Michigan 4H Youth Conservation Council Presentation

1
Michigan 4-H Youth Conservation
CouncilPresentation

• Natural Resource and Environmental Affairs
  Committee
• April 27th, 2004

2
What are the 3-Rs?

• Pamela

3
Why Recycle?

• Personal Reason
• Moral
• Conservation of Natural Resources
• Conservation of Energy
• Landfill Capacity
• Corporate Justifications
• Business
• Cost Effective
• Labor Efficient

4
Recycling is Profitable when

• People buy products made from recycled goods
• More people recycle
• More post consumer products are made
• More products made from recycled goods are sold

5
What does Re-buy mean?

• Buying a used item
• Steps
• Companies recycle paper
• Post-Consumer Manufactures make that used paper
  into other products
• Consumers buys those post-consumer products

6
What are Post Consumer Products?

• Yolanda

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THE CYCLE OF POST-CONSUMER PRODUCTS

• 1. COLLECT PRODUCTS
• 2. SORT PRODUCTS
• 3. PROCESS PRODUCTS
• 4. MADE INTO NEW PRODUCTS
• PLASTIC BENCHES, FLEECE CLOTHING
• 5. SAME GOODS AS BEFORE
• BOTTLES, CANS, NEWSPAPER
• 6. PURCHASE POST-CONSUMER PRODUCTS

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HOW ARE RECYCLABLES COLLECTED?

• RURAL
• BUY-BACK CENTERS (SUCH AS STORES)
• DROP-OFF AT RECYCLING CENTERS
• PAPER DRIVES
• CURB-SIDE PICK-UP (RARE)
• ARRANGED PICK-UP (RARE)
• HAZARDOUS WASTE FACILITIES (RARE)

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HOW ARE RECYCLABLES COLLECTED?

• URBAN
• BUY-BACK CENTERS (SUCH AS STORES)
• CURB-SIDE PICK-UP
• DROP-OFF
• PAPER DRIVES
• ARRANGED PICK-UP (RARE)
• HAZARDOUS WASTE FACILITIES (RARE)

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Where Can Magazines Be Recycled?

• In Flint Township there is
• Curbside pickup with the County Clerks Office
  paying for the service through taxes
• Magazines have to be taken to the County Clerks
  Office

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HOW ARE POST-CONSUMER PRODUCTS SORTED?

• PLASTICS
• SORTED BY COLOR
• SORTED BY RECYCLING GRADES (SYMBOLS 1-6)

• GLASS
• SORTED BY COLOR

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HOW ARE POST-CONSUMER PRODUCTS SORTED?

• PAPER
• SORTED INTO DIFFERENT TYPES
• NEWSPAPER
• GLOSSIE INSERTS
• XEROX PAPER
• COLORED PAPERS

• METALS
• CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
• SPARK ANALYSIS / GRINDING
• MAGNETS
• TYPES
• ALUMINIUM
• COPPER
• STEEL
• STAINLESS STEEL
• BRASS
• TIN

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HOW ARE POST-CONSUMER PRODUCTS PROCESSED?

• GLASS
• BROKEN INTO PIECES (CULLET)
• CRUSHED
• REMOVAL OF RINGS AND CAPS
• VACUUM PROCER REMOVES PAPER LABELS AND PLASTIC
  COATINGS
• RAW MATERIAL MELTED DOWN

• METAL
• CLEANED
• DELACQUERED
• CUT INTO MANAGEABLE PIECES
• SHREDDED
• MELTED WITH VARIOUS SALTS
• POURED INTO INGOTS
• ROLLED IN ROLLING MILL TO SHEETS

• PAPER
• PUT INTO BALES
• BLEND IT
• HEATED AND MASHED INTO PULP WITH WARM WATER
• INK DISSOLVED WITH SOLVENT AND REMOVED
• BLEACHED AGAIN
• ROLLED INTO SHEETS AND PLACED ONTO GIANT SPOOL

14

• PLASTICS
• CRUSHED IN MACHINE
• SHREDDED INTO FLAKES
• CLEANED, DRIED AND REMELTED

15
Competition
Can post-consumer products compete with raw
material products?
Raw materials are usually in much better quality,
and cost less. This results in more raw material
products being sold than post consumer products
being sold. This can be changed.

• Prices of Post Consumer Products will go down
  when
• People buy more post consumer products
• More money is made from them
• Post consumer products are made with better
  quality
• People are educated about the difference that it
  makes by buying them

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WHY ARE POST-CONSUMER PRODUCTS MADE?

• ENERGY SAVINGS
• (LESS THAN ORIGINAL PRODUCT)
• ALUMINIUM SAVES 95
• STEEL SAVES 61
• NEWSPRINT SAVES 45
• TYPING PAPER 35
• GLASS 31
• PLASTICS SAVE 57-75 BASED ON GRADE

• SAVES VIRGIN MATERIALS
• 1 TON OF GLASS SAVES 1,330 POUNDS, 433 POUNDS OF
  SODA ASH, 433 POUNNDS OF LIMESTONE, 151 POUNDS OF
  FELDSPAR
• REDUCES ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS
• AIR POLLUTION REDUCED 40 BY RECYCLING CANS

17
Demand
What materials are highest in demand for making
post consumer products?

• Typical Materials
• Aluminum
• Paper (newspaper, magazines, office paper etc.)
• Cardboard
• Plastic
• Glass
• Scrap metal (auto parts, soup cans, etc.)

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What are Recycled Magazines Made Into?

• Telephone directory paper
• Paperboard
• Newsprint

19
What is Corrugated Cardboard?

• Has a wavy layer between two flat layers
• Made of recycled content
• Made of post-consumer material
• Can be recycled an average of 7 times

Provided by www.corrugated.org
www.papertrial.com
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• Over 74 of corrugated boxes are recycled
• Highest recycling rates of any packaging material
• Largest share of all paper grades recovered
• Over 22 million tons annually since 1997 in the
  U.S.

Provided by www.corrugated.org
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Why should you recycle Corrugated Cardboard?

• Saves 7000 gallons of water
• Cuts pollution 95
• Saves 11 barrels 462 gallons of oil
• Saves more than 3 cubic yards of landfill space
• Saves 17 trees from having to be cut down and
  used for pulp

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1,600 manufacturing plants in U.S. and Canada

Provide recoverable, recyclable, and
environmentally friendly products
Accessible products anywhere in North America
Provided by www.corrugated.org
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What can Paper be made into?

• New office paper
• Paper towels
• Toilet and facial tissue
• Paper napkins
• Even animal bedding
• And many other useful products

24
Paper Recovery
45 of paper used in the U.S. was recycled into
new paper products in 1999
25
Why should we recycle PET (Plastics 1)?

• PET polyethylene terephthalate
• Approximately 40 billion plastic bottles are
  produced in the U.S. annually
• Two-thirds of the 40 billion up in landfills

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What can PET be made into?

• Fiber for polyester carpet
• Fabric for T-shirts
• Athletic shoes
• Sweaters
• Fiberfill for sleeping bags and winter coats
• Automotive parts
• Luggage racks
• Headliners
• Fuse boxes
• Bumpers
• Grilles
• Door panels

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What is Plastic 2?

• High Density Polyethylene
• Milk Jugs
• Detergent Bottles
• Shampoo Bottles
• Motor Oil Containers
• Bottles has a rigid neck, is thick, and is durable

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What can Plastics 2 be made into?

• Flower Pots
• Trash Cans
• Signs
• Toys
• Plastic Lumber

29
Why should we use Plastic Lumber instead of
Lumber?

• Plastic Wood v. Lumber
• Characteristics
• Uses
• Benefits
• Making the Cellulose Resin
• Purpose of a Plastic Extruder
• Extrusion v. Flow Molding of Boards

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What is Plastic 3?

• Vinyl is
• Durable
• Ease of bending
• Strong
• Tough
• Clear
• Versatile

• Vinyl is resistant to
• Fire
• Chemicals
• Grease
• Oil

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What can Plastic 3 be made into?

• Packaging
• Pipe
• Siding
• Floor tiles
• Notebook covers
• Traffic cones
• Windows
• Fencing
• Blood bags
• Tubing

www.vinylinfo.org/environment/principia_7_99.html
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What is Plastic 4?

• Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE)
• LDPE is
• Chemical resistant
• Strong
• Tough
• Flexible
• Ease of sealing
• Barrier to moisture

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What can Plastic 4 be made into?

• Shipping envelopes
• Garbage can liners
• Floor tile
• Furniture
• Film and sheet
• Compost bins
• Paneling
• Trash cans
• Landscape timber
• Lumber

www.AmericanPlasticsCouncil.org
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What is Plastic 5?

• Polypropylene (PP)
• PP is
• Light- weight
• Tough
• Strong

• Resistant to
• Chemicals
• Heat
• Grease
• Oil
• Barrier to
• Moisture
• Cracking
• Good electrical insulator

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What can Plastic 5 be made into?

• Automobile battery cases
• Battery cables
• Signal lights
• Brooms
• Brushes
• Ice scrapers
• Oil funnels
• And More

www.AmericanPlasticsCouncil.org
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What is Plastic 6?

• Polystyrene (PS)
• PS has
• Clarity
• Hardness
• Electrical properties
• Versatility
• Insulation clarity
• Foam PS containers take 30 less than the total
  energy to make paperboard containers

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What can Plastic 6 be made into?

• Thermometers
• Light switch plates
• Thermal insulation
• Egg cartons
• Vents
• Desk trays
• Rulers
• License plate frames
• Foam packing

www.AmericansPlasticsCoucil.org
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Why isnt Glass profitable?

• Glass isnt profitable.
• Not enough volume
• Not enough demand
• Time and dedication it can be profitable for
• Manufactures
• Consumers
• Economy

39
What can Glass be made into?

• Asphalt
• Made with 10 glass
• Ground into fine sand for beaches
• Plates
• Glasses
• Other kitchen utensils

40
Recycling Companies
Which businesses take recycled goods into their
stores or recycle them?
Waste Management Inc. is one of the largest
recycling companies in Michigan, and also in the
United States. They process everything from
electronics to the regular recyclable materials
such as plastic and aluminum. They have also
created a sorting machine that allows people to
put all their recyclables in one bin, making it
easier to recycle.
Dart Containers takes in recyclable containers
such as Styrofoam trays, packaging, and
containers and recycles them in Mason, MI using
state of the art facilities that make items that
range from building insulation to office desk
supplies.
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More Companies that use or buy recycled products

• Such as GM, Ford??
• Compuware?
• Companies that people can associate with and will
  want to follow in their foot steps
• RAndy

42
HOW MUCH CAN YOU RECYCLE A PRODUCT BEFORE IT
BECOMES UNUSABLE?

• PLASTICS
• DEPENDS ON GRADE OF PLASTIC
• LOWER NUMBERS CAN BE RECYCLED, GRADE 7 CANNOT BE
  REUSED
• DOWNGRADED TO HIGHER GRADE WITH EACH REUSE
• GLASS
• LIMITLESS REUSE
• METALS
• LIMITLESS REUSE
• PAPER
• CAN BE REUSED UP TO A MAXIMUM OF SEVEN TIMES
• FINE GRAINED PAPER, SUCH AS MAGAZINES, CAN BE
  RECYCLED NO LONGER BECAUSE AS THEY ARE RECYCLED
  THE GRAINS GROW SMALLER UNTIL THERE IS NOTHING
  LEFT TO RECYCLE

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What is Re-buying?

• Purchasing of products
• Made of recycled materials
• Designed with source reduction in mind
• Fourth R of the 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)
  Process
• Advantages of Re-buying
• Increases shareholder value
• Increases consumer loyalty
• Avoids the rules of handling dangerous and
  hazardous materials
• Lowers cost of waste removal for companies

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Why should we educate?

• More recycled products made more competition
• Teaching kids when theyre young Learn effects
• Re-buying is a new addition to the recycling
  system
• Completes Cycle
• Larger distribution of recycled products
• People would care more about their environment
• Reduce the amount of waste

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At What Levels Do You Educate People On Re-Buying?

• Governmental representatives
• May initially be the most important group to
  educate
• Can be done by concerned individuals like M4-HYCC
  members
• End users of recycled materials
• In the manufacturing and service fields
• This is the group that uses the re-bought
  materials
• School education programs
• Stress the importance of re-buying to the next
  generation, hopefully influencing their future
  habits.
• General Public education programs
• Could include brochures, postcards, emails to
  large corporations, articles in newspapers and
  magazines, commercials on radio and television
  and posters in public places.

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How Do You Educate People On Re-buying?

• When you educate people on re-buying
• Break the Myths indicate what information on
  buying post consumer products is false and what
  is true.
• Let them know that re-buying
• Saves natural resources
• Saves energy
• Saves clean air and water
• Saves money, creates jobs
• Saves land fill space

Recycle
Re-buy
Reduce
Reuse
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How should Michigan go about educating the public
about recycling?

• Kids influence parents
• Advertise by
• Web sites
• TV
• Kids magazines
• Newspaper
• Radio
• Schools
• Recycling stations with reports
• Starting community service projects
• Churches
• Boy Scouts
• Girl Scouts
• 4-H
• FFA

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How to Educate People?

• Make it Public
• Young age in school
• Daily lives
• Assemblies
• Teachers
• Recycling curriculum
• Reusing art supplies, and other materials
• Special days
• Clean the playground or the schoolyards
• Public Service Announcements
• Make resources available

49
Should Economics be included in Government
classes in Michigan?

• Makes smarter consumers and voters
• Required course
• Expose students to
• Labor
• Finance
• Taxation
• Insight to money management
• Household
• Business
• Government

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Complete the loop. Buy recycled.
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Incentives for 4-R Education

• Gives people the tools for change
• Increases recycling participation
• Grants
• Governmental EPA, DEQ, Etc
• State of Michigan Grants
• (New Bill Legislation-may be giving money out of
  surplus to teachers for education?)
• Private Sierra Club, Green Peace, Etc

52
Are there target goals for MI recycling rates?

• 20
• Virginia
• Started at 10
• Every 2 years raised by 5-8
• Bring it up to 25-35

Glass 167,447 Metals 869,837 Organics
739,904 Paper 712,526 Plastics
40,624 Other 19,908
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What is Recycling Infrastructure?

• Schools
• Recycling bins
• Centralized area
• Staff suggestions
• Reduce Costs
• Increase recycling

• Government
• Programs
• Markets
• Strategies
• Costs
• Efficiency

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Market Prices
55
Market Rates
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What is Michigan doing?

• Beverage Recycling Task Force Report of 2003
• Foundation for effective and responsible public
  policy
• Aware of the shortcomings of the current law
• Concludes the expansion of the bottle bill
• Counterproductive
• Problems in program to repair
• Findings propose
• Litter reduction
• Effective infrastructure to expand current law
• Suggestions
• Create consensus
• Build a statewide recycling effort

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What are other States doing?

• Ohio
• No bottle bill requiring deposit and return
• Does not recycle aluminum pop cans
• Oregon
• 2 Credit Program  (for Oregon watersheds)
• Grants
• Tax Credits
• Virginia
• Recycling rate 25 since 1995
• Michigan
• Recycling rate 20
• Average of 26 for Great Lakes States
• Recycling industry
• 2 billion per year
• Strong growth potential
• Total revenues of 1,952 million in 1999
• 5,687 jobs
• 243 million in wages in 1999

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What should Michigan do?

• Andy
• Forrest

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Should Michigan consider a tax on virgin
materials?

• When we dont recycle paper
• Cut more trees down
• Destroying the environment
• Polluting the environment
• If Michigan put a tax on virgin materials
• People would buy recycled goods
• Cheaper than the virgin materials
• People would recycle due to the demand for
  recycled products
• Businesses would benefit
• Cheaper materials
• Buy more of the recycled goods
• New companies to produce post-consumer products
• Incorporate the trash from Canada
• Preserving our natural resources
• Costs less to dump their waste in Michigan
  landfills instead of recycling
• New revenue source

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Why is it good for businesses to recycle?

• Good business practice RECYLE
• Good for the environment is worth doing business
  with
• More business
• Recycle more
• Domino effect
• Competitive
• Positive light
• Everyone benefits

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SOURCES

• Boy Scouts of America, Conservation Handbook,
  Irving, TX, 1981
• Earth Works Group, 50 Simple Things You Can Do To
  Save The Earth, Berkley, 1989
• Earth Works Group, The Recyclers Handbook,
  Berkley, 1990
• Environmental Protection Agency, www.epa.gov
• Hayes, Denis, The Official Earth Day Guide to
  Planet Repair, Washington DC, 2000
• Michigan Legislature, www.michiganlegislature.org
• Michigan Senate, www.senate.michigan.gov
• Michigan Technical University, www.sos.mtu.edu
• Michigan United Conservation Clubs, www.mucc.org
• State of Michigan, Department of Environmental
  Quality, www.deq.state.mi.us
• State of New Jersey, www.state.nj.us/dep

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Sources

• Aaron
• Don
• Gordon
• Cheri
• Randy
• Stephanie
• Forrest
• Michelle
• Doug
• Dan
• Kacy
• Gordon
• Melissa

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Thank You

• From the Michigan 4-H Youth Conservation Council
  of 2002-2003 for your time!

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Educational Resources Information

• Bob Wilson, Senate Majority Policy Advisor