Recycling:

Recycling is the process of taking a product at the end of its useful life and using all or part
of it to make another product. The internationally recognized symbol for recycling includes
three arrows moving in a triangle. Each arrow represents a different part of the recycling
process, from collection to re-manufacture to resale.

But what does all this have to do with you? Well, recycling is a simple way that you, as a
consumer, can help out the environment, create a profitable market for recycled goods and
help preserve natural resources from being depleted.

:Why recycling is important

In Some county households produced 30.5 million tones of waste in 2003/04, of which 17%
was collected for recycling. This number is still quite low compared to some of our
neighboring EU countries, some recycling over 50% of their waste. There is still a great deal
of waste which could be recycled that ends up in landfill sites which is harmful to the
environment.

Recycling is an excellent way of saving energy and conserving the environment. Did you
know that:

• 1 recycled tin can would save enough energy to power a television for 3 hours.
• 1 recycled glass bottle would save enough energy to power a computer for 25 minutes.
• 1 recycled plastic bottle would save enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb for 3
hours.
• 70% less energy is required to recycle paper compared with making it from raw
materials.
Some Interesting Facts
• Up to 60% of the rubbish that ends up in the dustbin could be recycled.
• The unreleased energy contained in the average dustbin each year could power a
television for 5,000 hours.
• The largest lake in the Britain could be filled with rubbish from the UK in 8 months.
• On average, 16% of the money you spend on a product pays for the packaging,
which ultimately ends up as rubbish.
• As much as 50% of waste in the average dustbin could be composted.
• Up to 80% of a vehicle can be recycled.
• 9 out of 10 people would recycle more if it were made easier.
Aluminum
 • 24 million tones of aluminum is produced annually, 51,000 tones of which ends up as
packaging in the UK.
• If all cans in the UK were recycled, we would need 14 million fewer dustbins.
• £36,000,000 worth of aluminum is thrown away each year.
• Aluminum cans can be recycled and ready to use in just 6 weeks.
Glass

• Each UK family uses an average of 500 glass bottles and jars annually.
• The largest glass furnace produces over 1 million glass bottles and jars per day.
• Glass is 100% recyclable and can be used again and again.
• Glass that is thrown away and ends up in landfills will never decompose.
Paper

• Recycled paper produces 73% less air pollution than if it was made from raw materials.
• 12.5 million tones of paper and cardboard are used annually in the UK.
• The average person in the UK gets through 38kg of newspapers per year.
• It takes 24 trees to make 1 ton of newspaper.
Plastic

• 275,000 tones of plastic are used each year in the UK, that’s about 15 million bottles
per day.
• Most families throw away about 40kg of plastic per year, which could otherwise be
recycled.
• The use of plastic in Western Europe is growing about 4% each year.
• Plastic can take up to 500 years to decompose.

:Types of recycling

There are many type of recycling:-….E-recycling---Paper recycling---plastic recycling---cell

phone recycling---glass recycling---aluminum recycling---and others
:How paper is recycled

Paper is taken from the bin and deposited in a large recycling container along with paper .1
from other recycling bins

2. The paper is taken to a recycling plant where it is separated into types and grades.

3. The separated paper is then washed with soapy water to remove inks, plastic film, staples
and glue. The paper is put into a large holder where it is mixed with water to create ‘slurry’.

4. By adding different materials to the slurry, different paper products can be created, such
as cardboard, newsprints or office paper.

The slurry is spread using large rollers into large thin sheets

5. The paper is left to dry, and then it is rolled up ready to be cut and sent back to the shops.

:How glass is recycled

1. The consumer throws glass into a recycle bin.

Glass is taken from the bin and taken to a glass treatment plant .2

The glass is sorted by color and washed to remove any impurities .3

The glass is then crushed and melted, then moulded into new products such as bottles .4
and jars. Or it may be used for alternative purposes such as brick manufacture or decorative
uses

5. The glass is then sent back to the shops ready to be used again.

Glass does not degrade through the recycling process, so it can be recycled again and .6
again
Aluminum is recycled: how

1. The consumer throws aluminum cans and foil into a recycle bin

2. The aluminum is then collected and taken to a treatment plat

.In the treatment plant the aluminum is sorted and cleaned ready for reprocessi3 .

It then goes through a re-melt process and turns into molten aluminum, this removes the .4 .
coatings and inks that may be present on the aluminum

5.The aluminum is then made into large blocks called ingots. Each ingot contains about1.6
million drinks cans.

6. The ingots are sent to mills where they are rolled out, this gives the aluminum greater
flexibility and strength.

7. This is then made into aluminum products such as cans, chocolate wrapping and ready
meal packaging.

8. In as little as 6 weeks, the recycled aluminum products are then sent back to the shops
ready to be used again

How to Recycle Different Materials

Batteries

All waste batteries are classified as hazardous waste and recycling is always the best
.option

Ordinary household batteries do contain some hazardous chemicals so ideally should not
.be thrown out with the day to day rubbish
Rechargeable batteries contain harmful metals, so should never be thrown away with daily
.rubbish, they should be returned to manufacturer for disposal or recycled elsewhere

.Local councils or garages sometimes offer battery-recycling services

.Contact the battery manufacturer for further recycling advice

Ordinary batteries require a lot of energy to make, so in order to save energy, use
.rechargeable batteries and electricity mains instead of ordinary batteries

Materials Buildings

Buildings are made from many materials, many of which are recyclable such as metal, wood,
.glass, etc. Recycle these materials accordingly

.Architectural salvage yards may take some items for reselling

.Many building materials can be reused, such as bricks and wood

Contact the Association for Environmentally Conscious Building for further advice on
:recycling

Clinical waste

Clinical waste such as nappies, sanitary waste and medical supplies have the potential to be
.infectious so must be disposed of using special methods

.Be very careful when disposing of needles and syringes

Look for doctors or manufacturer instructions of how to dispose of medical waste on the
.packaging containers

.Medicine containers can be recycled accordingly once it is empty

:(E-recycling (Computer

Also known as e-waste, discarded computer equipment comprises monitors, printers, hard
drives and circuit boards. Such items should on no account be thrown out with your
household rubbish because they contain toxic substances, and are effectively hazardous
waste. E-waste often ends up in the developing world, and the UN's Environment
Programmed is alarmed by the amount of electronic goods which is improperly disposed of
overseas. There is increasing concern about the pollution caused by hazardous chemicals
and heavy metals in Africa, Asia and South America.

What's in my PC?
Proportio
Material
n
Plastic
23%
Ferrous metals
32%
Non-ferrous
18%
metals
12%
Electronic boards
15%
Glass

A single computer can contain up to 2kg of lead, and the complex mixture of materials make
PCs very difficult to recycle.

:How do you reduce reuse and recycle

You can reduce the amount of waste you create by choosing what rubbish you throw away.
This can be easy and fun - just follow our simple guidelines to reduce your waste at home,
.school or work

-What to Buy and How to Use I

Waste reduction starts at the supermarket. By making slight alterations to your shopping list
.you can significantly reduce the amount of waste created in and around the home

Buy only what you need -

Reduce unnecessary waste by avoiding those pointless purchases. Items that rarely get
.used can be borrowed or shared with others

Buy products that can be reused -

Buy bottles instead of cans and rechargeable batteries. Items such as this create very little
.waste, as they don’t have to be thrown away after they have been used just once

Buy all-purpose household cleaner -

.Instead of buying many different ones for each cleaning role

Buy products with little packaging -

So that less packaging ends up in your rubbish bin. For those items you use regularly, buy
them in bulk instead of in smaller amounts. This will save you money as well as reduce wast

Sell or give away unwanted items Reduce waste by donating unwanted items to family,
friends or neighbors. You could even sell your possessions in a car-boot sale and earn
.some extra cash

Reducing Hazardous Waste

Many hazardous products cannot be recycled as they contain harmful chemicals. However,
.there are ways of reducing waste by dealing with hazardous products in the correct manor

Buy non-toxic products whenever possible

.Many toxic products such as motor oil and pesticides cannot be reused

Recycle motor products

Such as break fluid, oils and tires by taking them to your local petrol station. By recycling
.these products instead of throwing them away, you are reducing hazardous waste

Use all of the toxic product, such as furniture polish, so there is no hazardous material left in
.the container when it is discarded

.Find safer alternatives to hazardous household products

You can even make your own household cleaners using products such as baking soda and
vinegar. Olive oil with lemon juice is a good alternative to furniture polish and using scented
.candles are a good alternative to air fresheners

Think Before You Throw

Many of the items that you would normally consider as rubbish could be used for other
.purposes. So instead of throwing items away, reduce waste by using them for other roles

Paper and Envelopes

.Can be used as scrap paper for making notes

 Cardboard, Newspaper and Bubble Wrap

Can be used as packing materials. Packaging products, such as foil and egg cartons, can be
.used for art projects in schools and nurseries

Jars and Pots

Can be used as small containers to store odds and ends

Plastic and Paper Bags

.Can be reused in the shops, used as bin bags around the house or as wrapping paper

Used wood

Can be used in woodcrafts for making small garden objects such as bird tables.
Alternatively it could be used as firewood

:Impact of recycling

Wastes in Riyadh

matter % tons
‫عام‬ :(Ok what
‫السعودية‬ about
‫المدن‬ this
‫في أهم‬ country
‫المنتجة‬ (KSA
‫النفايات‬ Organic material 39.40 638.280
‫ م‬1998
:Some tables Paper and cartoon 19.41 314.422
‫المدينة‬ ‫الكمية بالطن‬
glass 2.94 47.628
‫الرياض‬ 1.514.000
‫جدة‬ 971.000 martial 1.74 28.188
‫مكة‬ 697.000 aluminum 3.31 53622
‫الدمام‬ 501.000
plastic 11.82 191.483
‫المدينة‬ 360.000
‫الطائف‬ 338.000 wood 1.61 26.082
‫بريدة‬ 272.000 rubber 3.21 52.002
‫الهفوف‬ 224.000 other 16.56 2688.272
‫تبوك‬ 216.000
SUM 100.00 1.620.000
‫جيزان‬ 180.000
‫المجموع‬ 5.273.000
:Important symbol