a) Is recycling a good alternative to using raw materials? Explain.
b) How does the cost of recycling compare with the cost of extracting aluminum from the ground? Will this be of influence to the consumer, retailer, or both?
c) Which results in fewer environmental problems: recycling or using raw materials? Explain.
d) Do you think recycling is a reasonable alternative for producing new aluminum beverage cans? Explain.Many schools and communities collect aluminum beverage cans in their recycling programs.?a) Recycling is better alternative than using raw materials.
It uses less energy, causes less pollution, and reduces the need for raw materials and the environmental degradation associated with their extraction.
It also reduces need for transport of bauxite and aluminium oxide.
Aluminium recycling requires only 5% of the energy and produces only 5% of the carbon dioxide emissions compared to primary production.
One kilogram of recycled aluminium saves up to 6kg of bauxite, 4kg of chemical products as well as 14 Kw of electricity.
One recycled aluminium can saves enough energy to run a television for three hours
b) It is significantly cheaper to recycle, due to the very high energy costs of transforming bauxite into aluminium.
The environmental costs of mining bauxite and extracting the aluminium are significant: degradation of land, massive power consumption, waste products, dams for hydro-power, displacement of people, destruction of areas of rainforest.
While land is now often reclaimed after strip-mining, it does not have the same value as virgin land.
Any reduction in production cost is unlikely to make a significant difference to the consumer, as the greater profits are generally made by retailers not producers. I.e retailers may absorb much of any saving they receive rather than passing it on to the consumer.
To the drinks manufacturer (or bottler) it may offer an opportunity to reduce their costs and/or operate more efficiently. If they do life-cycle analysis on their operations or products it may reduce their carbon footprint, or achieve a lower carbon rating for the product.
c) Recycling.
Everything I said in a. And:
Massive energy saving (95%), reduction in power use and ghg emissions.
Production of aluminium requires a lot of power.
Various hydro projects have been built to serve the industry, and while hydro-power does not directly emit CO2, the dams have displaced people, and destroyed land.
The greenhouse gases resulting from primary aluminium production include perfluorocarbons (PFC), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), fluoride, sulfur dioxide (S02), and carbon dioxide (CO2). Of these gases, PFC's resulting from the smelting process are the most potent, and remain in the atmosphere indefinitely. Primary aluminum production is the leading source of perfluorocarbon emissions in the United States. PAH emissions result from the manufacture of anodes for smelters and during the electrolytic process. Sulfur dioxide and sodium fluoride are emitted from smelters and electrical plants. SO2 is one of the primary precursors of acid rain. CO2 emissions occur during smelting and result from the consumption of carbon anodes and from PFC emissions.
If all the aluminium cans sold in the UK were recycled, there would be 14 million fewer full dustbins each year. That's less landfill.
Putting aluminium in landfill or incinerators is a complete waste.
UK consumption of aluminium in 2008 = 900,000 tonnes
The official aluminium packaging recycling rate is 36% in 2008
with the cans-only recycling rate estimated to be 52%.
That's a huge amount of wasted energy and resources, the cost of which is ultimately passed on to the consumer.
While in some developed countries the manufacturers of aluminium highlight their environmental credentials, in less developed countries there are often less stringent regulations; the environmental action groups appear to feel that not enough is being done.
Earth first blockaded Alcan's site in Scotland, due to their opposition to Alcan's plans for developments in Iceland and India.
http://www.earthfirst.org.uk/actionrepor鈥?/a>
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Link鈥?/a>
d) Absolutely!
Everything I said in answer to a and c, And:
Ample reprocessing capacity and secure end-markets are available.
Drinks cans can be recycled, made into new cans, filled and put back on the shelf in just six weeks.
If all the aluminium cans sold in the UK were recycled, there would be 14 million fewer full dustbins each year.
Putting aluminium in landfill or incinerators is a complete waste.
Metals can be recycled indefinitely without losing any of their properties making them an ideal material for this process.
Recycling could help us achieve government targets for reductions in CO2 emissions.
While significant improvements have been made in reducing emissions from smelting aluminium oxide, the process still creates pollutants.
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