Material recovery
Material recovery is also known as materials recycling. It is a method consisting of chemical, thermal, mechanical or biological processing of the waste to regain materials or energy product for secondary use. It is related to environmental management. Resource recovery reduces amount of solid waste. The biggest environmental improvement comes from reduced energy consumption [1].
Material recovery from mixed household waste may cause reductions in resource consumption and fossil fuel. To this end legislation has been introduced to promote recycling and energy recovery. Potential terminations for separating recyclable and biogenic materials are conducted by waste refineries [2].
People have to be aware of sanitary and environmental benefits of the material recovery. It is needed to propagate a reuse of materials and decrease in consumption patterns [3].
Recycling Technologies
There are the following types of recycling technologies [4] :
- Distillation,
- Energy recovery,
- Decanting,
- Thermal desorption,
- Solvent extraction,
- Use a Construction Material,
- In Situ Vacuum Extractions,
- Pumping and Recovery,
- Freeze - Crystallization,
- Chemolisys,
- Thermolysis.
Advantages of recycling
Recycling provides the following advantages [5]:
- Reduces solid waste,
- Limits greenhouse gas emission,
- Can save space on garbage dump,
- Limits water and air pollution,
- Reduces energy use.
Examples of Material recovery
- Mechanical recycling: Mechanical recycling is the process of recovering materials from end of life products and reusing them as raw materials for manufacturing new products. This type of recycling involves sorting, shredding and washing of materials before remolding them into new products. Examples of mechanical recycling include glass recycling, paper recycling, plastic recycling, aluminum recycling, and textile recycling.
- Biological recycling: Biological recycling is the process of breaking down organic materials and using them as a source of natural energy or fertilizer. Examples of biological recycling include composting, vermicomposting, anaerobic digestion, and biogas production.
- Thermal recycling: Thermal recycling is the process of recovering heat energy from waste materials. Examples of thermal recycling include energy-from-waste (EfW) technologies such as incineration, pyrolysis, and gasification.
- Chemical recycling: Chemical recycling is the process of breaking down waste materials into their constituent molecules and then converting them into new materials or fuels. Examples of chemical recycling include depolymerization, hydrothermal liquefaction, and supercritical fluid extraction.
Limitations of Material recovery
Material recovery has the potential to reduce waste and energy consumption, however, it is not without its limitations. These limitations include:
- High cost of upfront investment in equipment and facilities - The cost of purchasing, operating and maintaining the necessary equipment and facilities for material recovery can be considerable.
- Lack of infrastructure - In less developed countries, the lack of infrastructure for collection of materials and waste may limit the effectiveness of material recovery.
- Limited markets for recycled materials - In some cases, the recycling of certain materials may be limited by poor markets for the recycled materials.
- Limited capacity and technology - Due to limited capacity and technology, certain materials may not be suitable for recovery.
- Contamination of materials - The contamination of materials during the recovery process can render them unsuitable for further use.
- Health and safety concerns - In some cases, the recovery process can present a risk to the health and safety of workers.
Material recovery is a method of reclaiming materials or energy products for secondary use through chemical, thermal, mechanical or biological processing of the waste. Other approaches related to material recovery include:
- Source reduction: a method of reducing the amount of waste generated by eliminating, minimizing, or substituting hazardous materials.
- Composting: the decomposition of organic materials to produce a nutrient-rich soil amendment.
- Incineration: the burning of solid waste to reduce its volume.
- Recycling: the process of collecting, sorting, and processing materials to be used again.
- Landfilling: the disposal of solid waste in a secure and environmentally responsible manner.
In summary, material recovery is a method used to reclaim materials or energy products for secondary use, and is related to environmental management. Other approaches related to material recovery include source reduction, composting, incineration, recycling, and landfilling.
Footnotes
| Material recovery — recommended articles |
| Integrated waste management — Alternative technology — Trade waste — Clean fuel — Recovered material — Conservation of resources — Trade effluent — Functional obsolescence — Primary sector of the economy |
References
- Alter H., (1983) Materials Recovery from Municipal Waste: Unit Operations in Practice, Marcel Dekker INC, New York and Basel
- Marmolejo L.F., Diaz L.F., Torres P., García M., Burbano M.H., Blanco C., Erazo K., Pereira J.F, (2010) Influence of Handling Practices on Material Recovery from Residential Solid Waste, Sustainability, MDPI, Open Access Journal, vol. 2(7),July.
- Means J., Smith L., (1994) Recycling and Reuse of Material Found on Superfund Sites, United States Environmental Protection Agency
- Miller G.T., Spoolman S.E, (2012) Cengage Advantage Books: Sustaining the Earth Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning
- Smoley C.K., (1993) Material Recovery Facility Design Manual, CalRecovery and PEER Consultants
- Tonini D., Dorini G & Astrup T.F,(2014)Bioenergy, material, and nutrients recovery from household waste: Advanced material, substance, energy, and cost flow analysis of a waste refinery process,Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C)
Author: Agnieszka Bednarek
