How can recycling be transported

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Recycling Transport Service We have decades of experience providing businesses, manufacturers and communities recycling transport solutions that remove tons of recycling material from their waste stream, keeping their facilities running smoothly. When metallic waste are mixed together, the cost-effective solution for refining is furnaces. As the metal is molten, the separation is done using the buoyancy decantation methods, centrifugation, filtration, flotation, etc.

Despite the technology optimization, a fraction of metal is unrecyclable [ 20 ] and some alloying elements are lost in the process [ 21 ]. It leads to a drop of the metal quality which is akin to a down-cycling and so, after recycling, the metals cannot meet the primary resource purity [ 22 ].

The Figure 2 is an illustration of an aluminium cable, the aluminium core a is covered with a polymer thick layer b. Additional metallic materials c are coaxially integrated to reach the definition of this complex product.

These cables are manufactured by extruding together all the materials that compose it. The glued assembly of many materials makes the product particularly homogeneous and hard to disassembly. The Table 1 shows the mass proportion of materials contained in aluminium cables. The first column refers to the keys present in Figure 2. Mass proportions are extracted from MTB monitoring data of recycled cables at the plant between and Other metals are mainly steel, lead, copper, zinc.

The inherent purity of aluminium used for cables justifies differentiate recycling channels to optimize processing steps and to improve cost efficiency. At the EoL, the challenge concerns the separation of materials from each other. The most economical way to separate different materials relies on a smelting purification [ 25 ]. Even if the cables are complex objects composed by a multitude of materials, it is possible to carry out a mechanical recycling without smelting.

Instead of thermal and wet separation, the alternative process to recycle the cables rely only on shredding and mechanical sorting. This mechanical recycling solution has notably been developed for several years by MTB, a recycling company located near Lyon in France. The specific recycling pathway developed by MTB is sold worldwide as a cable recycling system. This recycling solution reaches standard aluminium purity up to It is thus possible to carry out mechanical recycling without neglecting the quality.

This performance is obtained using only mechanical separation and optical sorting processes on shredder cables, as present in Figure 3. A similar system is in use for copper cables. Because a high purity makes it easy to produce a wide variability of alloys; aluminium and copper from cables mechanical recycling are specially appreciated by the smelter. Recycled aluminium and copper can then be used in many metallic products and not only in applications requiring alloys.

A Life cycle assessment LCA [ 26 , 27 ] was conducted to evaluate the environmental impact of aluminium cable recycling. With the LCA results, we were able to compare the mechanical process with the traditional smelting process.

As already demonstrated in previous publication [ 28 ], the mechanical recycling process makes it possible to halve the impact of recycled aluminium. The summary of the recycling LCA comparison results is shown in Figure 4. The results for MTB mechanical recycling process are given with two sets of data. The only difference between these two models concerns the electricity mix used. In yellow, the characterization is done using the equivalent European electricity mix ENTSO-E and in blue using a specific green electricity mix.

During the first LCA study, we have also compared the recycling systems to the baseline mining system available in Ecoinvent. The Ecoinvent modelling uses data from the average technology available on the market for Western Europe [ 29 ].

The mining system is based on the EAA life cycle inventory [ 30 , 31 ]. As expected the primary aluminium production system emerges as far more significant than other systems on all indicators in the LCA results. Also, in the present LCA study, this production system is not relevant. Except for the ionizing radiation impact indicator, the impact of the MTB recycling system in yellow in Fig.

The high electricity consumption during the shredding steps heavily contribute on this indicator. For the comparison of aluminium produced using specific green electricity mix in blue on the Fig. Results from Figure 4 also show the environmental relevance of the product centric recycling approach for cables recycling.

The LCA revealed that the closed loop option considering aluminium cables has lower environmental impact over the other recycling scenario using mixed aluminium scraps.

This performance has already been demonstrated for aluminium cans [ 32 ] and for other materials [ 33 ]. Thanks to MTB recycling pathway, on the set of indicators, the environmental impact of recycled aluminium is divided by four. These results allow us to establish a hierarchy between environmental recycling solutions for aluminium cables.

Whatever the electricity mix used by the recycling plant, the MTB mechanical recycling process is the most environmentally friendly pathway. It also demonstrates that recycling when driven without loss of quality is a relevant alternative to mining. This attractive performance hides a hotspot: the End-of-life logistic.

The transportation is the main contributor to the overall impact of the mechanical recycling system. The Figure 5 shows the results for the characterization of the MTB aluminium recycling pathway, with the specific renewable electricity mix used at the MTB recycling plant.

The values used for the representation are given on the figure. The results show a very strong contribution from the EoL logistic for the collection of waste in the total impact of the scenario. On the set of indicators, the MTB recycling steps represent between Characterization of the two recycling pathways comparison using equivalent and specific electricity mix [ 34 ]. Characterization of MTB recycled aluminium using specific electricity mix [ 34 ].

Using LCA gives good results to improve the environmental performances of industrial processes [ 35 ]. The extensive study of the main contributors and hotspots has allowed MTB to implement corrective actions to reduce the impact of its mechanical recycling process.

The authors return in detail on this work in a second publication [ 36 ]. All these actions concern only the pre-processing steps within the factory, but not the EoL logistics.

To further reduce the environmental impact of cables recycling, MTB had to review the overall recycling chain Fig. First, we studied the possibility of optimizing the logistic routes, or even increasing the filling rates of the collection trucks.

However, these solutions only provide a partial answer. MTB therefore launched the challenge of designing a transportable recycling solution capable of achieving the same level of purity as its existing centralized plant but with a lower flow rate.

So, instead of bringing the waste to the recycling plant, it is the plant that moves closer to the deposits. The concept of the Cablebox was born! It takes place in two foot containers, one foot container and one foot container.

The details of the various components of the Cablebox are given in Table 2. Compared to the MTB recycling plant at Trept, the flow rate is divided by two. The use of the international container standard sizes ensures maximum transportability by all modes of transport road, rail and maritime.

In addition, the containers offer modularity with upstream and downstream processes that can be easily connected. The Cablebox system is not autonomous, it requires an external power source. The electricity mix used for the local supply of the system depends on the location. There are no direct local emissions but only indirect emissions due to the electricity consumption.

We therefore wanted to know if the Cablebox approach was more relevant from an environmental and economic point of view, using economic and environmental Life cycle analysis LCC and LCA tools. In the rest of this article, we present the study conducted to determine the environmental and economic balance between a collection of waste requiring the transport to a centralized recycling plant versus the displacement of a recycling plant near the waste production location.

The Figure 7 presents the study scope used for the life cycle comparison. The boundaries include cradle to exit gate stages [ 37 , 38 ]. Life in use of materials in cables and new products are not included in our study scope. The study only focuses on recycling steps of metals. As shown in Figure 7 , by-products are included in environmental impacts calculation, but no environmental and economic benefit of by-products recycling is integrated into the study.

The boundaries are the same for the two systems. Smelting plants for refining mixed metals are well dispatched on the territory, so we assume that downstream transport is similar to the two scenarios. At the MTB plant, we have the necessary equipment to separate plastics from each other. This additional treatment line is not considered in this study. However, MTB is planning to integrate all these technologies as an additional container to handle the mixed plastics outflow from Cablebox.

The Table 3 presents the technical data. This treatment line has been reviewed by a complete LCA [ 34 ] and briefly discussed in the introduction section. In this article, we propose only a simplified presentation of the life cycle inventory to compare with the Cablebox system which was not been assessed with the previous LCA.

The working time is fixed on a working-day basis including ten days of complete shutdown for maintenance. The daily maintenance is carried out by night at regular intervals. Airlines could recycle over million more pounds of waste annually. Each year, the airline industry disposes of enough aluminum cans to build 58 Boeing jets, 9, tons of plastic, and enough magazines and newspaper to cover a football field meters deep information obtained from the Natural Resource Defense Council.

Vertical and Horizontal Balers are very efficient for processing the large amounts of cardboard generated in the air transportation industry. Use stainless steel compactors or bottle and can balers to prepare aluminum cans and plastic bottles generated on flights and in the airport for recycling.

There are many opportunities to recycle in the road transportation industry. Some opportunities include asphalt paving, cement, concrete, steel, rebar, aluminum, tires, engine oils and lubricants, antifreeze, signs, vehicle batteries, guard rails and packaging and shipping pallets. In addition aluminum cans, glass, paper, plastics from rest areas and employee eating areas can be recycled. Vertical Balers should be used in the road transportation industry at rest areas and in employee eating areas to accumulate and prepare aluminum cans, paper, cardboard and plastics for recycling.

Commercial stainless steel compactors and Compacting Dumpsters can be used to accumulate trash at rest areas and employee eating areas. Compacting trash at the source will reduce the number of times the trash is picked up by the waste hauler and therefore reduce the cost, the emissions and fuel use. Note: A six mile car ride creates around 5 pounds of pollution.

Marine Transportation. Most environmental reports focus on the road industry, however the marine industry has a lot of areas where recycling can be effective.

Other than the common recycling bins on board, the marine industry can implement balers for cardboard and newspapers and other types of paper. Bottles and cans plastic, glass, metal and aluminum can be deposited into recycling containers and then compacted for recycling with a bottle and can baler with a liquid extractor. Overall, the transportation industry as a whole represents a large percentage of recycling material.

There are many options for the transportation industry to save on waste processing costs. Facility size, waste hauler arrangements and other factors will determine the best approach that should be taken. For assistance in determining the best approach for your particular facility, email WasteCare Corporation at sales wastecare.

All Rights Reserved. Possible Additional Transportation Cost Increases: we are concerned that the Eagle County government will join Pitkin County in making the decision to close its recycling facility.

We believe in what we do, and the promise of recycling and reducing our overall personal waste. As we navigate the intricacies of the recycling industry and how it affects our business practices, we remain committed to providing our customers with accurate, honest information about these issues.