Recycling 101 – What actually happens to your waste?
Let’s talk trash! Everyone has it, but we rarely consider what happens when you throw something away. Hint: it’s not as simple as you think! Moreover, simply putting something in a recycle bin doesn’t mean it’s actually getting recycled.
Fern Gookin, Director of Sustainability at Revolution Recovery, will explore the ideal closed-loop material cycle while uncovering imperfections in each stage of the process. You’ll learn how and why some materials are recycled and why others are not. Fern also discusses some promising new solutions that can help reduce waste going to our landfills.
Welcome and Introduction
Meet Fern Gookin, Director of Sustainability at Revolution Recovery, as she provides some context for the issues plaguing the construction industry in the recycling process today.
The Materials Cycle
Understand the difference between waste disposal systems and learn about The Materials Cycle.
Fern explains the Consumption portion of the Materials Cycle using plastic buckets as an example.
This lesson explores what is included in the Recovery section of the Materials Cycle, highlighting the importance of shipping weight in recycling.
Learn how the plastic bales are processed at facilities and made into PET flakes and then "nurdles".
Problems and Pitfalls
Understand the biggest challenge in manufacturing - the low price of virgin materials.
This lesson discusses the greatly increased demand for single-use plastics and packaging.
Dive into the issues of recovery, including cheap landfill prices and low-value materials.
Fern describes the Plastic Processing stage, including what percentage of plastic made is recycled more than once.
Materials
This lesson discusses how any material can be recycled, but it can depend on what markets exist for reuse. Fern explores the process of recycling cardboard from the construction industry.
Learn how metal from construction is melted down and turned into new metal products.
Fern explains what happens to drywall after it’s thrown away, and the difficulties in separating it for recycling.
Discover how contractors can benefit from separating their rubble and how it later becomes a crushed aggregate.
This lesson details the diversion process of the most used construction material – wood!
Learn the differences between salvage models and some interesting ways that materials can be reused.
New Solutions
Fern highlights manufacturing solutions such as recyclable plastics, takeback programs, or recycled resin.
This lesson explores consumption solutions like avoiding unnecessary plastics, refill programs, and more complex collection and separation methods.
Learn about these new recovery solutions: keeping on top of new markets, getting creative with reuse, and increasing efficiency.
Fern explains how the plastic-to-fuel process, chemical decomposition, and chemical purification are all crucial solutions for plastic processing.
Where can you repair the cycle?
In closing, Fern urges you to consider where you can be a part of the solution.