ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the Three Rs (reduce, recycle and recover) in depth, before considering the two treatment cycles of mechanical treatment and organic treatment. There is an in-depth look at recycling and how some materials can only be recycled a limited number of times. There are two clear statements that:
products and packaging must be designed for recycling; and
if a material contained within a product or packaging cannot be easily recycled, then it should not be used.
Examples are shown of poor packaging labelling, such as “Film not yet recycled”, with a comment that if film is not currently recycled, it is because it cannot be and so should not be used and that it is part of Producer Responsibility to ensure that all materials used can be recycled. There is a discussion of the relative merits of the three types of recycling: closed loop recycling, upcycling and down-cycling. This is followed by a description of the two large-scale treatment methods for organic “waste”: anaerobic digestion and composting, together with a discussion of home-based organic “waste” treatment. The description of Energy from Waste (EfW) incineration is followed by an analysis of the UK’s excess of EfW capacity and a description of how a modern landfill site is operated. The chapter concludes with a brief consideration of the atmospheric pollution arising from all forms of Household Waste treatment and of the relative costs of the different treatment methods.
