Recycling on EARTH Magazine

Battery recycling underlies elevated lead in African soils

Tue, 10 Apr 2018 11:22:11 -0400

Lead-acid batteries — used to power motor vehicles and cellphone towers, and for power storage at wind and solar farms — are one of the most recyclable products, but they are also highly toxic. Credit: baselactionnetwork, CC BY-ND 2.0.

Of all the recycling industries in the world, lead-acid battery recycling is one of the most profitable — and one of the most toxic. In the U.S., regulations on the industry have dramatically reduced lead exposure and pollution at battery recycling plants. But in Africa, where the industry is growing and largely unregulated, lead levels are skyrocketing. A new study in Environmental Research looking at environmental lead levels in seven African countries is shining a spotlight on the ongoing public health crisis.

Ultraviolet lights the way for rare earth recycling

Mon, 24 Aug 2015 10:21:03 -0400

Landfills represent a massive source of rare earth materials. Credit: ©Geoff Livingston, CC BY-NC-SA-2.0.

The 17 rare earth elements, widely used in everyday devices from cellphones to magnets and fluorescent lights, aren’t all that rare. They are just finely dispersed in small quantities around the world, making them difficult to mine in substantial quantities. Recycling rare earths is an attractive means to supplement freshly mined stocks, but it remains technically and logistically difficult. Now, a team has developed a more efficient method of recycling two rare earth elements — europium and yttrium — using ultraviolet (UV) light instead of traditional methods involving chemical solvents.

Trash-to-treasure: Turning nonrecycled waste into low-carbon fuel

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 14:45:27 -0400

Paper and cardboard commodity streams are part of the output of a materials recovery facility. John R. Fyffe

Americans produce more than four pounds of trash per person per day, amounting to 20 percent of the world’s waste. Although recycling rates have increased over the past few decades — out of the 4.4 pounds of trash (per capita) that we produce in the U.S. each day, we compost or recycle about 1.5 pounds and incinerate another 0.5 pounds — more than 50 percent of our waste still ends up buried in landfills. Now, through the use of a novel energy recovery technique, we could reduce the amount that is sent to landfills by about 10 percent and produce a fuel that is relatively clean and more energy dense than coal. Materials that were considered garbage for generations are now being recognized for what they still offer after their useful life — valuable energy resources capable of solving multiple problems at once. Trash can become treasure.

Paving the way for electronic waste recycling

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:41:58 -0500

Some scientists say recycling the nonmetal parts of printed circuit boards to use as an asphalt additive solves two problems: It makes roads stronger and reduces electronic waste. Adobe Images

Americans throw away a couple million tons of unwanted computers, cell phones, TVs and other electronics every year. Researchers in China, a major destination of the waste, say they know how to get rid of this mounting e-waste: Recycle the nonmetal components of the printed circuit boards found in many electronics for use as an additive to make asphalt more durable. Pavement engineers say it’s not such a bad idea — but unless several potential roadblocks are cleared, don’t expect to drive down a highway paved with old computer parts anytime soon.

Saving Energy and Water Through Superior Sanitation

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:41:58 -0500

A Clivus Multrum waterless toilet. Courtesy of Clivus Multrum

The Solaire, an apartment building in lower Manhattan, has a wastewater treatment plant in the basement. Creative Image

Recycled wastewater from Manhattan's Solaire apartment building is used in air conditioning, toilets and irrigation. American Water

Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, has its own water recycling plant. The recycled water is used to flush toilets. American Water

Have you ever thought about using your urine to fertilize your tomatoes and cucumbers? Full of nutrients like phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen, urine can work wonders in your garden. How about composting your feces — packed with rich organic matter just waiting to be decomposed — to help your rose bushes and oak trees grow? If you don’t use feces for composting, then it could be a source of natural gas and hydrogen for use as an alternative energy supply. Or perhaps you would be more comfortable with the thought of reusing the water you wash your clothes in to flush your toilets?