The science of sorting
Many of the UK's local authorities collect recyclable waste mixed together in the same bin. Mike Tingle discovers how differences in chemical and physical properties are used to separate a wide variety of materials
Have you ever stopped to think about the difference between re-using and recycling? Re-using means using items again for their original purpose, whereas recycling involves processing the materials to make new items.
Whether an item is re-used or recycled often comes down to practicality and economics. Glass milk bottles can be cleaned, sterilised and refilled by a dairy (so are returned for re-use and not put into kerbside collection bins), it is not economical to do the same for wine and beer bottles. Instead they are recycled, processed and given a second life.
Mike Tingle explores the process of recycling, the role of chemistry, and how advances to materials recovery facilities (MRFs) might change the future of recycling.
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