| GRN Recycle Talk FAQ Answer |
Date: Thu, 21 May 98 13:08 WET DST From: FRIEDMAN.FRED@EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV (Fred Friedman) Subject: Re: Recycling Process (Dustin)
May 21, 1998
Dear Dustin (share this with Avatar, asking the same question):
1. Recycling takes place at either Materials Recovery Facilities which separate out materials and impurities and prepare useable feedstocks of recyclables for consumption by manufacturers or by other middlemen.
Think of an MRF as a transfer station with some specialized equipment, and you'll have the general idea.
If not processed by an MRF, some brokers, some middlemen companies, some waste management firms also act in this way. Some remanufacturers (end users) do this too.
2. Remanufacturing takes place usually with virgin and recycled materials both going into the same new products, but this largely depends on the industry.
Remanufacturing is not necessary for some recyclables which are useable at their intermediate stage of processing.
3. Resale and purchase.
There is a great deal of information on specific processes that has been gathered in the archives of this, the GRN website over the months of its existence, It may behoove you to conduct some searches of this site.
Also, every substance has its trade association for recycling and each state (at least in the Northeast) has a recycling association from whom you can get specific information.
- Research Library for RCRA