The initial stage of the current recycling is placing recyclables in bins. Every week a recycling truck comes by to collect the recyclables from the bins. The recycling truck delivers all that was collected to a sorting facility. The sorting facility uses machines to determine which items can be recycled. Currently, rigid plastics/bottles, paper and cardboard, metals, and glass are in the recycling systems infrastructure [4]. The sorting process begins with human removing anything that should obviously not be recycled. The next step is spinning disks that kick up lightweight objects (paper and cardboard) and allow heavier objects to progress down the line. Glass is then isolated using a vibrating machine that break the glass into shards. Next, the items are run through a magnetic belt, which separates metals from remaining materials. The last step of the process is using an optical sorter to determine which type of plastics the object is, then sorted accordingly [3]. The remaining materials that never get sorted are sent off to landfills. Once separated by type of material, the materials are baled and shipped to a specific facility. The facilities receiving the recycled bales remanufacture the items into packaging or products. Lastly, the new packaging and products are redistributed to consumers [1] [2].
Although there are many benefits of the current recycling like creating more jobs as well as improving environmental and community benefits, there are a few challenges that face the system currently. One issue facing the current system is the infrastructure is unable to keep up with today’s waste stream. There is a lack of investment in infrastructure in the 1900s, as we shipped many plastics to China, who were in a raw material shortage. Eventually China enacted requirements for the plastics being sent to them, which the US plastics did not meet. This left the United States with an abundance of plastics with no good way to get rid of them. The United States had a 21st century recycling stream with 20th century infrastructure [5]. Another issue is lack of consumer knowledge. Many people are unsure what specific materials they can and cannot recycle and where exactly to recycle something depending on its materials. This often leads to trash being places in recyclable bins or materials that should be recycled in the trash. In order to better manage the recycling of new materials, communication must be improved between the manufacturers and the recycling industry. Currently, they are not in sync with one another which causes issues. Also, there is a need for more consistent measurement methodologies to successfully measure the system’s performance and track progress [6].
[1]“The U.S. Recycling System.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 21 Nov. 2019, www.epa.gov/americarecycles/us-recycling-system.
[2] “Plastic Recycling Bottle Recycling Symbol, Bottle, Glass, Label, Text Png.” PNGWing, www.pngwing.com/en/free-png-ytaci.
[3]“Recycling – How It Works.” Communities for Recycling, 9 Feb. 2021, recyclingpartnership.org/communitiesforrecycling/recycling-how-it-works/.
[4]“A Simple List of What Can and Cannot Be Recycled.” EcoScraps, www.ecoscraps.com/blogs/sustainable-living/76411652-a-simple-list-of-what-can-and-cannot-be-recycled.
[5]“The US Recycling System Is Garbage.” Sierra Club, 26 June 2019, www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2019-4-july-august/feature/us-recycling-system-garbage.
[6]“The U.S. Recycling System.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 21 Nov. 2019, www.epa.gov/americarecycles/us-recycling-system.