Recovered material

From CEOpedia | Management online

Recovered materials are waste materials and byproducts, parts or components of a waste stream that have been captured and separated for reuse, but such term does not include those materials and byproducts generated from, and commonly reused within, an original manufacturing process (Percival R. V., Schroeder C. H., 2019, p. 376).

Other terms connected with recovering materials

There are several terms which may be helpful while understanding what the term recovered material means (Percival R. V., Schroeder C. H., 2019, p. 376):

  • recoverable - this term refers to the capability and likelihood of being recovered from solid waste for a commercial or industrial use,
  • recovered resources - material or energy recovered from solid waste,
  • resource recovery - the recovery of material or energy from solid waste.

Waste Management Through Resource Recovery

The application of recycling, reuse, composting, waste-to-energy or other processes to the recovery of material and energy resources unquestionably provides a substantial alternative supply of raw materials and diminishes the reliance on virgin feedstocks. These recovered resources are basically given another life cycle, in any case, many recovered materials can't be readily reused in the identical markets or applications. All together for resource recovery to be viable on a long-term basis, viable markets and alternative uses must be carefully planned to guarantee minimal misuse of resources. Recovered products must meet the basics of market resource security, which means they should meet the prerequisites of dependable quality, quantity, and price. This is critical for the end user to make the dedication expected to sustain a solid market (Cheremisinoff N. P., 2003, p. 80).

Recovering materials from waste streams for recycling, for another use or productive life cycle appears most successful at the industrial level. For instance, it is sensible for plastic converters to gather scrap and trimmings for quick regrinding into helpful feed material. Comparable in-house reusing happens all through industry, including metals, paper/cardboard, and glass. Be that as it may, these sorts of practices speak to squander minimization in the context of clean production. On a more extensive scale there are business to business and consumer to business interdependencies that affect whether the financial aspects of resource recovery makes sense (Cheremisinoff N. P., 2003, p. 80).

Examples of Recovered material

  • Post-Consumer Waste: Post-consumer waste is materials that have served their intended purpose and have been discarded by the consumer. This includes items such as plastic bottles, paper, cardboard, glass, and aluminum cans.
  • Refrigerant Gas: Refrigerant gas is a material that is recovered from appliances such as air conditioners, refrigerators, and freezers. The gas is collected, cleaned, and reused in other appliances.
  • Electronic Waste: Electronic waste is materials such as computers, printers, and cell phones that have been discarded. These materials can be recycled and reused in the manufacture of new products.
  • Construction Materials: Construction materials such as wood, brick, concrete, and steel can be recovered from demolition sites and reused in new construction projects.
  • Textiles: Textiles such as clothing, upholstery, and carpeting can be recovered and reused in various industries.

Advantages of Recovered material

Recovered materials offer several advantages, including:

  • Cost savings: Recovering materials can reduce costs associated with production, as well as the need to purchase new materials, potentially resulting in significant money savings.
  • Resource conservation: Recovering materials helps to conserve natural resources, reducing the need to extract raw materials from the environment.
  • Reduced waste: By recovering materials, less waste is created, helping to reduce the amount of waste that is sent to landfills or incinerators.
  • Reduced energy consumption: Recovering materials requires less energy to process than manufacturing new materials, resulting in reduced energy consumption.
  • Improved environmental performance: By reducing the need for new materials, recovering materials can help to reduce emissions and improve the overall environmental performance of a facility.

Limitations of Recovered material

Recovered materials have several limitations that should be taken into account when deciding to use them for a particular application. These limitations include:

  • Cost: Generally, recovered materials are cheaper than new materials, but the cost of collecting, sorting, and reprocessing them can make them more expensive than initially expected.
  • Quality: It can be difficult to consistently achieve the same level of quality with recovered materials that can be achieved with new materials.
  • Availability: Depending on the material, recovered materials may not always be available in large enough quantities to support a project.
  • Durability: The life expectancy of recovered materials may be shorter than that of new materials.
  • Limited variety: Depending on the type of material, the range of recovered materials may be limited.
  • Environmental impact: The environmental impact of collecting and reprocessing recovered materials can be significant.

Other approaches related to Recovered material

Introduction: In addition to reuse of recovered materials, there are other approaches available to help reduce waste and promote sustainability:

  • Circular Economy: Circular economy is an economic system that encourages the use of resources in a way that reduces waste and pollution. It encourages the reuse of materials, which reduces the need to extract resources from the environment.
  • Sustainable Design: Sustainable design focuses on reducing the environmental impact of materials used in products and services, by using renewable resources and reducing emissions.
  • Waste Reduction: Waste reduction is a process of reducing the amount of waste produced. This includes reducing the amount of raw materials used and making sure that materials are reused and recycled.
  • Product Stewardship: Product stewardship is a process of ensuring that products are designed and manufactured in a way that reduces their environmental impact and encourages the reuse of materials.

Summary: These approaches can help reduce the amount of waste and promote sustainability. By using renewable resources, reducing emissions, and encouraging the reuse of materials, these approaches can help reduce the environmental impact of products and services.


Recovered material — recommended articles
Life cycle of technology — Integrated waste management — Clean fuel — Material recovery — Product — Resource recovery — Conservation of resources — Alternative technology — Design life

References

Author: Elżbieta Woyke

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