"Basic Fact"

WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RECYCLING RESOURCE EFFICIENCY Basic FACTS UNEP wwuneparg What are the most common types of waste? Germany 590 kg/ person / year 34% 14% 22% 12% 12% 5% USA 730 kg / person/ year by percent contribution to total weight of municipal waste (2005) 5% 8% 34% 25% 12% 16% Paper and Cardboard Organic Material Plastic Textiles and Others Glass Metals Source: UNEP GIO Data Portal.compled from OECD How do different countries dispose of their waste? Sweden Germany South Korea Japan Finland USA 100% Ireland Landfilled UK Austria Incinerated France Italy S0% Spain Turkey Composted Greece Australia Recycled Mexico 0% Years range from 2003-2005 Source:OECD Environmental Daa Compendum 200so How do different wastes compare in terms of production and recycling efficiency? Glass Paper Aluminium Plastic • Recycled glass melts at a lower temperature, so the recycling process uses less energy. • can be recycled 5-7 times before cellulose fibers break down. Melting down scrap aluminum uses much • Lighter than other materials, so it can save energy on transportation. less energy than making new aluminum. • Many different types, all of which must be recycled separately. Small amounts of new fiber are • can be recycled indefinitely; 1 kg of old glass bottles produces 1 kg of new glass bottles. often added to maintain quality, but new products can be made from 100% recycled material. • can be recycled indefinitely. • The average aluminum can contains 40% recycled material. • is"down-cycled"to make other products rather than new bottles. Sources Seis Federal omice for the Environment, 2008. Wasne management facilties Recycling US EPA, 2008. Common Wasnes and Manerials. Comparison of Amount of Material Needed to Make New and Recycled Products (in kg material / kg product) 43% ess material used to make recycled glass. Material and Air (for chemical reactions) glass 21 recycled glass 12 (88 secondary) Water newsprint recycled newsprint 79% less material (biotic and abiotic) needed to make recycled newsprint. However, the recycling process requires much more water, most of which is used to break down old paper and remove ink. paper (bleached) corrugated cardboard 316 97 aluminium 1096 97% less material needed to make recycled aluminum recycled aluminium Source Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and PET Plastic 304 Enengy 200. Material Intensity of materials fuels amport services HDPE Plastic 110 (thicker, more durable plastic) Produced by UNEP/DEWAGRD-Europe, Feb. 2009