Plastic Recycling

• Plastic do not decompose well.

• Not all plastic recyclable.
• The 2 recyclable plastics= high-density polyethylene
(HDPE), code 2 & polyethylene terephthalate (PETE),
code 1.
• Plastics melt down → pour in mold.
• Contaminants make it difficult to reuse plasstic for food
containers.
• PETE → carpet fiber & fill for outdoor apparel.
• HDPE → irrigation drainage tiles, sheet plastics &
recycling bins.
• Recovering plastic is more costly – mainly sustain through
high demand from environmental concerned consumer.
 Composting
• Natural biological decomposition (rotting)
of organic matter in the presence of air.
• Compost improves soil structure & plant
growth by:
– Replenishing & storing organic nutrients
– Reducing erosion & water run-off
– Loosening clay soil
– Retaining moisture in sandy soil
– Discouraging plant disease
 Integrated Waste Management
• = A system having several alternatives in operation at
the same time.
• Global Action Plan = International programme to
change the way of people living → waste reduction.
• Waste Wise Programme (US) – voluntary partnership to
design solid waste reduction programme (elimination of
waste, purchase recycled-content product).
• Stop subsidizing garbage disposal (increase per-bag
fee).
• Extended Product Responsibility (EPR) – assigning
responsibility of reducing environmental impact at each
stage of product life cycle. Hewlett-Packard & Xerox’s
return spent copier cartridges programme, recycle
cartridge component.
 Material Recovery Facility (MRF)
• Basic sorting at curbsite/ town recycling station.
• Then → MRF onto 3 tracks: (1) Metal cans & glass
container (2) Paper product (3) Plastic.
• Objective = to prepare materials for recycled goods
market.
• Glass=sorted by color,cleaned,crushed → shipped to
glass company.
• Cans=sorted,flattened → sent to processing facilities.
• Paper=sorted, baled → sent.
• Plastics=sorted into 4 categories (color & type) → sold.
• MRF build with state fund
 Penang Recycling Programme
• Federal 1st. Recycling programme- 1999.
• Federal ministry of Housing & Local Government
relaunched recycling programme (3-bin system) &
collection centre – Dec 2000.
• Penang State Government – 3 bin syst. (March 2001).
• Penang Hazardous waste collection programme (June
2003). Secure landfill in Bukit Nenas, Negeri Sembilan.
• Computer Recycling Programme – (Feb 2004)
• Houshold composting programme – (July 2004)
• E-waste (Electronic & Electrical) recycling programme –
(Jan 2005).
• www.pewog.org
 Minamata
Disease
• 1970 Minamata Tragic. W. Eugene Smith
Tomoko Uemura in Her Bath
• Name after a small village in Japan. Minamata, 1972

• Mid-1950, cats – spastic movements→partial paralysis

→coma →death.
• Additional symtoms occur in human: mental retardation,
insanity & birth defects.
• Chisso Corp. plant Chemical company discharged methyl
mercury containing wastes into river that flowed into the bay
where Minamata villagers fished.
• Mercury →absorbed & Bioaccumulated by bacteria →
Biomagnified → fish → cat/human.
• 50 death, 150 serious bone & nerve damage. ~3000 certified
patients (2001, Ministry of the Environment Government of
Japan)
• Minamata descendants – crippled bodies & retardation.
 Hazardous Material (HAZMAT)

• US EPA : 4 catogories of HAZMAT

– IGNITABLITY – Substances that catch fire easily
(e.g. gasoline & alcohol).
– CORROSIVITY – Substance that corrode storage
tanks & equipments (e.g. strong acid/alkaline).
– REACTIVITY – Substances that are chemically
unstable & may explode or create toxic fumes when
mixed with water (e.g. explosive, elemental
phosphorus (not phosphate), & concentrated sulfuric
acid).
– TOXICITY – Substances that are injurious to health
when ingested or inhaled (e.g. chlorine, ammonia,
pesticides & formaldehyde).
 Sources of HAZMAT
• Total product life cycle – all steps from obtaining
raw materials to final disposal of the product.
 TOXIC CHEMICAL
• Large portion of chemical could be diluted
sufficiently & pose no long-term
human/environmental risk.
• However, 2 major classes of chemical do
not readily degrade in the environment:
– Heavy Metals & their compounds.
– Synthetic organics.
• Most dangerous HEAVY METALS – lead
(Pb), mercury, arsenic, cadmium, tin,
chromium, zinc & copper.
 Heavy Metals
• Widely used in industry (metal-working / metal-
plating shops) for batteries & electronics production.
• Pesticides & Medicines.
• Brilliant colour – paints, pigments, glazes, inks &
dyes.
• Toxic – ionic / certain compounds → soluble in water
& readily absorbed into body → tend to combine
with & inhibit the functioning of enzymes.
• Small amount have severe physiological /
neurological consequences.
• Mental retardation (lead poisoning), insanity &
crippling birth defects (mercury poisoning).