MORE RECYCLING COVERAGE
• FEATURE: How Recycling Works and is Recycling Worth it?
• PLUS: PM Debunks 5 Myths and Half Truths about Recycling
| MATERIAL | ALUMINUM | |
| PRODUCTS | Drink cans |  |
| RECYCLING RATE | 1,440,000 tons Discarded/year 45% is recycled | |
| ENERGY SAVED BY RECYCLING | 96% | |
| CARBON EMISSIONS PREVENTED | 10 tons CO2/ton aluminum | |
| PRICE PER TON | $1800–$2000 | |
| BOTTOM LINE | The huge energy cost—and associated emissions—of producing virgin aluminum from bauxite makes recycling a no-brainer. Each empty can is currently worth about $0.03. | |
| MATERIAL | GLASS | |
| PRODUCTS | Bottles and jars |  |
| RECYCLING RATE | 11,390,000 tons Discarded/year 25% is recycled | |
| ENERGY SAVED BY RECYCLING | 21% | |
| CARBON EMISSIONS PREVENTED | 0.34 tons CO2/ton glass | |
| PRICE PER TON | $25–$40 | |
| BOTTOM LINE | There’s only a marginal energy savings, and we’re not going to run out of sand. Reuse (with bottle deposits) may make more sense than recycling. | |
| MATERIAL | NEWSPRINT | |
| PRODUCTS | Newspaper |  |
| RECYCLING RATE | 12,360,000 tons Discarded/year 25% is recycled | |
| ENERGY SAVED BY RECYCLING | 45% | |
| CARBON EMISSIONS PREVENTED | 2.5 tons CO2/ton newsprint | |
| PRICE PER TON | $90-$140 | |
| BOTTOM LINE | It’s the hottest recycling market today, fueled by insatiable demand from China. The challenge will be to increase recycling rates for mixed paper. | |
| MATERIAL | (PET, NO. 1) | |
| PRODUCTS | Soft-drink bottles |  |
| RECYCLING RATE | 940,000 tons Discarded/year 31% is recycled | |
| ENERGY SAVED BY RECYCLING | 76% | |
| CARBON EMISSIONS PREVENTED | 1.7 tons CO2/ton plastic | |
| PRICE PER TON | $360-$480 | |
| BOTTOM LINE | PET usually gets “downcycled” into lower-grade fibers, but it’s now possible to make it into new bottles. The price has doubled in the past two years; the market should continue to mature. | |
| MATERIAL | POLYSTYRENE (PS, NO. 6) | |
| PRODUCTS | Yogurt containers |  |
| RECYCLING RATE | 1,460,000 tons Discarded/year Negligible amount recycled | |
| ENERGY SAVED BY RECYCLING | 88% | |
| CARBON EMISSIONS PREVENTED | 1.3 tons CO2/ton plastic | |
| PRICE PER TON | $560 | |
| BOTTOM LINE | It’s very hard to sort PS from other plastics, so few cities even try. But new infrared sorting technologies could help make PS recycling viable. | |
source: popularmechanics.com
link to the original post:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journal/how_your_house_works/4291576.html
Fort Lauderdale Blog and Real Estate News
Rory Vanucchi
RoryVanucchi@gmail.com
http://waterfrontlife.blogspot.com
www.FortLauderdaleLiving.net
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