| GRN Recycle Talk FAQ Answer |
Date: Wed, 1 Mar 2000 14:56:49 -0500 (EST) From: FRIEDMAN.FRED@EPA.GOV (Fred Friedman) Subject: RE: Relative Environmental Risk (Thomas Kolb)
March 1, 2000
Dear Thomas Kolb,
Risk is the wrong term to use in assessing pollution in manufacturing with recyclables vs virgin materials. Risk relates to human health, public health, and similar matters. Recycling of municipal solid waste is simply not on the same scale with hazardous pollutants.
That doesn't mean your question is not valid. It is, just not in a 'risk' context.
Potential problems exist for creating significant amounts of pollution from remanufacturing from recycled feedstocks: aluminum and pvc in particular.
Here are important sources on other aspects:
Data summary of municipal solid waste management alternatives, by National Renewable Energy Lab, US DOE, 8/92 publication # NREL/TP-431-4988;
Comparison of environmental impacts from recycling by Norman Getz, Roy F. Weston, INC, in GRCDA 6th annual Waste to Energy Symposium, Arlington, VA 1/29-31/91.
- Research Library for RCRA