Markets in Secondary Recycling

Secondary recycling is the recycle of plastic resins into new products with less demanding physical and chemical characteristics than the original application. Mixed plastics are applied most easily in the secondary recycling market because less separation of resin types and less complicated production methods are necessary to achieve a finished product. The most readily recognized secondary plastic product is plastic lumber (thick extrusion molded slabs of resin in which some types of resins act as fillers). Plastic lumber is used to make park benches, fence posts, boat docks, playground equipment and the like. The fabrication of mixed plastic lumber is discussed in Part II of the book. 

Some recovered post-consumer and post-industrial resins are for sale in pellet fomi for manufacturers to utilize in production. Table 3.3 shows producers/companies which produce such pellets. 

Astro Valcour LDPE Air bubble cushion packaging containing 20% postconsumer and 30-40% in-house scrap 

Drug Plastics Glass HDPE 10 - 30% recycle material in a stock bottle made using coextnision 

Jennico HDPE 50% recycle detergent containers made on extrusion/blow molding machines 

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Of recycled, or secondary copper, 56% is derived from new scrap, while 44% comes from old scrap. Domestically, the secondary copper smelting industry is led by four producers. Like the secondary aluminum industry, these producers buy the scrap they recycle on the open market, in addition to using scrap generated in their own downstream productions. The secondary copper industry is concentrated in Georgia, South Carolina, Illinois, and Missouri. 

In 1996, the U S. domestic lead industry was comprised of 17 mines located primarily in Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, and Montana two primary smelter-refineries in Missouri a primary smelter in Montana and 25 secondary (recycling) producers operating 31 plants. Of the lead recycled in 1996, 99% was produced by 10 companies operating 17 plants in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas. Lead is also sold by the Defense National Stockpile Center (DNSC) as a result of legislation passed in 1992 authorizing the disposal of the entire 545,000 metric tons in the stockpile over several years. The law, however, requires the task to be completed without undue disruption of commercial lead markets (Larrabee 1997 Smith 1998). 

Environmental — Reduced fuel consumption during product life — Fully recyclable in the form of similar structural components (middle layer) — Lightweight construction potential for reduced fuel consumption during product life — Not known as compared to metal or metal hybrid version — Market for secondary raw materials still very small... 

Equation (1) is the total material purchasing cost (PC) acquiring material from all suppliers in FL and recycling material from secondary market in RL. Equation (2) is the total fixed installation cost (BC) of all potential recycling units of all stages in RL. Equations (3)-(5) are the total production cost (MC) of FL and RL under different technology levels. Equation (6) states that total capacity expansion cost... 

The cost of various silver compounds is a function of the silver market price. In 1980, the estimated usage of silver ia the United States was 3730 metric tons (120 X 10 troy oz) (23). This silver is derived from silver mined within the United States silver recycled or reclaimed from secondary sources, eg, coiaage, flatware, jewelry, and photographic materials and imported silver. In 1980, Canada, Mexico, and Pern, the principal exporters of silver to the United States, shipped 1670 tons (53.8 x 10 troy oz) as silver buUion and silver compounds. U.S. imported 2799 t and exported 964 t ia 1988 (23). 

Italy. The consortium, COBAT, was created in 1988 with the responsibility for collection and marketing of used batteries, the re-treatment of collected batteries if market economics are not effective, and the research and development for cleaner recycling of spent batteries. The consortium comprises secondary lead smelters, battery manufacturers, scrap merchants, and battery retailers. The customer pays a fee on each battery, and this is used to fund COBAT. 

Fig. 12.2 Production of primary aluminium in the US between 1930 and 2001 has risen dramatically the contribution that recycled aluminium has made to the market became increasingly important in the latter part of the twentieth century and competes with primary production. The term secondary aluminium refers to metal recovered from new and old scrap, and the total production is the sum of primary and secondary sources. [Data US Geological Survey.]...

Tab. 8.8 B reakdown of MRF separated recyclables in a specific plant as well as typical processing costs and expected market prices (US Midwest, end of 1992) of the resulting secondary raw material (adopted and modified from [8.2.3])...

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