Recycling Information

Our nation generates more than 19.3 million tons of plastic waste each year, and yet only two percent is recovered by recycling. Most plastics that end up in Ohio's waste stream are from packaging and containers.

Plastics is a valuable commodity becuase it is an oil or natural gas-based product. By recycling plastics, Ohioans are saving energy and conserving a non-renewable source. The plastics industry has voluntarily devised a coding system which makes recycling plastics easier for local communities. Since 1988, many plastic conainters have become lighter and many manufacturers are packaging their products in the most recyclable plastics possible. The coding system is as follows:

#1 PETE (polyethylene terephthalate) - Also known as PET, this plastic is most commonly used for soft drink botles and frozen food trays.

#2 HDPE (high-density polyethylene) - Another commonly used plastic, it is used to produce food containers such as milk and juice jugs, and personal care product packaging such as shampoo and lotion bottles.

#3 Vinyl (vinyl) - A widely-used, but harder to recycle plastic, it is a major ingredient in multi- layer packaging, such as aseptic juice cartons and squeezable condiment bottles.

#4 LDPE (low-density polyethylene) - In a clear form, it is used for many types of food packaging, such as produce bags and shrink wrapping, and in dry cleaning and trash bags.

#5 PP (polypropylene) - In both its film and rigid forms, this plastic is used to make bread wrap, cereal and cracker box liners, boil bags and some dairy containers.

#6 PS (polystyrene) - This plastic can be in two forms: foam and solid. PS foam is used in fast- food clamshell containers, hot drink cups and disposable plates. In its solid form, it is used to produce hard, reusable plastic items, such as glasses, containers and disposable cutlery.

#7 - This is often a composite of various plastics and difficult to recycle.

Many of Ohio's recycling centers, curbside collection programs and recycling drives do accept some plastics. The most commonly recycled plastics are those coded #1 and #2. For example, milk jugs and soda bottles can be recycled and remanufactured into new products, such as fiberfill, carpeting and plastic lumber products.

Important facts about plastics recycling:

• Plastic products make up about 11 percent of the nation's waste stream by weight, but make up about 24 percent by volume.
• A typical single-family household will set out about 13 pounds of plastics per person each year in a curbside recycling program.
• Recycling plastic containers into new products saves about 50 percent of the energy used to make the same product from new material. In addition, recycling plastics can saem twice as much energy as incineration.
• The national recycling rate for PET plastic (#1) bottles reached 32 percent in 1994, yet only two percent of all plastics were recycled.
• About 1,200 soft drink and salad dressing containers could carpet the average living room.
• It takes 1,050 HDPE (#2) milk jugs to make a six-foot plastic lumber park bench.

Plastic recycling, available in Coshocton County through the drop-off program or in Coshocton City through curbside, is easy. #1 (PET) and #2 (HDPE) plastics are accepted. Remove and discard tops and rings, rinse well until no liquid residue remains, crush to save space, and store until collection.

Ohioans must continue to look at new ways to reduce the state's solid waste stream, and recycling plastics is a viable alternative. To ensure the success and growth of plastics recycling, Ohioans must choose plastics that can be recycled and purchase containers and plastic products that are made with recycled materials.

(source: Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Recycling and Litter Prevention)

Here's a list of sites you can visit if you want more information on plastics:

• American Plastics Council
• Dow Chemical
• Eastman Chemical
• Film and Bag Federation of the Society of the Plastics Industy
• National Association of Plastic Container Recovery
• Plastics Mall
• Polymers DotCom
• Polysort
• Renew Plastics (plastic lumber)
• Society of the Plastics Industry
• The Plastics Group of America
• PlasticsNet.Com (electronic marketplace)
• Trex (plastic lumber)

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CANS

Cans are usually made from one of two materials; steel or aluminum. Let's look at aluminum first.

Aluminum

Although aluminum is less than one percent of the nation's municipal solid waste stream, it remains on of the most valuable recyclable materials. Used aluminum beverage cans remain the most recycled item in the U.S., but other types of aluminum, such as siding, gutters, storm window frames and lawn furniture, can also be recycled.

Aluminum has a high market value and continues to provide needed funds for Ohio's curbside and drop-off recycling programs. Recycled materials, such as aluminum, also provide manufacturers with valuable feedstock. For example, recycled aluminum cans are used to make new cans. In fact, nearly 55 percent of a new aluminum can is made from recycled aluminum. The first all- aluminum beverage can appeared in 1963. The act of recycling used cans began in 1968 in California. One million pounds of aluminum cans were recovered that year, an amount that is melted in about four hours today.

Here are some more facts about aluminum:

• Discovered in the 1820's, aluminum is the most abundant metal on earth.
• Twenty years ago it took 19 aluminum cans to make one pound, but today aluminum beverage cans are lighter and it takes 29 cans to make a pound.
• Americans throw away enough aluminum every three months to rebuild our entire commercial air fleet.
• Throwing away an aluminum can wastes as much energy as filling that can up with gasoline...then pouring that gasoline onto the ground.
• Making new aluminum cans from used cans takes 95 percent less energy and 20 recycled cans can be made with the energy needed to produce one can using virgin ore.

Steel

Steel is America's most recycled material! It's time for consumers to follow the steel industry's lead and take a look at one of the most popular steel products sitting on household shelves across the nation - the steel food, beverage, paint and aerosol can. The steel can is often referred to as "tin" because of the thin layer of tin that is applied to the can. Recycling steel cans reduces the volume of trash we send to Ohio's landfills. It conserves energy and nautral resources. And it's simple - steel's magnetic qualities make it easy to pull from the waste stream.

Although Ohioans are doing a good job of recycling other scrap steel such as cars, appliances and construction materials, it is just as important to recycle steel food, beverage and aerosol cans. Here are some fast facts about steel recycling:

• Ohio is the second largest steel-producing state in the U.S. and produced 17 percent of the nation's steel in 1994.
• In 1995, Ohio consumers used more than two billion steel food and beverage cans; about 53 percent were recycled.
• Americans use about 100 million steel cans every day.
• The U.S. food industry uses about 28 billion steel cans each year to package more than 1,500 food products.
• Recycling one ton of steel saves mining 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,000 pounds of coal and 40 pounds of limestone.

(source: Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Recycling and Litter Prevention)

Here's a list of sites you can visit if you want more information on cans:

• Aluminum Association
• AEC Cyberguide
• Aluminum Foil Container Manufacturers Associaion
• Can Manufacturers Institute
• American Iron and Steel Institute
• Ohio Steel Industry
• Steel Manufacturers Association
• Steel Recycling Institute
• Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc.

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GLASS

Americans throw away enoguh glass every two weeks to fill the World Trade Center's twin towers. It's a shame when you stop and think about glass containers going into Ohio's landfills because they will never degrade.

Glass is 100 percent recyclable! Glass can be continually recycled without losing its quality - one pound of used glass can be recycled into one pound of new glass.

Glass recycling efforts in Ohio primarily focus on bottles and jars and other types of container glass, because container glass makes up to 80 percent of the glass that is thrown away. Like aluminum and steel, recycling glass saves a great deal of energy and conserves Ohio's resources. In addition to recycling, glass containers can be reused many times in the home or office.

In Ohio, recycled containers are collected through public and private recycling centers, and through curbside collection and drop-off programs. Once the recycled glass is separated by color, a glass processor crushes, screens and processes the recycled glass containers. The crushed glass, called cullet, is melted down and added to sand, soda ash and limestone. Then the mix is heated to about 2,800 degrees Farenheit to form molten (liquid) glass which is then poured into molds resembling various glass containers. Glass manufacturers use a significant percentage of old glass in new glass containers.

Keep these facts in mind the next time you go to throw away a bottle or jar:

• About 41 billion glass containers are produced in the U.S. each year. Of the glass containers made each year, 64 percent are clear, 23 percent are amber (brown), and 13 percent are green.
• Glass makes up nearly six percent, by weight, of the nation's solid waste stream.
• More than 25 percent of all glass beverage containers in 1994 were recycled, according to the U.S. E.P.A.
• The average American generates 94 pounds of glass per year; the average glass bottle weighs 8 ounces.
• Recycling one ton of glass saves about nine gallons of fuel oil.
• Glass produced from recycled materials reduces related air pollution by 20 percent and water pollution by 50 percent. Manufacturing glass from recycled materials also saves 68 percent energy and half the water normally required in the manufacturing process.

Contaminants in collected glass recyclables, such as non-container glass (i.e., lightbulbs), metals, rocks and ceramic closures, are a serious concern. Glass containers should always be rinsed and seperated by color (clear, green and brown) before recycling. Paper labels can be left on, but metal lids, bottle rings and steel caps must be removed or they will cause defects in the new glass containers. Glass recycling contaminantes to watch out for include mirrors, crystal or drinking glass, light bulbs, window glass and heat-resistant ovenware.

(source: Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Recycling and Litter Prevention)

Here's a list of sites you can visit if you want more information on glass:

• Glass Packaging Institute
• Container Recycling Alliance
• Glass Works
• Owens Corning
• Recycler's World

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  PAPER & PAPERBOARD

  In the morning, it might be a newspaper or used coffee filter; at the office, it's probably paper from the copier and fax machines; and at home in the evening it's mail, napkins, paper bags and food containers - all items made from paper and thrown away after a single use. Americans generated about 81 million tons of waste paper in 1994. Paper and paperboard products are, by weight, about 39 percent of the nation's municipal solid waste stream. Paper products fill our homes, businesses, schools and government agencies.

  This year, paper and paperboard products are projected to represent 40.9 percent of the municipal solid waste stream and may climb to nearly 42 percent by 2010. More than 70 grades (varieties) of waste paper have been identified by the paper industry, but nearly all varieties fall into the following categories:

  • High-grade deinking papers - This category includes bond, letterhead and computer printout papers recovered from printing plants, offices and data processing centers. Every year, Americans throw away enough office and writing paper to build a wall 12 feet high, stretching from New York City to Los Angeles.
  • Pulp Substitutes - Cuttings from converting plants (where huge rolls of paper are cut down into sized, packaged paper) and leftovers from lumber manufacturers. Pulp substitutes are currently being recovered at a rate close to 100 percent.
  • Old Newspapers (ONP) - This includes both post-consumer newspapers and those never distributed. Every day, Americans throw away 42 million newspapers. In 1994, nearly 43 percent of all ONP was recovered for recycling, and the demand for old newsprint is steadily increasing. Newspaper can be recycled five or six times before it deteriorates steeply in quality.
  • Corrugated Cardboard - A three-ply box material (with a wavy layer called "corregated medium" sandwiched between two paperboard layers) used for packaging. More than 28 million tons of cardboard was generated in 1994, and 53 percent was recovered for recycling. Old corrugated cardboard is mixed with old newsprint and other waste papers to make new corrugated materials.
  • Mixed Paper - This includes all other paper products such as recovered phone books, cereal boxes, gray paperboard products, magazines and colored papers. Americans receive almost two million tons of junk mail every year...44 percent of which is never read or opened! The number of communities offering recycling opportunities for mixed paper is slowly growing as markets continue to change.

  There are many different grades of paper, and when recycled, they can be made into a variety of paper products. For example, old newspaper is being turned into new newspaper and recycled office paper is being used to manufacture products such as stationary. As new recycling technologies are developed, paper manufacturers will be able to utilize lower grades of collected waste paper to produce higher grades of recycled paper.

  Overall 38.9 percent of all the paper consumed in the United States was recovered for recycling in 1994. Because American paper makers are becoming increasingly dependent on recovered paper for raw material, the paper industry has set a 50 percent recycling and reuse goal for all paper by the year 2000. As we enter the turn of the century, recovered paper is expect to supply 40 percent of all fiber used to make paper and paperboard products - up from 25 percent in 1988.

  Here's some more facts about paper and paperboard recycling:

  • In 1993, for the first time in history, more paper was recovered in the United States than was landfilled. The American Forest and Paper Association estimates that the industry invested more than $7.5 billion during 1988-1995 in 100 different efforts to recycle more paper.
  • Every day, U.S. paper makers recycle enoguh paper to fill a 15-mile-long train of boxcars.
  • One-third of all paper collected in the world is recovered in the United States, where an average of 267 pounds per person is now recovered annually, compared to 257 pounds per person in Japan.
  • Recycling Ohio's waste paper saves landfill space and natural resources. Every ton of recycled paper requires 7,000 fewer gallons of water than making paper from raw materials; keeps almost 60 pounds of air pollutants out of Ohio's air; saves 462 gallons of oil; and saves more than three cubic yards of landfill space.

  How can you help make paper recycling successful in Ohio? Just check the chart below!

  Purchase paper products which are both recyclable and made from recycled materials	Encourage your office to begin recycling cardboard and high-grade paper.
  Remember to recycle as much paper as possible in your local community program and encourage your recycling program to expand the types of paper products collected for recycling.	Check local listings for local recycling drives that collect newspaper, phone books, magazines and other mixed waste paper products.

  (source: Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Recycling and Litter Prevention)

  Here's a list of sites you can visit if you want more information on paper:

  • American Forest and Paper Association
  • Bell Atlantic
  • Boise Cascade
  • Corruagated Packaging Council
  • Forest Products Industry Directory
  • Forest World
  • James River
  • Jefferson Smurfit
  • Kimberly Clark
  • L & J Wastepaper
  • Newspaper Association of America
  • Publishers National Environmental Bureau
  • Pulp and Paper
  • ReThink Paper
  • Secondary Fibers Exchange (SEFEX)
  • Sonoco Products
  • Technical Association of Pulp and Paper Industry

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