Photo by Lara Jameson
Recycling is now a major global industry, yet despite our best intentions, the true value of recyclable materials is not being realised. In the Western world we have attempted to stop throwing everything into landfill yet cross-contamination of plastics and dirty packaging means that over 50% of items going into the recycling bin aren’t recycled.
The waste industry has developed into a great high-volume throughput industry, removing waste quickly, efficiently, hygienically. This has made it an efficient and cheap alternative to a failed high-cost recycling system. Long-term, however, throwing packaging and products into a landfill or the ocean is a waste of resources and pollutes the environment. To compete, the recycling industry needs to transition from a high-volume throughput industry to one focusing on high-purity.
Recyclable materials are very valuable in their pure state but the cost and difficulty of separating mixed recycling make it uneconomical. With mounting public and government pressure, something needs to change in order to stem the tide of used packaging and products ending up in a landfill.
That change is coming, albeit slowly. Governments are discussing legislation which should help progress us towards becoming a less wasteful society. What should the recycling industry to make necessary changes and become a profitable industry?
Move to Closed-loop Recycling
Currently, even when used-materials are recycled, they tend to be made into ‘lesser’ products. A plastic bottle, for example, may be processed into pack tape for example which are then disposed of in landfill. So, even when recycling does happen, it often only delays the inevitable.
A truly green initiative, however, would be to move towards a 100% closed-loop recycling system. That is, a system where a recyclable product is transformed back into its original form. A plastic bottle would be remade into a plastic bottle or an item of equal value many times before its disposed of.
Separating mixed plastics, however, is difficult and expensive even on an industrial scale. Also, a small amount of the wrong type of plastic can cause an entire batch to become contaminated: .05 kg of PVC plastic within 1,000 kg of PET flakes can cause it to become brittle.
Education has only gone so far. People are more familiar with recycling practices than ever, yet the majority of people in the Western world are still unsure about which items can be recycled.
As such, the contamination issue has, to-date, been insurmountable for the recycling industry. So, while I think we will get to 100% closed-loop recycling system, there are other technologies and processes that need to be implemented before closed-loop recycling is achievable. These will tackle the issue from both sides, empowering consumers while developing the capabilities of the de-manufacturing economy.
De-Manufacturing
We predict that within 10 years, starting with FMCG companies, businesses will be able to deliver on their extended producer responsibility (EPR).
This means that all product prices will include the environmental costs of used-packaging being sent to landfill. If the product’s used-packaging is identified and closed-loop recycled the EPR will be delivered. EPR will incentivise more sustainable production practices, product longevity and maximise close-loop recyclability.
Within 20 years, we predict that there will be a closed-loop recyclability index (CLR) displayed on every product, indicating both the sustainability of the manufacturing process and the cash value of the packaging once recycled using closed loop recycling. Just like ingredient contents in food, the CLR will influence a consumer’s purchasing decision.
These labels will help to further educate the public as to what can and cannot be de-manufactured, as well as identifying products that support the de-manufacturing industry.
All this will drive change in consumer purchasing behaviours, promote the growth of the de-manufacturing industry, and help to reduce de-manufacturing costs. By 2039, the de-manufacturing economy will approach the same level of employment as the financial services industry and will employ as many designers and robot operators as the manufacturing industry.
Education and Consumer Power
One of the most impressive things about the green revolution of the past 10-20 years is the rapid rate at which the general public has become educated on environmental issues. People are now more aware than ever about the effect their waste has on the environment and innovative new technologies are offering solutions to key environmental challenges.
However, recent documentaries, such as the BBC’s Blue Planet II, have demonstrated just how far we still have to go when it comes to recycling. Many people now no longer trust curbside collection and are feeling paralysed about what else they can do.
The simple answer is to let the public take a more active part in the recycling process. Instead of confusedly separating items and hoping for the best, consumers should be empowered to guarantee 100% correct segregation of different plastics, for example, and ensure they are delivered to manufacturers in a pure form, ready for closed-loop recycling.
In fact, by delivering high-purity materials back to manufacturers, consumers could benefit directly from the high value of these materials. Government schemes encouraging the purchase of recycled materials will assist further.
This is where technological innovations, like ReCircle, will play a major role. ReCircle is an appliance for home or business that will use a sensor to identify and guarantee the correct separation of different plastic, glass, metal, etc. The appliance will then wash and grind the materials for separate storage in the base. The high-purity materials are then picked up and the consumer reimbursed for the weight of recycled materials. Appliances like this are a key step towards achieving 100% closed-loop recycling
In 20 years, every business, hospital, factory, building site, bar and restaurant, education institute, airport etc and every individual will take responsibility for the separation and cleaning of their recyclable material.
Innovation
A number of existing technologies will be re-engineered to help both industrial and consumer recyclers. We predict that these technologies will focus on improving the ease and affordability of high-purity recycling.
The first and arguably most important innovation we be a further and continuing reduction in the cost and size of material sensors. Currently, sensors are relatively expensive because they can sense multiple substances. Exception sensors, detecting one substance only, will be smaller, simpler and when mass-produced very much cheaper.
Next, we need to reduce the size of the grinding, granulating and compacting equipment. Smaller equipment means more compact appliances allowing consumers to process their recycling in their own home or business.
With closed-loop recycling at home, the current efficient home delivery and pick-up services will be adapted to include bespoke equipment that will individually empty and weight each of the separately stored recycled products. On-demand home delivery and pick-up services have improved in performance and cost, due to the improved technology and logistic systems developed by companies like Amazon and Uber. The application of this technology and processes to on-demand recycling collection will delivered lower costs and therefore greater value to closed-loop recycled products.
In 20 years, recycling appliances and equipment will be an intrinsic part of business and domestic life.
About the author
Aldous Hicks is the CEO and Co-founder of ReCircle Recycling Ltd. Aldous has over 30 years of business experience as a technology and software developer, project manager and mechanical engineer, including developing water and material recycling technology.
Aldous has now turned his attention and expertise to the recycling economy, founding ReCircle to create a solution that will empower consumers while reversing the unsustainable and inefficient recycling system.
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