Recycling
Industrialization
spurred demand
for affordable
materials; aside
from rags, ferrous
scrap metals were
coveted as they
were cheaper to
acquire than was
virgin ore.
Railroads both
purchased and
sold scrap metal in
the 19th century,
and the growing
steel and
automobile
industries
purchased scrap in
the early 20th
century. Many
secondary goods
were collected,
processed, and
sold by peddlers
who combed
dumps, city
streets, and went
door to door
looking for
discarded
machinery, pots,
pans, and other
sources of metal.
By World War I,
thousands of such
peddlers roamed
the streets of
American cities,
taking advantage
of market forces
to recycle post-
consumer
materials back into
industrial
production.[5]
Wartime
Resource
shortages caused
by the world wars,
and other such
world-changing
occurrences
greatly
encouraged
recycling.[6]
Massive
government
promotion
campaigns were
carried out in World
War II in every
country involved in
the war, urging
citizens to donate
metals and
conserve fibre, as
a matter of
significant
patriotic
importance.
Resource
conservation
programs
established during
the war were
continued in some
countries without
an abundance of
natural resources,
such as Japan,
after the war
ended.
Post-war
The next big
investment in
recycling occurred
in the 1970s, due
to rising energy
costs. Recycling
aluminium uses
only 5 percent of
the energy
required by virgin
production; glass,
paper and metals
have less dramatic
but very
significant energy
savings when
recycled feedstock
is used.[7]
Legislation
Supply
For a recycling
program to work,
having a large,
stable supply of
recyclable material
is crucial. Three
legislative options
have been used to
create such a
supply: mandatory
recycling collection,
container deposit
legislation
, and refuse bans.
Mandatory
collection laws set
recycling targets
for cities to aim
for, usually in the
form that a certain
percentage of a
material must be
diverted from the
city's waste
stream by a target
date. The city is
then responsible
for working to
meet this target.
[2]
Container deposit
legislation
involves offering a
refund for the
return of certain
containers,
typically glass,
plastic, and metal.
When a product in
such a container is
purchased, a small
surcharge is added
to the price. This
surcharge can be
reclaimed by the
consumer if the
container is
returned to a
collection point.
These programs
have been very
successful, often
resulting in an 80
percent recycling
rate. Despite such
good results, the
shift in collection
costs from local
government to
industry and
consumers has
created strong
opposition to the
creation of such
programs in some
areas.[2]
A third method of
increase supply of
recyclates is to
ban the disposal
of certain
materials as
waste, often
including used oil,
old batteries, tires
and garden waste.
One aim of this
method is to
create a viable
economy for
proper disposal of
banned products.
Care must be
taken that enough
of these recycling
services exist, or
such bans simply
lead to increased
illegal dumping.[2]
Government-
mandated
demand
Legislation has
also been used to
increase and
maintain a demand
for recycled
materials. Four
methods of such
legislation exist:
minimum recycled
content mandates,
utilization rates,
procurement
policies, recycled
product labeling.
[2]
Both minimum
recycled content
mandates and
utilization rates
increase demand
directly by forcing
manufacturers to
include recycling in
their operations.
Content mandates
specify that a
certain percentage
of a new product
must consist of
recycled material.
Utilization rates
are a more flexible
option: industries
are permitted to
meet the recycling
targets at any
point of their
operation or even
contract recycling
out in exchange
for tradeable
credits. Opponents
to both of these
methods point to
the large increase
in reporting
requirements they
impose, and claim
that they rob
industry of
necessary
flexibility.[2][8]
Governments have
used their own
purchasing power
to increase
recycling demand
through what are
called
"procurement
policies". These
policies are either
"set-asides",
which earmark a
certain amount of
spending solely
towards recycled
products, or "price
preference"
programs which
provide a larger
budget when
recycled items are
purchased.
Additional
regulations can
target specific
cases: in the
United States, for
example, the
Environmental
Protection Agency
mandates the
purchase of oil,
paper, tires and
building insulation
from recycled or
re-refined sources
whenever
possible.[2]
The final
government
regulation
towards increased
demand is recycled
product labeling.
When producers
are required to
label their
packaging with
amount of
recycled material
in the product
(including the
packaging),
consumers are
better able to
make educated
choices.
Consumers with
sufficient buying
power can then
choose more
environmentally
conscious options,
prompt producers
to increase the
amount of
recycled material
in their products,
and indirectly
increase demand.
Standardized
recycling labeling
can also have a
positive effect on
supply of
recyclates if the
labeling includes
information on
how and where
the product can be
recycled.
spurred demand
for affordable
materials; aside
from rags, ferrous
scrap metals were
coveted as they
were cheaper to
acquire than was
virgin ore.
Railroads both
purchased and
sold scrap metal in
the 19th century,
and the growing
steel and
automobile
industries
purchased scrap in
the early 20th
century. Many
secondary goods
were collected,
processed, and
sold by peddlers
who combed
dumps, city
streets, and went
door to door
looking for
discarded
machinery, pots,
pans, and other
sources of metal.
By World War I,
thousands of such
peddlers roamed
the streets of
American cities,
taking advantage
of market forces
to recycle post-
consumer
materials back into
industrial
production.[5]
Wartime
Resource
shortages caused
by the world wars,
and other such
world-changing
occurrences
greatly
encouraged
recycling.[6]
Massive
government
promotion
campaigns were
carried out in World
War II in every
country involved in
the war, urging
citizens to donate
metals and
conserve fibre, as
a matter of
significant
patriotic
importance.
Resource
conservation
programs
established during
the war were
continued in some
countries without
an abundance of
natural resources,
such as Japan,
after the war
ended.
Post-war
The next big
investment in
recycling occurred
in the 1970s, due
to rising energy
costs. Recycling
aluminium uses
only 5 percent of
the energy
required by virgin
production; glass,
paper and metals
have less dramatic
but very
significant energy
savings when
recycled feedstock
is used.[7]
Legislation
Supply
For a recycling
program to work,
having a large,
stable supply of
recyclable material
is crucial. Three
legislative options
have been used to
create such a
supply: mandatory
recycling collection,
container deposit
legislation
, and refuse bans.
Mandatory
collection laws set
recycling targets
for cities to aim
for, usually in the
form that a certain
percentage of a
material must be
diverted from the
city's waste
stream by a target
date. The city is
then responsible
for working to
meet this target.
[2]
Container deposit
legislation
involves offering a
refund for the
return of certain
containers,
typically glass,
plastic, and metal.
When a product in
such a container is
purchased, a small
surcharge is added
to the price. This
surcharge can be
reclaimed by the
consumer if the
container is
returned to a
collection point.
These programs
have been very
successful, often
resulting in an 80
percent recycling
rate. Despite such
good results, the
shift in collection
costs from local
government to
industry and
consumers has
created strong
opposition to the
creation of such
programs in some
areas.[2]
A third method of
increase supply of
recyclates is to
ban the disposal
of certain
materials as
waste, often
including used oil,
old batteries, tires
and garden waste.
One aim of this
method is to
create a viable
economy for
proper disposal of
banned products.
Care must be
taken that enough
of these recycling
services exist, or
such bans simply
lead to increased
illegal dumping.[2]
Government-
mandated
demand
Legislation has
also been used to
increase and
maintain a demand
for recycled
materials. Four
methods of such
legislation exist:
minimum recycled
content mandates,
utilization rates,
procurement
policies, recycled
product labeling.
[2]
Both minimum
recycled content
mandates and
utilization rates
increase demand
directly by forcing
manufacturers to
include recycling in
their operations.
Content mandates
specify that a
certain percentage
of a new product
must consist of
recycled material.
Utilization rates
are a more flexible
option: industries
are permitted to
meet the recycling
targets at any
point of their
operation or even
contract recycling
out in exchange
for tradeable
credits. Opponents
to both of these
methods point to
the large increase
in reporting
requirements they
impose, and claim
that they rob
industry of
necessary
flexibility.[2][8]
Governments have
used their own
purchasing power
to increase
recycling demand
through what are
called
"procurement
policies". These
policies are either
"set-asides",
which earmark a
certain amount of
spending solely
towards recycled
products, or "price
preference"
programs which
provide a larger
budget when
recycled items are
purchased.
Additional
regulations can
target specific
cases: in the
United States, for
example, the
Environmental
Protection Agency
mandates the
purchase of oil,
paper, tires and
building insulation
from recycled or
re-refined sources
whenever
possible.[2]
The final
government
regulation
towards increased
demand is recycled
product labeling.
When producers
are required to
label their
packaging with
amount of
recycled material
in the product
(including the
packaging),
consumers are
better able to
make educated
choices.
Consumers with
sufficient buying
power can then
choose more
environmentally
conscious options,
prompt producers
to increase the
amount of
recycled material
in their products,
and indirectly
increase demand.
Standardized
recycling labeling
can also have a
positive effect on
supply of
recyclates if the
labeling includes
information on
how and where
the product can be
recycled.
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