Recycling Waste

Paper Summary:

This paper uses the second law of thermodynamics to explain why a properly designed source-separation recycling program takes less energy and produces less pollution than a centralized program that collects mixed waste over a large area and hauls it to a centralized facility where workers or machinery separates the waste for recycling.

From the Paper:

"Waste is an unavoidable consequence of our consumer oriented, highly industrialized society. In 2000, Canadians generated 1021 kg of non-hazardous waste per capita (Statistics Canada, 2002). 747kg of this waste were disposed of per capita (Statistics Canada, 2002), while the rest was recycled. Torontonians for example recycled 699 tonnes of household waste in 2001 (Ministry of Environment, 2004). Household waste generation was 353kg per capita in 2000 (Statistics Canada, 2002). The situation is similar in most developing countries although the levels of recycling vary. Growing concern for the environment, constant increase in the amounts of waste produced, economic, land and social costs involved in developing new landfill sites and public opinion have brought about the need to approach waste management in a broader context. "

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