products are also known as recyclates.

Recycling Consumer Waste

Different governments have established a number of systems around the globe for collecting the recyclates from the general waste team. One can gain knowledge on these different systems through this essay on recycling. The three main systems for collecting recyclates are drop-off centers, buy-back centers, and curbside collection.

Curbside collection is a service provided by the government to different households to collect their household waste and other recyclables. This type of recycling collection is mostly seen in urban and suburban areas. One may have learned about this in recycling at school essays.

Drop-off centers are collection sites where the recyclates are collected by a person and are delivered into designated containers. This is some extra knowledge that you can gain from this recycling essay in English.

An essay about recycling also describes buy-back centers. It is a center where recyclates are purchased from the customer and are sent for recycling. These centers buy materials like aluminum cans, glass, and paper.

Recycling Industrial Waste

Most of the waste that is generated all around the globe comes from industries. It is said that almost 64% of waste in the United Kingdom comes from industrial waste. Many industries try to perform recycling in a cost-effective way through different recycling programs. One of the most recycled products in industries is cardboard, as it is used in a huge quantity for packaging. Manufacturers that use materials like glass, lumber, wood pulp, and paper directly deal with recyclates. This is some new knowledge that one has gained from this recycling essay. Recycling industrial waste has become a necessary need for today's world in order to save the environment from deteriorating.

A Short Essay on Recycling

A Short Paragraph on Recycling in English

In this short essay about recycling, a person will be able to gain the required amount of knowledge about recycling. Recycling, in simple words, means converting waste materials into useful materials. The objective of recycling is to reduce wastage in the world and bring pollution under control. The materials that can be recycled are known as recyclates. This short paragraph on recycling is enough for understanding the concept of recycling.

Industrial waste holds the maximum part of the total earth's waste. So, industries should plan how to reduce it, and the best way to do that is by using materials that can be recycled. Governments are also taking initiatives to recycle a massive number of consumer waste.

The above recycling essay talks about recycling in short. Recycling is very important because it is the only way that can restrict pollution to some extent. In order to have a better future, it is very crucial to understand the impact of recycling on the environment.

How to prepare for Exams with This Topic?

Exam preparation is not complete without Vedantu. One simply needs to register with Vedantu or download the Vedantu app. At Vedantu one can find notes and other practice questions with solutions that are some of the best resources available to ace exams. The learning resources provide a thorough understanding of the topic.

Recycling is the need of the hour as pollution is at a peak, and it is very much important to control it as soon as possible. Recycling is one of the ways to minimize pollution, so it should be implemented in every country by creating proper awareness among the people and industries. The above article is the best recycling essay example to understand what recycling is and how it can affect us. New policies should be incorporated to accelerate the recycling process in every country. Governments of many countries have already started it, the faster, the better.

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FAQs on Recycling Essay

1. What are the three types of Recycling?

Recycling is the conversion of waste materials into a usable material that can be utilized for manufacturing a new product. Recycling is of three types: primary recycling, secondary recycling, and tertiary recycling. These three types are involved in performing the same function, but the way of doing that differs in each case, and that is what makes them different from each other. This means, in the case of primary recycling, the same material, and the same product is recycled such as paper made of recycled paper. In the case of secondary recycling, a product is manufactured out of recycled paper which is not paper. Finally, in the case of tertiary recycling, the recycled paper is broken down chemically into such an ingredient that it is no longer paper but still can be used for a product.

2. What are the five things that can be Recycled?

The process of transforming waste material into new material and products is known as recycling. The five things that can be recycled are rigid plastics, paper or cardboard, metals, glass, and polystyrene foam cups. These are the materials that are recycled in massive amounts all over the world. These types of materials are mostly recycled by industries because they use recyclates in their operations. Other examples of recyclates are fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) recyclates which are predominantly used for construction purposes.

3.  How does recycling reduce pollution?

Recycling is the incorporation of waste materials into daily practices. The reuse of waste materials avoids the further generation of pollutants from the manufacturing factories. These pollutants may be either air- or water-borne. The majority of such waste is discharged into water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceans, and harmful landfills. Such an approach is cost-effective and supplies commodities made of recycled materials among different economic groups within the society. A classic example is the manufacture of textile apparel from recycled plastics.

4. What are the three main systems of collecting recyclates?

The government around the globe has three main systems of collecting recyclates- curbside collection, drop-off centers, and buy-back centers. The government has provided curbside collection to gather household waste in urban and suburban areas. Drop-off centers employ a person to collect recyclates and deliver to designated containers. Buy-back centers purchase from customers and send for recycling of items such as aluminum cans, glass items, and paper. These systems of recycling collection boost awareness among the citizens to support the cause and reduce the waste collectively.

5. What is the benefit of recycling cardboard and paper?

Cardboard and paper are made from the bark of trees through a series of sophisticated engineering. The trees are cut over a large scale in plantations. The bark is extracted and undergoes chemical processes such as bleaching. Such processes generate toxic waste and reduce the green cover, whenever there is a need for paper. Thus, recycling previously used cardboard and paper protects deforestation and wildlife habitat. As a result, the flora and fauna are maintained, leading to possible control of global warming.

Thus, recycling is an important process that can help us to save our environment. It is an important topic for the students as they can write different topics related to this topic for writing an essay in the exam. Students can prepare on other topics related to this topic such as the benefits of recycling, how recycling can help to save the environment etc. Students can get suitable information on the topic from Vedantu. Vedantu provides detailed information on Recycling in a simple and easy language. Students can read the essay given on Vedantu and can prepare similar points for writing an essay.

Essay on Recycling of Waste for Students and Children in 1200 Words

Essay on Recycling of Waste for Students and Children in 1200 Words

In this article, you will read an Essay on Recycling of Waste for Students and Children in 1200 Words. This includes introduction, definition, need, advantages, of waste recycling.

Also read: Speech on Recycling of Waste

Table of Contents

Introduction (Essay on Recycling of Waste – 1200 Words)

We all know that waste is becoming a huge disaster for the entire world. Day by day, tons of waste material and scraps generate around the world. This waste can help save our environment , money, and life by reusing it.

What is Recycling?

We can reuse several waste materials in any other form after a proper process of converting into other materials. We know this process and system as recycling.

Recycling or reusing implies changing over waste into some unfamiliar material. Glass, paper, plastics, and metals, for example, aluminum and steel can all, mostly, be reused.

Wastewater also recycled and is used for another purpose such as irrigation and plantation. We call all these processes of changing and converting for use as recycling.

Dead plants, organic product leaves, and vegetables can be reused through treating the soil. Where we give old things, for example, garments, and so forth., to the shelter, rather than tossing it out, we can use these things once more. 

Need for Recycling 

On the off chance that we need, we can begin reusing from home moreover. If you would prefer not to discard your old item, at that point, rather you are utilizing something new from it, at that point, you are reusing.

At the point when you consider reusing, think with the entire thought. We utilize three phases in reusing – diminish utilization, and reuse. 

Earth’s waste is decreased with the help of reusing. Another purpose behind this is the measure of crude materials, and vitality used to make things is low. One financial analyst says that most reusing takes less vitality. Reusing is likewise assisting with decreasing the size of waste far and wide. 

Also read: Essay on Waste Management

Advantages of Recycling 

  • Nature stays perfect and clean.  
  • Conservation of material. 
  • Good for vitality protection. 
  • Reduces squander on Earth.
  • Reduces soil contamination and water contamination . 
  • Reduces sicknesses because of clean condition
  • It safeguards all natural assets. 

Significance of Recycling 

Sometimes, individuals don’t think about the item being reused; in this manner, they can’t do it. Reusing is a critical issue in our present reality. Reusing is changing its crude material parts into fresh materials and afterward reused to supplant new materials in the assembling of extra items. 

It is significant for each individual to contribute completely in this push to reusing. Reusing implies reusing our waste, yet additionally giving old garments to beneficent associations. 

We can reuse plastic compartments to store food in the fridge, in plastic containers, we can plant blossoms in the nursery, even though reusing has secured many aspects of our lives, reusing them. 

Custom made trash, for example, extra vegetables or nourishments, leaves tumbling from the trees can be made into a huge pit by consistently keeping it and covering the dirt for a couple of months to make characteristic compost or food. This keeps our condition clean and simultaneously gives normal manure liberated from family squander. 

Reusing helps set aside cash – reused things cost less. I can sell the reused item at a modest quantity using old materials and next to no vitality. Selling waste for reusing is a gainful arrangement.  

Recycling of Plastic 

In the first place, the plastic is gathered and shipped to a reusing focus where it is dissolved. At the point when the plastic is liquefied, the imprint must be imprinted on each recyclable plastic item utilized. 

Plastics are of two sorts: polyethylene and polymers. Likewise, there are two sorts of polyethylene plastics: high thickness polyethylene (HDPE), and low thickness polyethylene. HDPE plastics are generally utilized for making furniture, and LDPE plastics are ordinarily utilized as bundles of milk, sacks used for staple goods. 

By this we are sparing these assets, and the world’s waste is diminishing. It helps in lessening air and water contamination. Vitality sparing is essential to decrease the impacts of a dangerous atmospheric deviation later on. If we reuse aluminum can, we can spare enough vitality to run the TV for around 3 hours, yet this will rely upon the vitality utilization of your TV. 

We utilize a considerable number of plastics consistently for pressing, which goes into the waste. We can gather it and offer it to the reusing focus, yet it is a smart thought for you how much during the way toward reusing items. Vitality can be spared. By this, we can diminish contamination, all things considered, and spare vitality.

Also read: Essay on Plastic Pollution

Street & Road development with plastic waste 

Today, plastic waste is being utilized to fabricate streets in practically all the conditions of the nation. As of late, the National Transportation Planning and Research Center in Kozhikode, Kerala, has tentatively fabricated 400 meters of the street from plastic waste in Vatkara town. This examination has just been done in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka’s conditions, yet the investigation was not fruitful due to Kerala’s ecological and soil contrasts.  

Specialists began chipping away at it again, and it is accepted that this test has been effective at this point. Plastic waste is found in wealth in Kerala, because of which there is no finished removal framework, it is demonstrating extremely unsafe for nature. With the utilization of this loss in street development, a significant advance will likewise be taken toward natural security, and simultaneously it will get simpler to assemble modest and feasible streets. 

Black-top will be spared by up to 10 percent on plastic waste streets. One and a half meter wide street can be developed with one ton of plastic waste. The expense in this is additionally significantly less than the customary black-top streets. In this procedure, the bits of plastic is dissolved and blended with balance at a temperature of 160 – 170 ° C. 

Following the persuasion of the Central Road Research Institute, the Maharashtra government has utilized plastic waste alongside black-top in street development. The Central Road Research Institute has suggested that the street built with the utilization of plastic waste alongside black-top will be better and will reduce the expense of street development. 

One bit of leeway of the utilization of plastic waste in street development will likewise be that it will prompt the execution of plastic waste and increment soil protection by decreasing contamination brought about by plastic in the dirt.

In Bihar’s capital Patna, plastic waste coming out of homes will presently be utilized to fabricate streets. For this, specialized help will be taken from the Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology, Hajipur. Development of streets in Uttarakhand’s capital Dehradun has additionally begun. 

Water Recycling 

Wastewater System – Recycling and Treatment: Sewage frameworks help in discarding wastewater correctly and safely. They are additionally frequently reusing and treating water with the goal that it very well may be funneled back to individuals’ homes and utilized for drinking, washing, etc. This framework is fundamental to guarantee that our wastewater doesn’t give us the motivation to turn out to be sick.

In the end, we should assure you to reduce waste and try to reuse it. Today we need to spare our Earth by reuse the futile stuff and today we possess energy for it. Paper, plastic, glass, aluminum jars are a few instances of items that are reused or reuse in enormous amounts, so we ought not to squander it. At precisely that point, it will guard our Earth. I hope you liked this Essay on Recycling of Waste.

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Economics of Recycling: Benefits and Costs Essay

Introduction, economic benefits, environmental benefits of recycling, energy benefits of recycling, resource benefit of recycling, social benefits of recycling, the cost of recycling.

Bibliography

Recycling is the process whereby used things are converted to new things. This is done with the intention of reducing the wastage of wasteful materials and also to try and avoid the excessive use of fresh raw materials and the reduction of energy use, environmental pollution, and also to reduce the emission of greenhouse gas. It has vast usage in modern-day waste management. 1

There exist a large range of recyclable materials, which include plastics, glass, textiles, electronics, and paper. These things are collected and then cleaned and processed into new materials, which can be used.

In the strict meaning, the recycling of these materials would mean that they would be recycled to produce exactly the same materials. However, this is not practicable because the production of the same materials tends to be very expensive. It is in this respect that the meaning of recycling encompassed the usage of materials to make other materials without necessarily making the new materials from fresh raw materials. A good example is a paper that is recycled to produce cardboard among other materials. 2

Critics have argued that recycling is more expensive than it is capable of saving. Recycling economics deals in analyzing the cost-effectiveness of recycling. Critics also say that it does more harm than good to the environment and social patterns of any community. This essay will try to investigate if recycling makes an economical gain or loss.

Recycling has some very valuable economic benefits. It is responsible for creating jobs and offers manufacturing industries feedstock and improves a country’s economy generally. This is done when recycled materials are transformed into new and usable products which are then sold.

In employment creating recycling involves various processes, which helps in creating employment opportunities for people. There is a collection of materials that involves private and government-related collectors. There is also the material recovery that also creates employment opportunities for people and there are also the composting and selling institutions that also account for a large number of direct and indirect employment opportunities. Many people leap economic benefits from the employment opportunities created by the recycling collection, processing, and distribution of the manufactured goods 3 .

It also involves recycling and manufacturing which also creates employment opportunities. Manufacturing industries in steels mills, paper conversion, and plastic conversion are responsible for a high number of employment opportunities. There is also the addition of nonferrous metal manufacturers that also adds employment opportunities to many people.

It also has a downstream economic benefit effect. There are industries that deal in the provision of services and goods to the recycling industry. These industries comprise engineering companies, transportation companies, consulting companies plus many more types of businesses. This provides greatly to the growth of the economy of the country plus extra jobs created by the industries 4 .

Finally, the recycling industry also contributes hugely to the economy in terms of the taxes they pay to the authorities.

As far as the greenhouse gas emission is concerned, recycling has contributed largely to the reduction of the greenhouse gas emission. The energy levels used by various industries in the production of new materials are reduced by very large degrees by the recycling industry. In so doing it contribution is felt heavily in the effort to reduce global warming. Recycling also reduces the harvesting of trees that is a remarkable contribution to the environment considering that trees use a lot of carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. It also reduces emissions from incinerators and landfills because it uses the materials that could have been dumped in the landfills and incinerators to produce new goods 5 .

Recycling plays a very huge role in the reduction of pollutants in air and water. By reducing the usage of fresh raw materials in the manufacturing of products, greatly reduces pollution that emanates from the initial product manufacturing process. It plays a very important role in the reduction of toxins that pollute the air, water, and land. These materials include methane, ammonia, sulfur dioxides, and carbon monoxide. As a result of low energy usage, further reductions are achieved of pollutants.

Recycling also plays a very important role in energy saving. This enhances the achievement of very many environmental benefits. Most industries use energy obtained from the burning of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are scarce especially in recent times and their usage leads to the production of environmental pollutants. Recycling saves energy in the sense that by eliminating the use of fresh raw materials, many processes that are involved from the initial manufacturing of a product to the distribution are eliminated. These processes use a lot of energy that thanks to recycling is saved 6 .

Recycling also saves energy in the sense that when manufacturing goods using recycled materials, the materials have already undergone processing. A lot of energy is saved when the stage of processing is eliminated.

Increasing the use of products that are disposable and packaging that is also disposable has seen the rapid exploitation of natural resources. This is particularly bad news to the irreplaceable resources. These materials are especially from the mines. Recycling prevents the usage of natural resources so that it saves the natural resources from being used excessively. Products that are made from raw materials that are from irreplaceable resources when recycled play a great role in preserving the natural resources 7 .

Also, recycled products are sometimes of higher quality than those made from raw materials. A good example is containers made from recycled tin have a more refined tin than those made from virgin tin 8 .

Recycling also has a lot of social benefits. One social benefit is the improvement of people’s welfare by providing employment opportunities. The study has described how the recycling industry creates a lot of employment opportunities and this, directly and indirectly, is a social benefit.

Recycling also improves the environment and people are generally satisfied when living in a clean and healthy environment free from pollution. This is also another way the recycling industry has benefited various societies throughout the world 9 .

Energy cost

Many critics of recycling argue that even though it saves a significant of energy when producing goods from recycled materials it also uses a lot of energy on other avenues such as the collection that will entail the use of transport. Transport uses energy. It is also argued that the energy-saving from recycling products is not enough to warrant the recycling of products. Less energy is used when disposing of waste in the traditional landfills than it is used in recycling the products. It is important to note that recycling is a manufacturing process and many of the methods involved use a lot of energy than they save 10 .

Working conditions

While recycling is responsible for the creation of a lot of jobs, it is argued that the jobs are low-wage jobs and the conditions of the workplace are far from desirable. This indicates that even though the industry is providing employment for a lot of people it is not the kind of employment that people would want. It has been argued that the jobs offered in the industry do not produce as much cost of wages to remunerate those employments 11 .

There are also other arguments that some of the work that is involved in the industry is very hazardous for the workers and the surrounding communities. This is because they involve a lot of risks when working them and their processes also pollute the environment thereby endangering the surrounding communities.

Economical cost

Critics also argue that sometimes recycling is not as economical as disposing of waste. The number of resources that are used when recycling far exceeds those that would have been used in wastage disposal. This was been confirmed when in 1996 authorities said that it was cheaper to dispose of New York’s waste in landfills than recycling the waste 12 .

In many cases, the cost of virgin raw materials is by far economical than the cost of recycled raw materials. This is especially true for plastic with evidence showing that the price of recycled plastic is forty percent more expensive than virgin plastic raw materials.

Environmental cost

Economists in the past have claimed that recycling paper indirectly reduces the tree population. This is because the paper industry has the right to exploit the forests they have in possession. It works out that when the paper is recycled, the demand for paper goes down and the paper industry does not need to plant more trees because it is not of any economical benefit to the industry. Alternatively, when the paper has not been recycled the demand for paper rises, and so the paper industry is inclined to plant more trees so that it can meet the demand. In so doing, the paper industry is economically gaining. When the industry cut trees more trees are planted to replace the felled trees 13 .

The environmental cost is that with fewer trees grown, there is no carbon dioxide and other greenhouse emission sinks. The best carbon dioxide sinks are trees and with fewer trees, more carbon dioxide is released into the air. This also means that recycling does not particularly helpful in improving the global climate 14 .

Resource cost

Many critics of recycling claim that even though it saves a lot of resources on the initial stages of product development, it uses up a lot of resources on other avenues such as the transportation and processing of their products. This is because, they use fossil fuel when transporting the material to be recycled and in their production of the material, a lot of fossil fuel energy is used. The use of oil and coal is very rampant in the industry. There is also a massive usage of electricity and water resources in the industry.

Many critics question the means by which the industry claims to be resource usage efficiency is achieved. There exist a lot of criticism because the resources used by the industry far exceed the resources used when producing goods using virgin raw materials in other manufacturing industries. This is a cost that the industry is inflicting upon the economies of the world 15 .

Social Cost

There is a very high likelihood of the poor people in developing countries will come into conflict with the recycling industry. This is because in this country the poor people are the ones that are engaged in small-scale recycling industries. The loss of income of these people cannot be easily compensated by the government social support or the employment opportunity that the industry will offer these people.

There is also the issue of poor working conditions subjected to the employees of recycling companies. The hazards involved are great and they include health hazards. The workers of these companies are at risk of being paid very low wages while at the same time they are providing the very much-needed labor for these activities.

The communities living in the surroundings of these companies are also facing the danger of their environment being polluted by the actions of these companies. The study has proved that the recycling industry is responsible for various environmental pollutions and this will also bring the communities living in the surroundings to be subjected to these environmental pollutions.

The recycling industry has both benefits and costs in its operations. These benefits and costs vary from the material that is being recycled. Recycling has environmental benefits and costs, energy benefits and costs, social benefits and costs, resource benefits and costs, and economical benefits and costs.

In environmental benefits and cost, the environmental benefits that are derived from recycling far exceed the costs. So recycling is very beneficial for the environment and has played a great role in improving the status of the environment as well as improving the global climate. It has helped the environment by reducing the greenhouse effect that negatively affects the global climate 16 .

Economically, recycling has proved to be more costly than beneficial. This is because; a lot of income and resources are used when producing the recycled goods. The employment opportunities it gives to the people are not well paying and the people are subjected to bad working conditions.

It is resource beneficial because it does not use natural resources and uses fossil fuel resources at very limited ranges. In its usage of the resources, it also provides for environmental benefits because without using virgin raw materials it enhances the preservation of the environment.

However, the recycling industry is a social burden because for once it does not offer good packages of employment. It also degrades the community by spoiling the environment the people live in.

In a conclusion, it is clear to see that recycling is both beneficial and costly. The degree however is leaning more towards the beneficial side and so the governments should encourage the recycling industry.

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Centro Panamericano de Ingeniería Sanitaria y Ciencias del Ambiente (CEPIS). Proceedings of the International Course on Sanitary and Secure Landfills. Lima: CEPIS, 1995.

Haight, Murray E., ed. Municipal Solid Waste Management. Making Decisions in the Face of Uncertainty. University of Waterloo Press, 1991.

Maclaren, V.W. Sustainable Urban Development in Canada: from Concept to Practice, Vol. 1: Summary Report. Toronto: Intergovernmental Committee on Urban and Regional Research, 1992.

Pearce, D., et al. Solid and Hazardous Waste. Blueprint 3: Measuring Sustainable Development. London: Earthscan, 1993.

Shekdar, A.V. Solid Waste Management in India: Compost Facility Planning Guide. Alexandria, Virginia: Composting Council, 1991.

United Nations Centre for Human Settlements. Refuse Collection Vehicles for Developing Countries. Nairobi: UNCHS, 1992.

  • Haight, Murray E., ed. Municipal Solid Waste Management. Making Decisions in the Face of Uncertainty. University of Waterloo Press, 1991. 46.
  • United Nations Centre for Human Settlements. Refuse Collection Vehicles for Developing Countries. Nairobi: UNCHS, 1992. 9.
  • United Nations Centre for Human Settlements. Refuse Collection Vehicles for Developing Countries. Nairobi: UNCHS, 1992. 13.
  • Pearce, D., et al. Solid and Hazardous Waste. Blueprint 3: Measuring Sustainable Development. London: Earthscan, 1993. 69.
  • Centro Panamericano de Ingeniería Sanitaria y Ciencias del Ambiente (CEPIS). Proceedings of the International Course on Sanitary and Secure Landfills. Lima: CEPIS, 1995 110.
  • United Nations Centre for Human Settlements. Refuse Collection Vehicles for Developing Countries. Nairobi: UNCHS, 1992. 15.
  • Haight, Murray E., ed. Municipal Solid Waste Management. Making Decisions in the Face of Uncertainty. University of Waterloo Press, 1991. 55.
  • United Nations Centre for Human Settlements. Refuse Collection Vehicles for Developing Countries. Nairobi: UNCHS, 1992. 17.
  • Pearce, D., et al. Solid and Hazardous Waste. Blueprint 3: Measuring Sustainable Development. London: Earthscan, 1993. 77.
  • Centro Panamericano de Ingeniería Sanitaria y Ciencias del Ambiente (CEPIS). Proceedings of the International Course on Sanitary and Secure Landfills. Lima: CEPIS, 1995 105.
  • Bartone, Carl, Janis Bernstein, Josef Leitmann, and Jochen Eigen. Toward Environmental Strategies for Cities: Policy Considerations for Urban Environmental Management in Developing Countries. Urban Management Programme Policy Paper No. 18. Washington: World Bank, 1994. 78.
  • Pearce, D., et al. Solid and Hazardous Waste. Blueprint 3: Measuring Sustainable Development. London: Earthscan, 1993. 88.
  • Maclaren, V.W. Sustainable Urban Development in Canada: from Concept to Practice, Vol. 1: Summary Report. Toronto: Intergovernmental Committee on Urban and Regional Research, 1992. 55.
  • Haight, Murray E., ed. Municipal Solid Waste Management. Making Decisions in the Face of Uncertainty. University of Waterloo Press, 1991. 98.
  • Centro Panamericano de Ingeniería Sanitaria y Ciencias del Ambiente (CEPIS). Proceedings of the International Course on Sanitary and Secure Landfills. Lima: CEPIS, 1995 114.
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Essay on Recycling in English for Children and Students

essay on recycling waste

Table of Contents

Recycling is a process of turning waste into new material or product. This is an outstanding way to protect the environment and decrease universal carbon emissions. Recycling means converting waste material into something usable. Products like – Glass, paper, plastic, and metals such as aluminum and steel are all usually recycled.

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Recycling is necessary if we want to protect this world for our prospect generations. We make new products from the old unused products. By reusing and not throwing your old products, you are actually recycling. Recycling, an old practice with numerous modern applications is significant to the natural environment as well as human beings. It refers to the revival and reuse of resources from spent products.

Long and Short Essay on Recycling in English

The Environmental policy majorly includes recycling as its part. This is mainly because of the increased costs of solid and hazardous-waste disposal, the scarcity of natural resources, and the growing concern over polluted land, water, and air. Here are essays on recycling of varying lengths to help you with the topic in your exam. You can select any recycling essay according to your need:

Essay on Recycling 200 Words

It all goes back to the history of recycling. Starting in 1900, people recycled pots, pans, and other metals by melting them down. But as more plastic products were made, Recycling got confusing and codes were created. Thus, recycling codes are important so you know what to recycle. Now, recycling is more important than ever. Incentive programs are encouraging people to recycle more and help the environment. Recycling is done all over the world. In certain countries, some programs pay you for recycling products. Recycling is the third ‘R’ of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. As you contribute your bit towards recycling and making the environment clean, keep the following in mind:

  • If you don’t need something then don’t buy it. By this, you would be reducing the amount of waste you produce.
  • If there is a necessity to buy, go for something that has very less amount of packing, the product that can be reused or something that can be composted. Buy products that are eco-friendly.
  • Try buying the products that are made of recycled material. Paper and plastic are some examples of recycled products.

Before throwing anything, think a way to reuse that item. Plastic containers can be used to store items in the refrigerator. Old items can be given to charitable organizations where they can be utilized. Cans and containers can be used as flower pots in the garden.

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Essay on Recycling 300 Words

Recycling helps in defending the environment in addition to providing a lot of usable products to the community without the need for additional resources. Its significance can be seen in numerous ways. It is essential to educate the public about its importance so that they contribute towards it wholeheartedly.

Recycling is a way of doing things where we gather and reuse materials. This helps us deal with stuff that doesn’t break down naturally, like plastics. It’s especially important now because we’ve learned about global warming and pollution.

Why is recycling important?

Below are the reasons in which recycling can be helpful:

  • Recycling Saves the Earth – Recycling a product can facilitate in preserving the environment. For example, recycling the paper can result in paper production without cutting more trees.
  • Recycling Saves Energy – Recycling a product needs less energy than to create an article from virgin material. For example, an aluminum product uses both the aluminum and the vast amount of energy to create it from raw. Thus by recycling an aluminum item, we can reuse the metal again and also save the huge energy which helps protect the environment.
  • Recycling Helps in Reducing Global Warming and Reduce Pollution – One of the main benefits of recycling is saving energy. Energy saving results in less release of carbon or greenhouse gases which are a byproduct formed by energy production, which is injurious and detrimental to the environment if released into the atmosphere.
  • Recycling Reduces Waste Products in Landfills – Waste that cannot be recycled typically ends up in the landfill. It is here that the waste is left to decay, rot or decompose, and this might take numerous years to fully decompose. More and more waste is being sent to the landfills, and if recycling does not happen than the landfill might be right behind our homes in the future.
  • Recycling helps in saving money – Recycled articles typically cost less. By using old material and a lot less energy, the recycled product can be sold for a very less amount as compared to items made using virgin materials. Apart from this, selling waste for recycling converts garbage into cash.

Recycling can also be done at home, and taught to the children as a good habit to be nurtured. Biodegradable waste can be used as compost for plants.

Essay on Recycling 400 Words

Recycling is essential for the environment. The government must invest in setting up systems to promote this practice. Individuals must also make some efforts to recycle whatever they can. The importance of recycling has been emphasized numerous times however still many people refrain from it.

Reasons Why People Don’t Recycle?

  • Recycling is Inconvenient

The primary reason according to a survey conducted for not recycling was that people don’t find this practice as convenient or accessible to them. It means they have to take the extra step for dropping their household waste at the scrap dealer or recycling center. There aren’t enough recycling bins in many apartments or societies. Somebody who is not interested might just think there is no recycling program but it isn’t true. Recycling requires a little effort as you won’t see a scrap drop off center until you look for it.

  • People don’t Understand Recycling

Another reason for not recycling is that people are not able to differentiate between the recyclable and non-recyclable products. According to them, recycling is confusing.

  • Space Constraint

People generally have small houses and lack of space is an issue for many. They don’t want to see junk lying around their house where space is a problem.

  • I will recycle only if I am paid

This is also a lame excuse which people give when asked about recycling. According to them disposing of the scrap does not pay them well or there is no incentive involved. Many of the people don’t feel necessary to recycle until there is any monetary gain involved in it.

  • Recycling Does not Make a Difference

One big misconception people have is that recycling does not make any difference. They don’t really have the knowledge about the amount of recycled items and its quantity. People also believe that earth’s natural resources are in abundance.

  • No Wish to be Green

There are people who don’t care about the global warming and pollution. These things are very low on their priority list. Hence, they lack the motivation to contribute to an initiative like recycling for a green-friendly environment.

We humans have done a lot of harm to the atmosphere over the years. Global warming is a result of our mistakes. Recycling can prevent wastage of natural resources. It can prevent pollution, can save the environment, and helps to create more useful items. So it is our responsibility towards the environment and we should also teach others to recycle if we want to save our planet.

Essay on Recycling 500 Words

Recycling includes the procedure of collecting waste materials and breaking them down into building blocks that can be turned into new products. There are mainly five kinds of waste materials. These include paper, steel, glass, aluminum and plastic. All these are recycled using different methodologies.

The Procedure of Recycling

Here is how different things are recycled and made to be used again:

Paper – Paper waste contains paper sheets, newspapers, cardboards and other printed papers used in offices, educational institutes etc. Paper is made of 2 components – wood & water. So through recycling, the paper is first broken down into these 2 component parts to reform it. The contamination like ink and dirt is filtered out. Paper is compiled and is given a hot water bath. This bath quickly breaks the paper down into tiny strands of cellulose fiber, giving a mushy substance called ‘PULP’ – basically wet lumpy paper. The paper is still dirty though. Further, it is forced into a screen where remaining dirt is taken out like glue or plastic particles. Then it is sent to D-inker where another bath is given which contains air bubbles and soap like chemical called ‘Surfactant’ that separates the paper from the ink. Air bubbles carry the ink up to the surface and pulp which sinks to the bottom. That pulp is now clean and can be formed into new paper products.

Steel – Steel can be recycled over and over again without losing any of its properties. With the help of the liquid floating system, high air-pressure system, steel is separated from other metal and then it is cut down further by Hydraulic machinery by exerting enormous pressure. Sometimes gas and plasma arch are used too. Steel is then melted down and shaped into new items like – cans, utensils, car parts, paper clips etc.

Glass – Glass is shattered and broken down into tiny pieces called ‘Cullet’ which are no longer than 5 cm wide. Glass pieces are sorted into colored, clear, brown and green color. Differentiating colors is important as it is permanent. Glass is made of Silica, which is melted down and molded into new shapes and products.

Aluminum – Similar to steel, once it is separated there is nothing much to do with it when it comes to making aluminum re-usable. It’s shredded, washed and turned into chips, which are melted in a large furnace and then poured into molds. Then they are shipped to manufacturers where they are melted again and rolled into thin sheets that can be cut, bent and shaped into new products.

Plastic – Plastic is made of one of 6 different types of chemicals – Polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, low-density polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene. Each plastic has a different molecular structure which determines the physical properties of the plastic, which means some plastic is easier to recycle than the others. Plastic is made of large carbon chains so some of the forms of plastic can be melted down and reformed while others can be mixed with new plastic and yet others can only be molded into other shapes for different uses.

Numerous items, like plastic bags and food wrappers, don’t last long, but they linger in the environment for hundreds of years. When plastic waste ends up on land, it forms landfills, and when we burn it, it causes air pollution and leads to lung-related health problems.

Almost anything can be recycled and waste can be given new shape for re-usage but still there are some items and materials like computers, batteries, light bulb etc which are complex to recycle as they largely contain toxins. Hence, we must dispose of them responsibly.

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Essay on Recycling 600 Words

We humans have done lot of harm to the atmosphere over the years. Global warming is a result of our mistakes. Recycling can prevent wastage of natural resources. It can prevent pollution; can save the environment and help create more useful items. Recycling is a vital factor in preserving natural resources and greatly contributes towards improving the environment.

Household Recycling

Recycling in and around the home is quite simple once you have the knowledge. By thinking rigorously regarding what product you purchase at the food market and the way to recycle them is the beginning towards economical recycling.

  • Recycling different household materials – Many materials are often recycled like paper, plastic, metal, and glass. Alternative things like an article of furniture, equipment, artifact, and vehicles can also be recycled however many of us don’t typically try to do that.
  • Buy a product that may be recycled – When looking at the grocery, purchase products that may be recycled simply like glass jars and tin cans.
  • Buy merchandise that is made up of recycled material – You can tell if a product is eco-friendly by viewing the label on the packaging.
  • Avoid shopping of unsafe material – It is troublesome to recycle the product that contains unsafe waste. Try and realize safer alternatives to house cleaners and get non-toxic products whenever possible.
  • Recycle bins – Make sure you’ve got a recycle bin in your home. Keep it in a clear place thus you won’t forget to use it. Your native council ought to be able to offer you with a recycle bin that may be used for materials like glass, paper, aluminum, and plastic.

Recycling in the Garden

By recycling garden products and planting trees, you can help improve the environment in your garden.

  • Composting – Composting is a method where waste degrades into compost, which might then be utilized in your garden to assist plant growth. It’s a superb way to recycle garden and room waste like plant trimmings and leftover food.
  • Grass Cycling – Grass cycling is a superb approach of recycling grass cuttings after mowing the lawn. Simply leave the cuttings on the bottom rather than throwing them away, they’ll develop into nutrients and act as a fertilizer within the soil.
  • Sow Seeds – Don’t throw away left over fruits and vegetable seeds in the dustbin. Instead sow them in your garden. Growing plants and trees will enhance the surroundings by reducing global warming and providing home for several birds and creatures.

Recycling in the Community

  • Local Recycling Facilities – Recycling facilities are provided for community use. Verify wherever your local recycling facilities are and the way to use them.
  • Schools and Businesses – These can play a vital role in recycling. Follow the recycling schemes provided by your faculties or at workplace and think about ways to improve them.
  • Community Projects – Become involved in local community projects concerning recycling by donating cash or providing and implementing new concepts.
  • Cash for Cans – This project offers cash to those who recycle their aluminum cans. There are over 500, money for cans sites around the United Kingdom. In India we have scrap dealers where we can exchange these items for cash. This is a very good initiative, therefore, we should also get involved and earn a little of additional cash by this method.

Following these simple steps we might contribute a little for the environment which shall certainly be fruitful in the long run. This would not only benefit the environment but also the individuals. So, before you throw something away, think first, if it can be reused.

Essay on Recycling FAQs

How do you write a recycling essay.

To write a recycling essay, start with an introduction, discuss the benefits, methods, and challenges of recycling, and conclude with a summary.

How will recycling help us essay 250 words?

Recycling helps by reducing waste, conserving resources, and protecting the environment.

Why is it important to recycle?

Recycling is important because it conserves resources, reduces pollution, and lessens the impact on our planet.

What is recycling short note?

Recycling is the process of reusing materials to create new products and reduce waste.

What is the recycling of plastic short notes?

Recycling plastic means converting used plastic items into new products, reducing plastic waste.

Why is recycling important for plastic?

Recycling is vital for plastic because it decreases plastic pollution, conserves resources, and minimizes harm to ecosystems.

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Essay on Waste Management for Students and Teacher

500+ essay on waste management.

Essay on Waste Management -Waste management is essential in today’s society. Due to an increase in population, the generation of waste is getting doubled day by day. Moreover, the increase in waste is affecting the lives of many people.

Essay on Waste Management

For instance, people living in slums are very close to the waste disposal area. Therefore there are prone to various diseases. Hence, putting their lives in danger. In order to maintain a healthy life, proper hygiene and sanitation are necessary. Consequently, it is only possible with proper waste management .

The Meaning of Waste Management

Waste management is the managing of waste by disposal and recycling of it. Moreover, waste management needs proper techniques keeping in mind the environmental situations. For instance, there are various methods and techniques by which the waste is disposed of. Some of them are Landfills, Recycling , Composting, etc. Furthermore, these methods are much useful in disposing of the waste without causing any harm to the environment.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Methods for Waste Management

Recycling – Above all the most important method is the recycling of waste. This method does not need any resources. Therefore this is much useful in the management of waste . Recycling is the reusing of things that are scrapped of. Moreover, recycling is further converting waste into useful resources.

essay on recycling waste

Landfills – Landfills is the most common method for waste management. The garbage gets buried in large pits in the ground and then covered by the layer of mud. As a result, the garbage gets decomposed inside the pits over the years. In conclusion, in this method elimination of the odor and area taken by the waste takes place.

Composting – Composting is the converting of organic waste into fertilizers. This method increases the fertility of the soil. As a result, it is helpful in more growth in plants. Furthermore it the useful conversion of waste management that is benefiting the environment.

Advantages of Waste Management

There are various advantages of waste management. Some of them are below:

Decrease bad odor – Waste produces a lot of bad odor which is harmful to the environment. Moreover, Bad odor is responsible for various diseases in children. As a result, it hampers their growth. So waste management eliminates all these problems in an efficient way.

Reduces pollution – Waste is the major cause of environmental degradation. For instance, the waste from industries and households pollute our rivers. Therefore waste management is essential. So that the environment may not get polluted. Furthermore, it increases the hygiene of the city so that people may get a better environment to live in.

Reduces the production of waste -Recycling of the products helps in reducing waste. Furthermore, it generates new products which are again useful. Moreover, recycling reduces the use of new products. So the companies will decrease their production rate.

It generates employment – The waste management system needs workers. These workers can do various jobs from collecting to the disposing of waste. Therefore it creates opportunities for the people that do not have any job. Furthermore, this will help them in contributing to society.

Produces Energy – Many waste products can be further used to produce energy. For instance, some products can generate heat by burning. Furthermore, some organic products are useful in fertilizers. Therefore it can increase the fertility of the soil.

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Essay on Recycling

Essay on Recycling

Introduction

Children will be familiar with the activity of ‘Best out of Waste’ they do in school. For this activity, they are asked to create a new item from the given waste materials. We will be awestruck to witness the creation of beautiful lamps, pen holders, decorative items, vases, and much more from plastic or other waste materials. This activity can be marked as the first step to educating children about recycling. Further, this essay on recycling will delve deep into the topic to make them understand its importance.

Recycling is an effective method to convert waste materials into usable products or items. Some non-biodegradable materials like plastic are added up to the pile of wastes that pollute the environment. Hence, they are recycled to reduce their increased usage. Through this short essay on recycling in English, we can teach our children about the advantages of recycling.

Importance of Recycling

It is a common practice to buy plastic water bottles while travelling . We usually throw them out after their use and buy another one. Can you imagine how much such waste we are adding daily? Besides, since plastic cannot be decomposed easily, they stay on the land for many years, harming the environment. The importance of recycling begins here, and we will see its benefits in this short essay on recycling.

Recycling helps in reducing the waste on the planet, thus saving it. Moreover, we will be able to create new materials from the waste material, which can be used accordingly. The recycled materials are further sold, and they are also used in the manufacture of new products. By recycling waste materials, we are saving our natural resources and protecting the environment .

The essay on recycling in English further motivates young children to practise recycling in their homes. Instead of throwing away plastic, glass, and paper, we can encourage them to create something out of them. In this way, we can fuel their creativity as well as make them aware of the damage that we are doing to the environment. Thus, the essay on recycling emphasises that recycling waste materials is a significant step to contributing to a greener Earth.

Recycling Waste Materials

In this part of the short essay on recycling, we will see how different waste materials are recycled. The most common waste materials recycled are paper, plastic, glass, and metals. Each of them has different properties; hence they are recycled in different ways. The essay on recycling in English will discuss the process of recycling briefly.

Paper is recycled by breaking it down into small pieces and dissolving it in water. After filtering the ink out by adding chemicals, it is turned into mush, which is later converted into a new paper. Plastic is widely used by all, and it is recycled by breaking it into pieces and then melting and recasting it. We use different grades of plastic, and each of them undergoes a distinct recycling process. Glass is also recycled in a similar way to that of plastic. Further, metals are crushed into bits, which then undergo the process of melting and remoulding.

With the help of this essay on recycling, children will be able to know more about the process. Through this, they will be inspired to take a step to save environment and protect its natural resources. For more information about the benefits of writing essays for kids, visit our official website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is recycling necessary.

Recycling is necessary to reduce the waste accumulated on land, which otherwise could lead to the emission of greenhouse gases and cause pollution in the environment.

What are the benefits of recycling?

Recycling ensures that there is a minimal amount of waste generated, and it helps in preserving natural resources. Recycling also saves energy and prevents pollution of the environment.

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Recycling essay: simple writing guide for all.

September 17, 2020

recycling essay

A well-written recycling essay lets the reader understand the pollution issue and how its effects can be reduced. It’s no secret that waste is choking the planet. Plastic wastes, electronic wastes, and organic garbage are everywhere. Different types of waste have been accumulating and pilling for years. Today, this waste has reached dangerous levels. Recycling is one of the best ways to deal with waste.

Writing an essay on recycling can educate people on the benefits of reducing this waste. The concept of recycling has been talked about on televisions, mosques, churches, billboards, and even online. However, people do not seem to take this concept seriously. Teachers urge students to take a closer look at this concept to understand it. After researching, students can be asked to write a recycling process essay. So, how do you complete this assignment? Here is a guide for writing this essay.

Tips for Writing a Recycling Essay

Perhaps, the best approach for writing an essay about recycling is to learn tips that can make your write-up stand out. The most important thing to do when asked to write this essay is to study and understand the recycling concept. Once you’ve done that, follow these tips to craft your essay.

  • Pick a great topic. There are many recycling essay topics to consider when asked to write about this concept. For instance, you can write about the best recycling strategies, why the recycling efforts of most countries fail, or why recycling is important. Make sure that your topic is specific, unique, and interesting to avoid getting bored when writing.
  • Research the topic. The recycling problem is old. It’s, therefore, important to study it and understand different aspects of it. Read about failures, successes, and the importance of recycling.
  • Follow the recommended outline. Your academic department has probably provided a recycling essay outline. Follow this outline when writing your essay. For instance, did the teacher ask you to write a certain number of words? Were you given the writing style to follow? Consider such recommendations when writing your essay.
  • Start by writing a draft. Start your recycling essay with a draft. Include the main points of the essay and continue to improve your write-up until you have a refined copy.

The Structure of a Recycle Essay

Use the best structure to make your essay about recycle easy to read and understand. A good essay should have an introduction, body, and conclusion. Here is what you should include in each of these sections:

  • Recycling Essay IntroductionThis section marks the beginning of your essay. It should capture the reader’s attention and make them interested in reading the entire essay. Use a great hook to capture the attention of the reader. For instance, you can start with mind-boggling statistics or a great quote. Highlight the background of your topic and then finish this section with your thesis statement. A thesis statement is the main argument of the essay.
  • Recycling Essay ConclusionThis is the last section of this essay. Whether you were writing the benefits of recycling essay or something like why recycling should be mandatory essay, bring the write-up to a conclusion in this section. Highlight your thesis and summarize your main points. Use different words to compose your thesis to ensure that this section doesn’t sound repetitive. This is not the section to introduce any new point. However, you can recommend further studies on the topic.

How to Make Your Essay Stand Out

Whether you’ve been asked to write a long or short essay on recycling, you want to make it stand out. Writing a unique, well-researched, properly organized, and impressive essay will impress your educator to award you the top grade. But, this won’t happen if you don’t research the topic and organize your points properly. Also, make sure that you have sufficient evidence to support your major points. Here are some of the things that will make your essay stand out:

  • Improve the flow of your write-up with transition words. This makes the essay read like a single stream rather than a collection of points that sound disconnected. Some of the transition words that you can use include, however, also, therefore, accordingly, specifically, and first of all.
  • Use connecting sentences to start and end every paragraph to establish an effective connection between the previous text and the next blog. Other paragraphs should be part of the body where you present arguments to mirror the overall essay’s layout.
  • Ensure that all points of your essay are explicitly linked to the thesis. For instance, if you’re writing the importance of recycling essay, make sure that every point explains why it’s important to reuse materials. This will improve your essay’s structure and make what you say related to the central message.
  • Use a conclusion to finish the essay. The conclusion should sum up everything you have said in the essay. Make sure that you don’t introduce new reasoning or data that you did not present in the body of your essay.
  • Give your final remarks in the finishing paragraph. Tell readers about your perception of your research findings. Also, suggest directions for further research.

Once your educator assigns you a reduce reuse recycle essay, start working on it immediately. For instance, start studying this concept right away. Your preliminary research will enable you to choose a topic that you will find interesting to write about.

Sharpen Your Writing Skills Continuously

Whether you’re new to essay writing or a seasoned writer, you should improve your skills continuously. Writing a recycling persuasive essay is one of the best ways to practice and improve your skills. If your educator gave you the freedom to choose the perspective to take in your essay, consider urging people to embrace the recycling concept.

In that case, write the advantages of recycling essay. Tell your readers why recycling is beneficial to humanity and the environment. Convince them to start recycling materials that can be reused in different industries.

What’s more, read a good recycling essay example that relates to your topic. Check how the author presents the main points and supporting evidence. However, take a unique perspective in your essay to make it stand out. You can also ask our best academic writers to share some samples with you.

A well-researched and written why we should recycle essay will help readers understand why this concept matters. Writing this essay should be fun and easy. Simply follow the guidelines provided here and use examples. Continue to practice by researching and writing about this concept to sharpen your skills. Make sure that your essay depicts a unique perspective and that your thesis statement is supported by sufficient evidence. This will impress your educator to award you the top grade.

essay on recycling waste

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News | November 28, 2011

Nasa envisions clean energy from algae.

Massive algae blooms grow depending on the amount of light they receive, the temperature, and the amount of nutrients available in the water.

Massive algae blooms grow depending on the amount of light they receive, the temperature, and the amount of nutrients available in the water.

Plastic bags with semi-permeable membranes allow fresh water to flow out into the ocean, while retaining the algae and nutrients. Photo Credit: Penny Slinger Hills

When astronauts go into space, they must bring everything they need to survive. Living quarters on a spaceship require careful planning and management of limited resources, which is what inspired the project called “Sustainable Energy for Spaceship Earth.” It is a process that produces "clean energy" biofuels very efficiently and very resourcefully.

Oil producing algae

"The reason why algae are so interesting is because some of them produce lots of oil," said Jonathan Trent, the lead research scientist on the Spaceship Earth project at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. “In fact, most of the oil we are now getting out of the ground comes from algae that lived millions of years ago. Algae are still the best source of oil we know."

Algae are similar to other plants in that they remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, produce oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis, and use phosphates, nitrogen, and trace elements to grow and flourish. Unlike many plants, they produce fatty, lipid cells loaded with oil that can be used as fuel.

Land plants currently used to produce biodiesel and other fuels include soy, canola, and palm trees. For the sake of comparison, soy beans produce about 50 gallons of oil per acre per year; canola produces about 160 gallons per acre per year, and palms about 600 gallons per acre per year. But some types of algae can produce at least 2,000 gallons of oil per acre per year.

The basic problem is growing enough algae to meet our country's enormous energy-consumption demands. Although algae live in water, land-based methods are used to grow algae. Two land-based methods used today are open ponds and closed bioreactors. Open ponds are shallow channels filled with freshwater or seawater, depending on the kind of algae that is grown. The water is circulated with paddle wheels to keep the algae suspended and the pond aerated. They are inexpensive to build and work well to grow algae, but have the inevitable problem of water evaporation. To prevent the ponds from drying out or becoming too salty, conditions that kill the algae, an endless supply of freshwater is needed to replenish the evaporating water.

When closed bioreactors are used to grow algae, water evaporation is no longer the biggest problem for algae's mass-production. Bioreactors, enclosed hardware systems made of clear plastic or glass, present their own problems. They can be computer-controlled and monitored around the clock for a more bountiful supply of algae. However, storing water on land and controlling its temperature are the big problems, making them prohibitively expensive to build and operate. In addition, both systems require a lot of land.

Plastic bags and waste water

"The inspiration I had was to use offshore membrane enclosures to grow algae. We're going to deploy a large plastic bag in the ocean, and fill it with sewage. The algae use sewage to grow, and in the process of growing they clean up the sewage," said Trent.

Waste water produces biomass, oil, and oxygen.

Floating on the ocean's surface, the inexpensive plastic bags will be collecting solar energy as the algae inside produce oxygen by photosynthesis. The algae will feed on the nutrients in the sewage, growing rich, fatty cells. Through osmosis, the bag will absorb carbon dioxide from the air, and release oxygen and fresh water. The temperature will be controlled by the heat capacity of the ocean, and the ocean's waves will keep the system mixed and active.

When the process is completed, biofuels will be made and sewage will be processed. For the first time, harmful sewage will no longer be dumped into the ocean. The algae and nutrients will be contained and collected in a bag. Not only will oil be produced, but nutrients will no longer be lost to the sea. According to Trent, the system ideally is fail proof. Even if the bag leaks, it won’t contaminate the local environment. The enclosed fresh water algae will die in the ocean.

The bags are expected to last two years, and will be recycled afterwards. The plastic material may be used as plastic mulch, or possibly as a solid amendment in fields to retain moisture.

“We have to remember,” Trent said, quoting Marshall McLuhan: “we are not passengers on spaceship Earth, we are the crew.”

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essay on recycling waste

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Green Chemistry

Chemical recycling of textiles advances, shakily, retailer to buy $600 million of recycled polyester from new start-up as recycling leader renewcell goes bankrupt, by alex scott, march 15, 2024.

  • How can companies recycle wind turbine blades?
  • As nuclear waste piles up, scientists seek the best long-term storage solutions
  • Industrial ammonia production emits more CO 2 than any other chemical-making reaction. Chemists want to change that
  • Lithium-ion battery recycling goes large
  • Competition to destroy ‘forever chemicals’ heats up

Polyester fibers being woven.

These are topsy-turvy times for the nascent textile recycling industry. The clothing behemoth H&M Group has cofounded a textile recycling firm that promises to become a huge global producer just as H&M’s former textile recycling partner, Renewcell, goes bankrupt. Meanwhile, the Finnish textile recycling start-up Infinited Fiber has raised $44 million.

H&M, the venture capital firm Vargas Holding, and the private equity firm TPG Rise Climate have formed Syre, which will undertake the textile-to-textile recycling of polyester fibers at industrial scale. The three founders have made a total initial investment of about $60 million in Syre to fund the construction of its first plant, which is slated to open later this year in North Carolina.

Headquartered in Stockholm, Syre plans to have 12 plants worldwide by 2034 that will produce a total of over 3 million metric tons (t) per year of polyester fiber. H&M has agreed to buy polyester produced by Syre for 7 years at a total cost of $600 million. The agreement covers a significant share of H&M’s long-term need for recycled polyester, which it sources today primarily from recycled bottles. H&M’s goal is to source 30% of its material from textile waste by 2025 and 50% by 2030.

“Syre marks the start of the great textile shift,” CEO Dennis Nobelius says in a press release. “By implementing true textile-to-textile recycling at hyperscale, we want to drive the transition from a linear to a circular value chain by putting textile waste to use, over and over again.”

Syre’s technology uses ethylene glycol to break down polyester into monomers. The firm then reuses the monomers to form new polyester fibers. The firm says the quality of its fibers will be on par with that of virgin polyester and that it may expand its business into other fibers and technologies.

About 60 million t per year of polyester fibers are currently made from fossil fuels, Syre says. The firm claims that the carbon dioxide footprint of its recycled polyester fiber will be 85% lower than that of virgin polyester and that by 2032 its technology will abate more than 15 million t of CO 2 emissions annually.

Reaching this lofty goal won’t be easy, outside observers say. “Based on our analysis, polyester polymers, resins and fibers are one of the ‘sweet spots’ for sustainability investments in the chemical industry,” Bernd Elser, global chemical lead for the consulting firm Accenture, says in an email. “Indeed, we see a lot of activity in that space. However, despite a suitable chemistry, polyesters face the same challenge as many other sustainability-related ventures in the chemical industry, namely bringing together a high-volume, cost-competitive feedstock supply, value chain partnerships, offtake agreements, proprietary knowledge and a leading cost position. Often, it is not enough to fulfill just a few of these requirements; all must be in place for an economically viable new business,” he says.

Economic viability has evaded the Swedish textile recycling pioneer Renewcell , which has declared bankruptcy. Among other deals, it formed a multiyear partnership in 2020 to supply H&M with Circulose, a fiber made from recycled cellulosic materials such as cotton. Renewcell had been ramping up production at a $130 million, 60,000-metric-ton-per-year plant. According to the company’s third-quarter 2023 financial report , product delivered to customers fell dramatically in October.

Separately, the Finnish textile recycling firm Infinited Fiber has raised $44 million in funding from investors, including H&M and the parent company of the clothing retailer Zara. Infinited has developed a process—similar to that used for making viscose—for recycling cotton and other cellulosic textiles into a new fiber called Infinna.

The latest funding round makes H&M one of Infinited’s largest investors. “This investment is crucial for further advancing the scale-up of Infinna, and it underscores the industry’s confidence in our technology as one of the key enablers for circularity in the textile sector,” Infinited CEO Petri Alava says in a press release.

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Home — Essay Samples — Environment — Recycling — Recycling: An Essential Practice for Sustainable Living

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Recycling: an Essential Practice for Sustainable Living

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Published: Feb 7, 2024

Words: 612 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Table of contents

What is recycling, how to recycle, different methods of recycling, advantages of recycling, challenges of recycling, innovations in recycling.

  • Mechanical Recycling: involves shredding, melting, and reprocessing materials like plastic, glass, and metal.
  • Chemical Recycling: involves breaking down materials into chemical components and using them to create new products.
  • Biological Recycling: involves using microorganisms to break down organic materials like food waste and yard waste.

Environmental Benefits

  • Conservation of Natural Resources: Recycling conserves natural resources like timber, water, and minerals.
  • Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Recycling reduces greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the need for energy-intensive processes like mining and refining.
  • Preservation of Wildlife and Ecosystems: Recycling reduces the impact of waste on wildlife and ecosystems by reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills.

Economic Benefits

  • Job Creation: Recycling creates jobs in collection, sorting, and processing of recyclable materials.
  • Cost Savings: Recycling reduces the need for new materials, which can save money.
  • Energy Conservation: Recycling conserves energy by reducing the amount of energy needed to produce new products.
  • Emerging technologies and innovations, such as advanced recycling and biodegradable materials, are making recycling more efficient and effective.
  • Recycling programs and initiatives are being implemented by governments and private organizations to increase participation and awareness.
  • The government and private sector play a crucial role in promoting and supporting recycling.

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Global e-Waste Monitor 2024: Electronic Waste Rising Five Times Faster than Documented E-waste Recycling

Global E-Waste Monitor 2024

  • A record 62 million tonnes (Mt) of e-waste was produced in 2022, Up 82% from 2010;
  • On track to rise another 32%, to 82 million tonnes, in 2030;
  • Billions of dollars worth of strategically-valuable resources squandered, dumped;
  • Just 1% of rare earth element demand is met by e-waste recycling .

Contacts: Ruediger Kuehr, SCYCLE, UNITAR, +49 228 815 0213/4, [email protected] David Hirsch, ITU, +41 22 730 5092; [email protected] Terry Collins, +1 416 878 8712; [email protected] The full Global E-waste Monitor report is available at: www.globalewaste.org

20 March 2024, Geneva / Bonn - The world’s generation of electronic waste is rising five times faster than documented e-waste recycling, the UN’s fourth Global E-waste Monitor (GEM) reveals today. The 62 million tonnes of e-waste generated in 2022 would fill 1.55 million 40-tonne trucks, roughly enough trucks to form a bumper-tobumper line encircling the equator, according to the report from ITU and UNITAR.

Meanwhile, less than one quarter (22.3%) of the year’s e-waste mass was documented as having been properly collected and recycled in 2022, leaving US $62 billion worth of recoverable natural resources unaccounted for and increasing pollution risks to communities worldwide. Worldwide, the annual generation of e-waste is rising by 2.6 million tonnes annually, on track to reach 82 million tonnes by 2030, a further 33% increase from the 2022 figure. E-waste, any discarded product with a plug or battery, is a health and environmental hazard, containing toxic additives or hazardous substances such as mercury, which can damage the human brain and coordination system.

The report foresees a drop in the documented collection and recycling rate from 22.3% in 2022 to 20% by 2030 due to the widening difference in recycling efforts relative to the staggering growth of e-waste generation worldwide. Challenges contributing to the widening gap include technological progress, higher consumption, limited repair options, shorter product life cycles, society’s growing electronification, design shortcomings, and inadequate e-waste management infrastructure.

The report underlines that if countries could bring the e-waste collection and recycling rates to 60% by 2030, the benefits - including through minimizing human health risks - would exceed costs by more than US $38 billion. It also notes that the world “remains stunningly dependent” on a few countries for rare earth elements, despite their unique properties crucial for future technologies, including renewable energy generation and e-mobility.

Selected report infographics

GEM headline figures (2010-2030)

Amidst the hopeful embrace of solar panels and electronic equipment to combat the climate crisis and drive digital progress, the surge in e-waste requires urgent attention.  Nikhil Seth , Executive Director, UNITAR
From discarded televisions to dumped telephones, an enormous amount of ewaste is generated around the world. The latest research shows that the global challenge posed by e-waste is only going to grow. With less than half of the world implementing and enforcing approaches to manage the problem, this raises the alarm for sound regulations to boost collection and recycling. The Global E-waste Monitor is the world’s foremost source for e-waste data allowing us to track progress overtime and to make critical decisions when it comes to transitioning to a circular economy for electronics. Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava , Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau
No more than 1% of demand for essential rare earth elements is met by e-waste recycling. Simply put: Business as usual can’t continue. This new report represents an immediate call for greater investment in infrastructure development, more promotion of repair and reuse, capacity building, and measures to stop illegal e-waste shipments. And the investment would pay for itself in spades.  Kees Baldé , lead author, UNITAR
Many in today’s society use multiple computers and phones, an ever-growing number of new appliances, monitors and sensors, e-bikes, e-scooters, clothes, toys, and furniture with embedded electronics, electric tools, and energy-saving equipment such as LEDs, photovoltaics, and heat pumps. Urban and remote areas are increasingly connected to the Internet, and a growing number of data centers cater to the needs of the digital transformation. In the face of all this, concrete steps are urgently needed to address and reduce e-waste. Improved ewaste management could result in a global net positive of US $38 billion, representing a significant economic opportunity while addressing climate change and health impacts.  Ruediger Kuehr , Senior Manager, Sustainable Cycles (SCYCLE), Programme, UNITAR / Adjunct Professor, University of Limerick (Ireland)
The Global E-waste Monitor shows that we are currently wasting US $91 billion in valuable metals due to insufficient e-waste recycling. We must seize the economic and environmental benefits of proper e-waste  management; otherwise, the digital ambitions of our future generations will face significant risks.  Vanessa Gray, Head, Environment & Emergency Telecommunications Division, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau

By the numbers

  • 62 million tonnes: e-waste generated in 2022, equal to the weight of 107,000 of world’s largest (853-seat), heaviest (575 tonne) passenger aircraft – enough to form an unbroken queue from New York to Athens, from Nairobi to Hanoi, or from Hong Kong to Anchorage
  • 14 million tonnes (22.3%): estimated mass of e-waste trashed, mostly landfilled, in 2022
  • 31 million tonnes: estimated weight of metals embedded in e-waste in 2022, along with 17 million tonnes of plastics and 14 million tonnes of other materials (minerals, glass, composite materials, etc.)
  • US $91 billion: The value of metals embedded in 2022 e-waste, including
  • US $19 billion in copper, US $15 billion in gold, and US $16 billion in iron.
  • US $28 billion: value of secondary raw materials (mostly iron) reclaimed by “urban mining” of e-waste in 2022
  • 900 million tonnes: Primary ore extraction avoided by reclaiming materials through documented e-waste recycling
  • 93 million tonnes: CO2-equivalent emissions avoided by formal e-waste management – recaptured refrigerants (41 million tonnes), avoided metals mining (52 million tonnes) 

Recycling rates

  • 42.8%: Formally documented collection and recycling rates in Europe 
  • <1%: Formally recycled e-waste in African countries
  • ~50% (30 million tonnes): E-waste generated by Asian countries (of which relatively few have enacted legislation or established clear e-waste collection targets)
  • 17.6 kg: Per capita e-waste generation in Europe, followed by Oceania (16.1 kg) and the Americas (14.1 kg). These regions also have the highest documented per capita collection and recycling rates (7.5 kg in Europe, 6.7 kg in Oceania and 4.2 kg in the Americas)
  • 16 million tonnes: e-waste collected and recycled outside of formal systems in high- and upper-middle income countries that have developed e-waste management infrastructure.
  • 18 million tonnes: e-waste managed mostly by the informal sector in low and lower-middle income countries with no e-waste management infrastructure. Any material values recovered by the informal sector are largely (perhaps more than) offset by extremely high health and environmental costs
  • 5.1 million tonnes (8.2% of the global total): e-waste shipped across borders in 2022, of which ~3.3 million tonnes (65%) was shipped from high-income to middle- and low-income countries through uncontrolled, undocumented

E-waste by category, selected examples

  • 33% (20.4 million tonnes): Proportion of e-waste made up of small devices (e.g. toys, microwave ovens, vacuum cleaners, e-cigarettes), of which 12% are recycled
  • 4.6 million tonnes: e-waste in the small IT and telecommunication equipment category (e.g. laptops, mobile phones, GPS devices, routers), with only 22% documented collection and recycling rate
  • 2.4 million tonnes: Expected mass of retired photovoltaic panels in 2030, four times as much as the 600,000 tonnes in 2022

Among the report’s many observations

  • Typically, collection and recycling rates are highest for heavier and bulkier equipment categories, such as large devices, temperature exchange equipment, screens and monitors
  • 81 countries had e-waste legislation in 2023, up from 78 in 2019. Of the 81 countries, 67 had a legal instrument governing e-waste management with provisions promoting extended producer responsibility (EPR)
  • The enforcement of e-waste policy, legislation, and regulation “remains a genuine challenge globally, and the stagnation of the global e-waste collection and recycling rate is likely exacerbated by the fact that only 46 countries have collection rate targets and only 36 have recycling rate targets.”

The Global E-waste Monitor

Since 2014, the Global E-waste Monitor ( www.globalewaste.org ) has been the world’s foremost source of up-to-date data and reporting on progress in policy, regulation, and offering projections. The 2024 edition is a collaborative product of the Global E-waste Statistics Partnership with support from the Fondation Carmignac.

Earlier global and regional reports: https://ewastemonitor.info

Join the conversation on social media using hashtag #eWaste

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)

As a dedicated training arm of the United Nations System, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) provides innovative learning solutions to individuals, organizations and institutions to enhance global decision-making and support country-level action for shaping a better future. UNITAR was created in 1963 to train and equip young diplomats from newly independent UN Member States with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate through the diplomatic environment. Over the years, UNITAR has acquired unique expertise and experience in designing and delivering a variety of training and learning activities, benefiting learners mainly from developing countries. With the strategy fully aligned with the 2030 Agenda, we support Governments and other stakeholders to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. 

The Bonn, Germany-based Sustainable Cycles (SCYCLE) Programme, hosted by UNITAR, provides world-class research and action on e-waste. SCYCLE aims to enable societies to reduce the environmental burden caused by the production, consumption and disposal of ubiquitous goods.

The International Telecommunication Union

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs), driving innovation in ICTs together with 193 Member States and a membership of over 1,000 companies, universities, and international and regional organizations. Established in 1865, it is the intergovernmental body responsible for coordinating the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promoting international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, improving communication infrastructure in the developing world, and establishing the worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communications systems. From broadband networks to cutting-edge wireless technologies, aeronautical and maritime navigation, radio astronomy, oceanographic and satellite-based earth monitoring as well as converging fixed-mobile phone, Internet and broadcasting technologies, ITU is committed to connecting the world.

Fondation Carmignac

fondationcarmignac.com

Fondation Carmignac was founded in 2000 by Edouard Carmignac, a French entrepreneur, CEO and Chairman of asset management company Carmignac. Today, it is structured around three main pillars: the Carmignac Photojournalism Award, which annually funds the production of investigative photo reportage on human rights violations and geo-strategic issues, the Carmignac Collection, which has over 300 works of contemporary art, and Villa Carmignac, an art venue offering annual exhibitions and a rich cultural programme in a 2000-square-meter gallery set in a 15-hectare estate at the heart of a protected site on Porquerolles island.

Fondation Carmignac contributes to the Global E-waste Monitor photographs by laureates of the 13th edition of the Carmignac Photojournalism Award. Investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas and photojournalists Muntaka Chasant and Bénédicte Kurzen explore the complexities of e-waste trafficking from European ports to Ghana scrapyards, revealing its complex, globalized cycle and highlighting the opportunities and environmental impact of the e-waste economy.

photo / video contributions from Fondation Carmignac

a free public exhibition of Carmignac Photojournalism Award images

In partnership with the City of Paris, a free public exhibition of Carmignac Photojournalism Award images will take place 16 May to 16 June, 2024: Port de Solférino, Quai Anatole, France (opposite the Musée d'Orsay)

According to the 2024 Global Environmental Monitor:

“As a result of improvements in enforcement and regional collaboration, progress has been reported in the control of illegal shipments of e-waste in West Africa. However, in January 2023, an organized crime group was caught smuggling over 5 million kg (331 containers) of e-waste from the Canary Islands to Ghana, Mauritania, Nigeria, and Senegal. Furthermore, in 2020, the Spanish authorities intercepted a network responsible for shipping 2.5 billion kg of material to several countries in Africa, including 750,000 kg of falsely certified e-waste. Even though the import of e-waste into Africa is being monitored, it is notoriously difficult to control." “Three of Africa’s most active ports—Durban (South Africa), Bizerte (Tunisia), and Lagos (Nigeria)—have all been identified as major ports of entry for used EEE, suggesting that e-waste shipments continue to circumvent the Basel and Bamako Conventions. A study in Ireland that used the StEP Initiative person-in-the-port methodology found that roll-on/roll-off vehicles, rather than containers, were the main carriers of used EEE from Ireland to West Africa. The study, which involved vehicle and enforcement document inspections at Ringaskiddy port in Ireland, scaled sampling data to annual shipment figures and estimated that 17,319 kg of used EEE were exported from Ireland annually, and around 1 in 5 vehicles exported contained used EEE. In response to findings like these, countries in West Africa are taking steps to introduce better monitoring of used EEE and e-waste imports by strictly enforcing existing guidelines and conducting thorough physical inspections of import shipments.”

Informal e-waste recycling, Ghana, 2023 © Muntaka Chasant / Fondation Carmignac.

Old Fadama in Accra, Ghana, April 25, 2023. © Muntaka Chasant for Fondation Carmignac.jpg

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Frequently Asked Questions about Implementing SB 1383

CalRecycle has compiled frequently asked questions (FAQ) about statewide implementation of California’s Short-Lived Climate Pollutant (SLCP) Reduction Strategy. To submit a new question, please email:  [email protected].

Collections | Food Recovery | Procurement | Solid Waste Facilities | Enforcement | Article 2 | Article 9 | Schools and Local Education Agencies

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Q: where in the regulations does it say a jurisdiction must automatically enroll generators in services what does providing automatic service look like.

The phrase “automatically enroll” does not appear in the regulations. Jurisdictions, however, are specifically required to provide service per Article 3, Sections 18984 – 18984.3. The word provide was specifically chosen as the operative word as it differs from AB 1826, which only requires that they offer service. Just as jurisdictions must provide services such as water or garbage collection, they now need to provide recycling.

Q: Do the regulations require single-family residences and multifamily complexes to subscribe to organics collection and recycle both green waste and food waste beginning January 1, 2022?

Yes, the regulations require jurisdictions to provide organic waste collection services to all single-family and multifamily residences of all sizes and businesses that generate organic waste beginning January 1, 2022.

Yes, single-family and multifamily complexes are required to recycle both green waste and food waste, as well as other organic waste materials, beginning January 1, 2022.

Q: What is the definition of a “hauler route”?

“Hauler route” means the designated itinerary or sequence of stops for each segment of the jurisdiction’s collection service area.

The regulations allow the jurisdiction flexibility to determine its hauler routes. The regulations require jurisdictions to minimize contamination of organic waste containers by either conducting route reviews or conducting waste evaluation studies on each hauler route [Article 3, Section 18984.5]. The term hauler route is key to the jurisdiction’s compliance with these requirements, because it describes where the jurisdiction should direct its education and outreach effort to reduce contamination of organic waste.

This is because hauler routes can significantly vary between jurisdictions depending upon the types of generators, facility location of where materials will be hauled to, route efficiencies, and a myriad of other factors. What constitutes a “hauler route” is dependent upon the designated itinerary or geographical configuration of the jurisdiction’s waste collection system. For example, a jurisdiction’s collection system may consist of one continuous itinerary or a series of stops that services both commercial generators and residential generators for garbage, dry recyclables and organics or the system could be divided into two or more itineraries or segments based on each type of generator and/or material type collected.

Q: Can residents provide their own containers for organics collection?

Jurisdictions or its designee (like a hauler) must provide containers to the generator. Containers provided by the residents themselves would not comply with the regulations.

Providing a container is an inextricable part of providing a collection service. Requirements for local jurisdictions to collect and recover organic waste from their residential and commercial generators are critical for the state’s efforts to keep organic waste out of landfills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Further, jurisdictions are in a position to obtain uniform collection containers with standardized colors from specialized suppliers, whereas individual generators are not. If jurisdictions are not required to provide compliant containers, generators are left to comply with the color requirements on their own and may have a difficult time obtaining standardized containers due to the whims of market availability of properly colored containers through hardware stores, supply stores, or other business that have no obligations to stock compliant container colors. This sets up an untenable, large-scale regulatory noncompliance problem.

The requirement for jurisdictional provision of collection containers is also necessary from an efficient enforcement perspective. Placing the compliance responsibility on generators would create an unnecessarily burdensome enforcement model. Ensuring container color compliance would necessitate inspections of generators by the jurisdiction, potentially involving thousands of homes or businesses. Furthermore, potentially broad numbers of individual generators may be subject to enforcement if compliant containers are not reasonably available for purchase (see preceding paragraph). Instead of this burdensome model, CalRecycle finds that a single point of enforcement with the jurisdiction is more efficient and equitable. Jurisdictions are in a position to obtain uniform collection containers with standardized colors from specialized suppliers where individual generators are not.

The only exception is that generators in high-elevation jurisdictions will be able to continue to use customer provided containers that fit in their locked bear boxes.

Q: Do the regulations for colors and labels apply to temporary dumpsters and compactors that are provided by the hauler?

The regulations apply to all containers provided by a hauler, including temporary dumpsters. The regulations specify that all containers provided by a hauler must meet both the container color and container label requirements by 2036. However, the regulations do allow for either the lid or the body to meet the color requirement. With respect to compactors owned by private businesses and not the hauler, the containers may conform with either the container color requirements or the container label requirements.

For more detailed question and answers, see  Collections Q&A Back to Top

Food Recovery

Q: can a jurisdiction contract with their local environmental health department to fulfill some or all the jurisdiction edible food recovery program requirements such as educating commercial edible food generators and monitoring commercial edible food generator compliance.

Yes. Section 18981.2 of the regulations specifies that a jurisdiction may designate a public or private entity, which includes local environmental health departments, to fulfill its regulatory responsibilities. The regulatory text states,  (b) A jurisdiction may designate a public or private entity to fulfill its responsibilities under this chapter. A designation shall be made through any one or more of the following:

  • Contracts with haulers or other private entities; or,
  • Agreements such as MOUs with other jurisdictions, entities, regional agencies as defined in Public Resources Code Section 40181, or other government entities, including environmental health departments.

(c) Notwithstanding Subdivision (b) of this section, a jurisdiction shall remain ultimately responsible for compliance with the requirements of this chapter.”

Please note however, if a jurisdiction does designate a separate entity to fulfill any requirements, the jurisdiction shall remain ultimately responsible for compliance with the requirements of this chapter.

Q: Do the SB 1383 regulations allow food recovery organizations to negotiate contracts and charge commercial edible food generators for their recovery costs?

This question falls outside of CalRecycle’s regulatory purview. Nothing in SB 1383’s regulations would prohibit a food recovery organization or a food recovery service from developing a sustainable funding model to help cover their costs.

Q: Do the regulations address donation dumping?

CalRecycle recognizes that donation dumping occurs and included policies in the regulations to help prevent this activity. The regulations require commercial edible food generators to have a contract or written agreement with a food recovery organization or service. If a food recovery organization or service is concerned that donation dumping could occur, then they should include language in their contract or written agreement to protect themselves against donation dumping. If a commercial edible food generator repeatedly donation dumps, there is nothing in SB 1383’s regulations prohibiting a food recovery organization or food recovery service from terminating their relationship with that particular generator.

CalRecycle developed a model food recovery agreement that can be customized and used by food recovery organizations, food recovery services, and commercial edible food generators. The model food recovery agreement does include a section for self-hauled edible food, which also includes designated delivery and drop off days and times to establish as well as language to protect food recovery organizations and services from donation dumping and unexpected donations. The model food recovery agreement is a template and is intended to be customized based on the needs of food recovery entities and commercial edible food generators.

Q: Do SB 1383’s food recovery requirements differentiate between healthy foods eligible for donation, and “junk” food that do not meet the minimum nutrition standards for many food pantries and food banks?

SB 1383’s statute requires CalRecycle to adopt regulations that include requirements intended to meet the goal that not less than 20 percent of edible food that is currently disposed is recovered for human consumption by 2025. The statute does not state that 20 percent of healthy or nutritious food must be recovered. As a result, SB 1383’s regulations do not include requirements that differentiate between healthy and unhealthy food. CalRecycle recognizes that a core value of many food recovery organizations and services is to reduce food insecurity in their communities by rescuing and distributing healthy and nutritious food to help feed people in need, and that some organizations have nutrition standards for the food they are willing to accept. As a result, CalRecycle included language in Section 18990.2 that states,  “(d) Nothing in this chapter prohibits a food recovery service or organization from refusing to accept edible food from a commercial edible food generator.”

Q: With regard to the requirement for commercial edible food generators to establish contracts and written agreements with food recovery organizations and services, would an arrangement for food recovery that is not a contract or written agreement be acceptable for compliance?

SB 1383’s regulations require commercial edible food generators to establish a contract or written agreement with a food recovery organization or a food recovery service for food recovery. Requiring a contract or written agreement with supporting documentation of the contract or written agreement is critical to ensure that edible food is recovered in a safe, professional, and reliable manner.

Contracts and written agreements add a layer of food safety, professionalism, and reliability into food recovery and can also serve as a mechanism to help protect food recovery organizations and services from donation dumping. CalRecycle developed a model food recovery agreement that can be customized by food recovery organizations, food recovery services, and commercial edible food generators.

Although a contract or written agreement for food recovery must be established, it is at the discretion of food recovery organizations, food recovery services, and commercial edible food generators to determine the exact provisions to include in their contracts or written agreements. For example, some food recovery organizations may include provisions in their contracts to protect their operation from receiving food that they are not able or willing to accept. Other food recovery organizations or food recovery services could include cost-sharing provisions as part of their contracts or written agreements with commercial edible food generators. Nothing in SB 1383’s regulations prohibits a food recovery organization or a food recovery service from negotiating cost sharing as part of their contracts or written agreements with commercial edible food generators.

Contracts and written agreements are also critical for enforcement purposes. Jurisdictions will be able to monitor commercial edible food generator compliance by verifying that a contract or written agreement has been established. To further help jurisdictions monitor compliance, the regulations include recordkeeping requirements for commercial edible food generators and for food recovery organizations and services. A jurisdiction could use the record to verify that a commercial edible food generator has established a contract or written agreement with a food recovery organization or service by requesting to see their records.

For more detailed question and answers, see  Food Recovery Q&A Back to Top

Procurement

Q: what if a jurisdiction already has procurement programs in place can that procurement count towards meeting the sb 1383 procurement requirements.

If a jurisdiction is already procuring recovered organic waste products that meet the requirements (14 CCR Section 18993.1), these can count towards its procurement target. A jurisdiction is not required to prove additional procurement beyond any other mandatory or voluntary procurement programs if its target is met.

For example, a city may use mulch in a city landscaping project or give away compost to its residents and these end uses may count towards the city’s SB 1383 procurement target, regardless of whether these are already required by existing city programs.

Q: Do recovered organic waste products that a jurisdiction procures need to be sourced from the jurisdiction’s generated organic waste, produced in the jurisdiction, or used within the jurisdiction?

No, jurisdictions are not required to procure recovered organic waste products made from “their” organic waste to satisfy the procurement requirements, nor do the products need to be produced or consumed within their jurisdiction. They may purchase or acquire products from any entity, or produce it themselves, and use or giveaway these products to count toward their procurement targets, provided the end products meet the definition of “recovered organic waste products” [14 CCR Section 18982(60)]. The jurisdiction may use the end products in a way that best fits local needs, which may include use or free distribution within its jurisdiction or other jurisdictions.

Q: Are jurisdictions required to purchase recovered organic waste products to fulfill their procurement targets? Can the sale of recovered organic waste products count towards a jurisdiction’s procurement target?

The intent of the procurement requirements is to drive demand for the use of recovered organic waste products, as this is where most of the environmental benefits are realized. Recovered organic waste products do not have to be obtained solely through purchasing. A jurisdiction or its direct service provider may acquire products in another way (e.g., production, free delivery or free distribution from a hauler or other entity via an agreement). Note that the production, purchase, or receipt alone of an eligible recovered organic waste product does not contribute to meeting a jurisdiction’s procurement target. It is the amount of recovered organic waste products that is procured and either used or donated that counts towards a jurisdiction’s procurement target.

The regulations limit procurement to “use or giveaway,” and do not include the sale of products [14CCR Section 18993.1(e)(1)]. Procuring recovered organic waste products, such as compost, and then selling it via a third party does not meet the intent of these regulations, which is to build markets for the use of recovered organic waste products.

Q: Does a jurisdiction have to procure specific products, such as compost and mulch, to meet its procurement target?

No the regulations provide flexibility for jurisdictions to choose a combination of the types of recovered organic waste products(s) defined in the regulations that best fit local needs to meet their procurement targets. A jurisdiction has the option to meet its procurement target by procuring enough of one product or a mix of products.

Q: How and when will a jurisdiction be notified of its procurement target? Where can procurement target information be found?

Each jurisdiction may find its annual procurement target posted on CalRecycle’s website . By January 1 each year, CalRecycle will also provide direct written notification to each jurisdiction of where it may find its unique recovered organic waste product procurement target.

Jurisdiction procurement targets will be recalculated every five years to reflect population changes. As such, jurisdictions’ annual procurement targets for the 2022 compliance year will be in effect from January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2026.

For more detailed question and answers, see Procurement Q&A Back to Top

Solid Waste Facilities

Q: is a source separated organics stream required to meet the 75 percent organic waste recovery efficiency described in section 17409.5.1.

No. Facilities that receive only source separated organic waste collection streams would not be subject to the organic waste recovery efficiency requirement.

Q: How should operators consider difficult-to-handle materials such as food-soiled paper or biodegradable or compostable product when calculating the incompatible material measurement? [Sections 17409.5.2 through 17409.5.5, 17409.5.7, and 17409.5.8]

Operators must follow the protocols for sampling and measuring incompatible materials as described in sections 17409.5.2 – 5.5. If operators are unable to implement the requirements, then they may propose an alternative measurement protocol.

Q: What is the definition of a high diversion organic waste processing facility?

A high diversion organic waste processing facility refers to transfer/processing facilities and operations that handle mixed waste organic collection streams as defined in Section 17402(a)(11.5) and meet the 50 percent (by 2022) or 75 percent (by 2025) mixed waste organic recovery rates set forth in Section 18815.5(e).

Q: Can a consolidation site transport waste directly to a landfill for disposal? [Section 17409.5.10]

Waste from the Source Separated Organic (SSO) Waste Collection Stream and Mixed-Waste Organic (MO) Waste Collection Stream must be transported to a transfer/processing facility or operation that complies with the organic waste recovery efficiency requirements found in Section 17409.5.1. Other solid waste streams, such as gray container waste as defined in Section 17402(a)(6.5) can be transported directly to landfill disposal.

Q: What are the measurement requirements for composting facilities and operations?

The measurement requirements are to determine the amount of organic waste present in material sent for disposal. However, any organic wastes that are textiles, carpet, hazardous wood waste, non-compostable paper, human or pet waste, and material subject to a quarantine on movement issued by a county agricultural commissioner, are not required to be measured as organic waste. For details on how to perform the measurement protocol see Section 17867(a)(16)

For more detailed question and answers, see  Solid Waste Facilities Q&A Back to Top

Enforcement

Q: how can a jurisdiction designate responsibilities to a public or private entity to comply with sb 1383 regulations (see title 14, ccr, general provisions section 18981.2).

A jurisdiction can designate responsibilities through:

  • Contracts with haulers or other private entities, or
  • Agreements with other jurisdictions, entities, regional agencies (as defined in Public Resource Code section 40181), or other government agencies, including environmental health departments.

For example, a jurisdiction may enter into an agreement with a hauler to perform route reviews for container contamination or an agreement with the environmental health department to inspect edible food generators.

A jurisdiction cannot delegate:

  • The authority to issue a waiver to a private entity [see Article 3 Section 18984.11(c)] or
  • The authority to impose civil penalties, or to maintain an action to impose civil penalties, to a private entity.

If a jurisdiction delegates responsibilities to a public or private entity it is still ultimately responsible for compliance with the requirements.

Q: Does CalRecycle have further guidance on how many are a “sufficient amount” of route reviews? (see Title 14, CCR, Article 14 section 18995.1)

Beginning on January 1, 2022, a jurisdiction is required to conduct annual route reviews and inspections of regulated entities to determine overall compliance. The regulations do not include a specific number of route reviews and inspections. Therefore, a jurisdiction shall determine an adequate amount based on the characteristics of their jurisdiction, such as, prioritizing inspections on larger organic waste generators and generators that the jurisdiction may suspect to be out of compliance.

A jurisdiction is required to conduct enough route reviews and inspections to adequately determine the overall compliance of the generators under its authority and to ensure its own compliance.

Q: How often does a jurisdiction have to inspect commercial edible food generators?(see Title 14, CCR, Article 14 section 18995.1)

Beginning on January 1, 2022, jurisdictions are required to inspect Tier One commercial edible food generators and verify they are recovering the maximum amount of edible food possible and are not intentionally spoiling edible food that is recoverable. Inspections should be at a level/rate to adequately determine compliance with the requirements. Tier One commercial edible food generators include:

  • Supermarkets
  • Grocery stores with a total facility size equal to or greater than 10,000 square feet
  • Food service providers
  • Food distributors
  • Wholesale food vendors

On or before January 1, 2024, a jurisdiction is required to inspect Tier One and Tier Two commercial edible food generators for the same requirements. Tier Two commercial edible food generators include:

  • Restaurants with 250 or more seats or a total facility size equal to or greater than 5,000 square feet
  • Hotels with an on-site food facility and 200 or more rooms
  • Health facilities with an on-site food facility and 100 or more beds
  • Large venues
  • Large events
  • State agencies with a cafeteria with 250 or more seats or a total cafeteria facility size equal to or greater than 5,000 square feet
  • Local education agencies with an on-site food facility

Q: Does CalRecycle apply the “Good Faith Effort” when determining compliance with the SB 1383 requirements as it does with AB 939?

No, SB 1383 mandates organic waste diversion targets on a relatively short timeline. The 75 percent organic waste diversion target will not be achieved by 2025 if using the more lengthy compliance process under the Good Faith Effort standard.

CalRecycle does exercise its enforcement discretion in determining whether to commence the enforcement process as well as allowing consideration of “substantial efforts” made by the jurisdiction and “extenuating circumstances” that would allow the use of extended compliance deadlines in a “Corrective Action Plan” (CAP).

CalRecycle’s focus is on compliance first and will dedicate enforcement efforts to the most egregious offenders.

Q: Will CalRecycle consider the COVID-19 pandemic as an extenuating circumstance when determining a jurisdiction’s eligibility for a Corrective Action Plan?

It may, depending on the circumstances. The regulations do allow for flexibility and deadline extensions for instances when there are extenuating circumstances, such as emergencies, that may cause compliance issues despite a jurisdiction’s substantial efforts. CalRecycle may consider a Corrective Action Plan with a longer compliance deadline if the facts demonstrate that the jurisdiction has made a substantial effort to comply and that the COVID-19 pandemic has a direct causal link to a lack of compliance. However, CalRecycle will consider the totality of circumstances surrounding a jurisdiction’s compliance.

For more detailed question and answers, see  Enforcement Q&A Back to Top

Q: What is considered landfill disposal under the SB 1383 regulations?

Organic waste disposed at a landfill, used as alternative daily cover (ADC) or alternative intermediate cover (AIC) at a landfill, or any other disposition not explicitly identified in  14 CCR Section 18983.1  as a reduction in landfill disposal is considered landfill disposal.

Q: What constitutes a reduction in landfill disposal under the SB 1383 regulations?

Organic waste sent to one of the following operations, facilities, or uses is considered a reduction in landfill disposal, provided the organic waste is not subsequently landfilled [refer to 14 CCR  Section 18983.1(b) ]:

Operations or Facilities:

  • Recycling centers
  • Compostable material handling facilities
  • In-vessel digestion facilities
  • Biomass conversion facilities
  • Soil amendment for erosion control, revegetation, or slope stabilization
  • Soil amendment for landscaping at a landfill
  • Land application
  • Animal feed

Q: How will CalRecycle determine if a process or technology not already listed in Section 18983.1 of the regulations is a reduction in landfill disposal?

CalRecycle will conduct an application review and notify the applicant within 30 days of receipt whether it is complete.  Section 18983.2(a)(1)  of the regulations specifies the information that must be included in an application. To count as a reduction in landfill disposal, a process or technology must demonstrate it will result in permanent lifecycle GHG emission reductions equal to or greater than the emission reductions from composting organic waste (0.30 MTCO2e per short ton of organic waste). CalRecycle will consult with the California Air Resources Board to determine if the proposed process or technology constitutes a reduction of landfill disposal. Applicants will be notified within 180 days of submittal of a complete application if their technology or process constitutes a reduction in landfill disposal. A list of technologies and processes that are determined to constitute a reduction in landfill disposal will be posted on CalRecycle’s website.

Q: When will CalRecycle begin accepting applications and making these determinations?

CalRecycle will accept applications starting on January 1, 2022, when the SB 1383 regulations take effect. Interested parties are encouraged to contact CalRecycle staff now to discuss potential applications for new technologies or processes they may want considered as a reduction in landfill disposal.

Email  [email protected]  and please include  Article 2  in the subject line of your email.

Back to Top

Q: What happens if a jurisdiction has an ordinance restricting or banning land application of biosolids?

Jurisdictions will not be allowed to enforce any ordinance restricting or banning an activity, such as land application of biosolids, that constitutes a reduction in landfill disposal if the activity is conducted in compliance with the requirements in Article 2. Section 18990.1 (b) of the regulations specifies that jurisdictions shall not implement or enforce an ordinance, policy, procedure, permit condition, or initiative that includes provisions that do any of the following:

  • (1) Prohibit, or otherwise unreasonably limit or restrict, the lawful processing and recovery of organic waste through a method identified in Article 2 of this chapter.

(See Title 14, CCR, Article 9, Section 18990.1(b)(1). For additional explanation, please see the  Final Statement of Purpose and Necessity  , Article 9, Section 18990.1, Subdivision (b)(1) pages 139-140.)

Q: Can jurisdictions require haulers to transport organic waste to a solid waste facility or operation that the jurisdiction has an agreement with, even if the facility does not have the ability to process or recover organic waste?

No. Jurisdictions are prohibited from implementing or enforcing an ordinance, policy, procedure, permit condition, or initiative that includes provisions that require a generator or a hauler to transport organic waste to a solid waste facility or operation that does not process or recover organic waste. (See Title 14, CCR, Article 9, Section 18990.1(b)(4).)

Q: Can a jurisdiction restrict haulers from exporting organic waste to facilities outside of California to process and recover the material?

No. Jurisdictions are not allowed to limit the export of organic waste to a facility, operation, property or activity outside of the jurisdiction that recovers the organic waste through a method identified in Article 2 of this chapter. (See Title 14, CCR, Article 9, Section 18990.1(b)(3.)

Schools and Local Education Agencies

Q: are private schools considered non-local entities or local education agencies.

No. Private schools meet the definition of a commercial business, a firm, partnership, proprietorship, joint-stock company, corporation, or association, whether for-profit or nonprofit, strip mall, industrial facility, or multifamily residential dwelling.

Q: If the jurisdiction qualified for a low-population, rural exemption, or elevation waiver, do unified school districts within the jurisdiction also qualify for the waiver?

If a jurisdiction is granted a low –population, rural exemption or elevation waiver, then the local education agency will not have to comply with the requirements in Article 5. If the jurisdiction does not have to comply with Article 3 and provide collection services, then there will be no collection services for these entities to utilize to meet the requirements in Article 5.

Q: What type of containers are required for classroom use?

Classroom containers should reflect the type of collection service the local education agency has. Additionally, if organics are not present in the classroom, organics bins are not required in the classroom.

Q: How often should local education agencies inspect containers?

Though there is no set number of inspections specified, local education agencies are required to inspect containers periodically to ensure organics recycling participation and container contamination minimization. For example, entities may inspect more frequently at the onset of a program and taper off inspections after users are educated and adequately participating.

Q: For schools that have a central kitchen that delivers meals to additional schools, is the central kitchen or the recipient school responsible for edible food recovery?

The school district can decide the logistics for edible food recovery and may decide that either the central kitchen or recipient schools should coordinate with food recovery organizations and services.

For more detailed question and answers, see  Schools Q&A Back to Top

This guidance tool was developed by CalRecycle as a courtesy for informational and example purposes only. Use of this tool is optional and is not a regulatory requirement. In the event of any conflict with this guidance tool or information herein, applicable statutory and regulatory provisions shall control. This tool and information herein are based on known facts and legal authority as understood by CalRecycle at the time of release. Any analysis, guidance, or other information herein may be subject to change based on changed facts or legal authority, actual or understood, subsequent to the publishing of this tool. The provision of this guidance tool and any analysis, guidance, or other information herein shall not be construed as a waiver of any rights or remedies available to CalRecycle. Users are encouraged to seek the assistance of legal counsel to comply with applicable state law based on their pertinent facts and circumstances.  CalRecycle makes no representation that use of this tool will ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. The user assumes all risk and CalRecycle accepts no responsibility or liability to any person because of the use of, or reliance upon, this tool or the information herein. 

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For more information contact: Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCP), Organic Waste Methane Emissions Reductions, [email protected]

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Solar panel recycling facility

Bigger and better solar panel recycling centres needed to deal with PV waste, says report

Laurent Julliand/Soren

Neil Martin headshot

The Australian Centre of Advanced Photovoltaics has called for large waste facilities in major cities as photovoltaic waste is predicted to reach 100,000 tonnes annually by 2030.

A new report on solar panel recycling has recommended a raft of measures including the establishment of large waste facilities in five big Australian cities by 2027.

The ‘Scoping study: Solar Panel End-of-Life Management in Australia’ report from the Australian Centre of Advanced Photovoltaics (ACAP) which is led by UNSW Sydney, highlights projected cumulative volume of decommissioned panels to reach 1 million tonnes by 2035.

On an annual basis, that could be as much as 100,000 tonnes of photovoltaic (PV) waste being generated every year by the end of the decade.

The study, commissioned by Neoen Australia, the country’s largest renewable energy company, reveals the problem is more pressing than previously thought, and contradicts earlier findings that significant volumes of waste would not appear until at least after 2030.

Initially, the majority of waste solar panels are expected to concentrate in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide – before PV waste starts growing faster in regional and remote areas from 2030 onwards.

The first wave of increased waste is expected to come from decommissioned rooftop solar panels and the report says near-term action is needed to boost the levels of recycling and prevent this waste going into landfill.

Resource recovery

The authors have called for sites in the five major cities to deal with 5,000 to 10,000 tonnes of waste panels per year, with that volume needing to double at each facility in the next six years.

Those metropolitan facilities are predicted to be able to manage over 70 per cent of Australia's solar panel waste, with additional smaller sites in Dubbo/Wellington, Townsville, Newcastle, Murrumbidgee, Central Highlands and Busselton providing a comprehensive nation-wide service.

Professor Renate Egan , Executive Director of ACAP, says:  “The total material value from end-of-life solar panels is projected to surpass $1 billion by 2035.

“As a result, establishing domestic PV waste management facilities in Australia presents an opportunity for resource recovery. Recycling offers a gateway to reducing landfill, enhancing circular economy initiative, and job creation.

“This report was developed to provide a detailed analysis of the waste volumes and distributions, needed to prepare for future waste from rooftop and large scale solar.”

Dr Rong Deng , one of the authors of the report, highlights the economic value in building capacity in facilities that are able to properly recycle panels that come to the end of their useful life.

“Solar panels are made of materials like aluminium, glass, silicon, silver, and copper, and they can be recycled. Therefore, panels should be viewed as valuable resources rather than waste. However, more scalable, comprehensive, and cost-effective solutions are needed to deal with large volumes in the coming decade.

“More than 80 per cent of the decommissioned solar panels by 2030 are projected to emanate from small-scale distributed PV systems, attributable to the earlier evolution of Australia’s residential PV market,” she adds.

“In the next 12 years, we need a clearly defined management framework, accessible collection methods, and new technologies to transform the challenge of end-of-life solar panels into sustainable business opportunities with positive economic, environmental and social outcomes.”

The ACAP report advises that the new facilities should be dedicated to full material recovery, focusing exclusively on recycling solar panels through comprehensive processes designed specifically for the purpose, with the aim of achieving higher recycling rates and revenue.

Media enquiries

For enquiries about this story and for interview requests please contact Cecilia Duong , News & Content Coordinator.   Email: [email protected]

Renate Egan

The cost of recycling solar panels currently ranges from $500 and $1000 per ton, covering transportation and before accounting for the revenue from sold materials. This estimate assumes that the recycling facilities handle approximately 5000 tonnes of panels each year.

The major expenses in the recycling process are the capital expenditures required for facility setup and the ongoing labour costs.

The recycling sector faces significant challenges. The first is finding markets for recycled solar panel materials, especially glass which make up 70 per cent of the panel weight.

Currently they are mainly used as a sand substitute in construction materials because Australia does not have solar manufacturing industry that would make use of the recycled glass.

Innovation required

There is also a lack of specialised recovery solutions for the solar panel laminate. Given these challenges, alongside the high costs of recycling and a limited market for the recycled materials, the report highlights the pressing need for more innovative recycling solutions in Australia.

It says future solutions should aim to efficiently reclaim all materials from solar panels at lower costs, addressing the existing gaps in the process.

The study was commissioned by Neoen Australia, as part of its long term commitment to delivering renewable energy to the ACT government, with the intention of contributing to knowledge sharing across government, and the renewable energy and waste industries.

Shane Rattenbury, ACT Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction, said: “I am pleased to see this study published as an outcome of the ACT’s reverse auctions process. These auctions not only secured the Territory’s 100 per cent renewable electricity supply, but also provided ongoing benefits for the local renewable energy industry and the ACT community by supporting research and innovation.

“As we work towards our target of net zero emissions by 2045, the ACT is committed to supporting energy innovation, including advancements in repurposing and recycling materials such as solar panels once they reach end of life.”

Louis de Sambucy, CEO of Neoen Australia, added: “I would like to thank the team at UNSW’s Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics for their excellent work on this study, as well as our partners in the ACT government and within the waste industry. 

“As a long-term owner and operator of 1.4GW of solar assets in Australia, Neoen is proud to be supporting initiatives that can advance the recycling solutions of the future.”

ACAP, led by UNSW, is funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and has partnerships with ANU, CSIRO, University of Melbourne, Monash University, University of Queensland and University of Sydney.

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EPA Announces a $4,000,000 Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant to the City of Austin

March 27, 2024

DALLAS, TEXAS (March 27, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is announcing that the City of Austin will receive a Solid Waste Infrastructure Grant (SWIFR) of $4,000,000 to construct and maintain a new reuse warehouse. The warehouse will be an onsite space for redistributing used furniture and building materials and hosting programming. As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, this grant will improve recycling systems in Austin.

“Through the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, EPA has given more than $100 million to cities like Austin to ensure underserved areas can increase their capacity for solid waste recycling and reuse,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “Today’s grant will help our partners in Austin extend the life of furniture and building materials, prevent more landfill waste, and help families in need.”

“EPA is proud to support the City of Austin in its efforts to provide its citizens with valuable goods that might otherwise end up in a landfill,” said Cliff Villa, Deputy Assistant Administrator of EPA’s Office of Land and Emergency Management. “By redistributing used furniture and building supplies, Austin’s new reuse warehouse will help reduce waste, assist those transitioning out of homelessness, create a circular economy, and build a more resilient community.”  

“Reduce, reuse, recycle: Austin is moving closer toward achieving our long-term goal of zero waste. By preventing usable yet bulky furniture from overwhelming our landfills, we can help our most vulnerable neighbors get back on their feet and create a welcoming home for themselves and their families. The Infrastructure Law I supported is delivering for Central Texas, and I look forward to continue working to obtain additional federal resources for our community,” said Congressman Doggett (TX-37).

“Right now, far too many materials are wasted when they could be recycled and reused by people in need. Improved recycling not only lets these items have a second life — but they’ll be a lifeline to struggling Austinites,” said Congressman Greg Casar (TX-35). “I’m grateful for the Biden Administration supporting this creative way of reducing waste while helping people get back on their feet.”

“Through this grant, Austin will be able to get good used furniture out of our landfills and into the homes of folks transitioning out of homelessness. It’s an innovative and sustainable approach to reducing waste in our city and helping those most vulnerable create a stable home. Thank you to our congressional delegation for your work,” said Mayor Watson .

“We are excited that the EPA has selected our initiative for their grant program,” says Richard McHale, Director of Austin Resource Recovery. “The reuse warehouse will connect valuable items, like furniture, to Austinites who can use them. It will also keep these items out of the landfill as we continue to work toward zero waste.”

The City of Austin has a surplus of valuable goods that are going to the landfill due to space constraints and limited reuse. Austin Resource Recovery, a department of the City of Austin, intends to use the EPA grant funding to permanently fill the resource gap by opening a new reuse warehouse. The new warehouse will accept and redistribute used furniture at no cost to nonprofits and their clients, with a focus on furnishing the homes of those transitioning out of homelessness. The warehouse will eventually expand to also accept building materials.  The overall goal of this project will be to reduce the amount of furniture and building materials sent to landfills annually.

This grant reflects the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to tackling environmental justice and the climate crisis. Many communities with environmental justice concerns carry a disproportionate environmental and human health burden from waste management. Last year, EPA announced over $105 million for the selectees of the historic SWIFR grants for states and communities. These improvements support a circular economy and help lower greenhouse gas emissions, while rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, powered by well-paying jobs that don’t require four-year degrees.

Visit EPA’s  website  to learn more ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle. 

Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook , X (formerly known as Twitter) , or visit our homepage .

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