Boosting recycling for double objectives

The recycling industries will be given a major boost in the coming weeks as government plans to unveil new incentives and financing schemes for emerging sectors, including the green economy. The word ‘recycling’ usually brings to our mind paper and plastic, but there is a horde of used materials that can be recycled to achieve two objectives: protecting nature and creating jobs. Since 1st January 2016, non-biodegradable plastic bags are banned in Mauritius. Plastic manufacturers are being encouraged to produce bags made of biodegradable and compostable plastic bags. The ban of plastic has further opened new horizons for small and medium enterprises engaged in the production of bags made of alternative environmentally-friendly materials as well as from recycled materials. Eco-friendly products and recycling go in pair. However, the level of recycling is still very low in Mauritius. Yet, the recycling industry could easily become a strong sector, with huge job creation potential. Protection of the environment is indeed more than banning plastic bags and fining polluting vehicles. Only last Friday, the Cabinet has agreed to the proposed establishment of an Electrical and Electronic Wastes (e-Wastes) Management System as recommended by the team of Consultants from the European Union in their report on e-Waste Management. E-Wastes are classified as hazardous wastes under the Basel Convention to which Mauritius is a party. It should be noted that Mauritius generates about 8,000 tons of e-wastes annually, and the presence of heavy metals, including lead, mercury, arsenic and cadmium make them hazardous. The Mauritian industrial landscape already has a number of plastic recycling and paper converting factories. However, due to the absence of a structured nationwide network of collection of used plastic and paper, these factories face huge difficulties in obtaining the critical mass of recyclable inputs to operate at optimum capacity. Waste segregation is not yet a common practice among householders. Recyclable waste still finds its way to landfill sites. The most glaring example is the sight of municipal scavenging trucks collecting used carton boxes every evening in our towns and sending them to landfill stations! In the meantime, paper recycling plants such as Etchelle Papers situated at Cluny are unable to operate at full capacity because of lack of used paper. Even used newspaper collection is almost inexistent and the high volumes of newspapers sold daily eventually end up at Mare Chicose! Plastic is not the only pollutant. Living in a highly consumerism society, we are producing a variety of wastes, most of which tend to be hazardous to our environment. Not all types of waste are being recycled and not the totality of each type of waste is recycled. Yet, recycling is a booming industry across the world. Its success depends largely on awareness on two fronts: Being aware of the need to recycle and being aware of the recycling processed available today thanks to technological breakthrough. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"8047","attributes":{"class":"media-image size-medium wp-image-14114 alignleft","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"300","height":"250","alt":"electronicwaste"}}]]Electronic waste E-waste contains toxic and hazardous materials including mercury, lead, cadmium, beryllium, chromium, and chemical flame retardants, which have the potential to leach into our soil and water. Electronic Waste recycling is a lucrative business in many countries. E-waste contains many valuable, recoverable materials such as aluminum, copper, gold, silver, plastics, and ferrous metals. Gadgets that can be recycled or refurbished include all electronic gadgets, laptops, computers, mobile phones, etc. The rapid changes that occur in technology result in huge amounts of electronic waste around the globe. In Mauritius, ink cartridges are increasingly being refilled in Mauritius. This results in cheaper printing costs for households, students and small and medium enterprises. Glass Glass is a widely recycled material and one of the few that can be recycled infinitely without losing its qualities. Glass is a wonderful resource for recycling since it can be transformed in various ways. Glass is already used in Mauritius hy enterprises such as the Mauritius Glass Gallery to produce crafts and objects of art, but the current enterprises cannot absorb the totality of glass waste produced. Used glass has many other uses not yet tapped. Glassphalt, for example, is asphalt containing glass cullets as an aggregate and has been widely tried as a means to dispose of surplus waste glass since the 1960s. Glassphalt is basically the same as conventional hot-mix asphalt, except that 5% to 40% of the rock and/or sand aggregate is replaced by crushed glass. Scrap metals Scrap metal business is popular in Mauritius such that it even led to acts of vandalism on public and private property, with the disappearance of sewer covers, electric pylons and hand rails. Most of the scrap metals collected in Mauritius used to be exported until the government came with new regulations to ban export in order to protect domestic enterprises. Another profitable metal for recycling is aluminium and some small enterprises are involved in the collection of aluminium cans. Used tyres Used tyres are among the largest and most problematic sources of waste today, due to the large volume produced and their durability. Recycled tyre chips have many uses: They can be used for equestrian (i.e. rubber mixed with sand or sawdust used in the horse industry as ground in the stable or at the tracks). Rubber granulate is reused in e.g. sports fields, artificial turfs, rubber mats and moulded products. Rubber powder can be reused in rubber paved asphalt. The recovered steel can be melted and reused just like non-recovered steel. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"8048","attributes":{"class":"media-image size-medium wp-image-14115 alignleft","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"300","height":"250","alt":"usedmotoroils"}}]]Used motor oil Mauritius imports tons of engine oil every year but the bulk of used oil gets simply dumped in garage backyards where it seeps through the soil and can potentially contaminate underground water. There is no formal collection of used motor oil and there is no traceability of where used engine oil goes. It should be noted that used motor oil never wears out. It just gets dirty and can be recycled, cleaned, and used again. Recycling used motor oil conserves a natural resource and is good for the environment too! But unfortunately, no such initiative exists. Virgin Oil (Mauritius) Ltd is a company that recycles used lubricating oil but most of us are unaware of this enterprise. Composting Compost is organic material that can be added to soil to help plants grow. Food scraps and household waste can easily be composted. Making compost keeps these materials out of landfills where they take up space and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas. In turn, compost enriches the soil, helping retain moisture and suppress plant diseases and pests. It also reduces the need for chemical fertilizers. Compost production is already a good business and many enterprises are engaged in this activity.

Advantages of recycling

Protects environment The most important benefit of recycling is that it helps in protecting the environment. It helps to reduce pollution, and alleviates global warming. Reduces energy consumption A large amount of energy is consumed by processing raw materials at the time of manufacture. Recycling helps to minimise energy consumption. This also makes the production process very cost-effective and beneficial for manufacturers. Sustainable use of Resources Recycling promotes judicial and sustainable use of resources. This process ensures that there is no discriminate use of any material when available in plenty in the present. Indirectly, it helps conserve natural resources. Job creation Recycling activities create jobs, especially for unskilled workers who would otherwise be unemployed. Recycling jobs also benefit poor women. Recycling activities also helps to unleash creativity as entrepreneurs struggle to find new uses of recycled materials.

Disadvantages

Not always Cost Effective While recycling is good socially and environmentally, economically it is not always cost effective. A recycling activity might consume energy and water thus defeating the purpose of recycling. The absence of a critical mass of waste makes it impossible for a recycling activity to be cost effective. In Mauritius, for example, while the technology is there, it is not economically viable to turn all our plastic bottles into textiles since the annual volume of plastic bottle waste is not sufficient for optimum production. Similarly, existing paper recycling plants in Mauritius are facing shortage of waste paper. Recycled products not durable Recycled products are always not of durable quality. Such items are mostly made of trashed waste, picked up from heaps other waste products which are fragile or overly used. For this reason, recycled products are cheap and last for a shorter period. Unsafe and unhygienic Recycling sites are often unsafe and unhygienic. Places where all sorts of waste are dumped are conducive for debris formation and spread of disease and other dangers caused by harmful chemicals and waste. This not only causes widespread pollution but is harmful for dedicated people who recycle such products and can also contaminate water. High initial cost Setting up new recycling unit involves high cost. This huge cost can come up as a part of acquiring different utility vehicles, upgrading the processing facility, educating residents by organising seminars and other programs, setting up segregated collection system, etc. Low public appeal While the majority of us laud recycling initiatives, the fact remains that most recycled products have low consumer appeal. This is detrimental to their sales, hence jeopardising the future of recycling enterprises.

[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"8049","attributes":{"class":"media-image size-medium wp-image-14116 alignleft","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"300","height":"181","alt":"04_DEGRADE"}}]]From bottles to garments

PET bottles waste is converted into textile fibres in India, which in turn are turned into fashion items. Collected PET bottles are baled, washed, extruded, and converted into regenerated staple fibre by Ganesha Ecosphere, the largest PET recycler in India, and are then used by textile mills as raw materials to make yarn and then convert them in to fabric and then garments. In 2010, an Indian textile industrialist visited Mauritius to see if such a project can be set up here, but the annual volume of PET bottle waste was below his expectations. The investor promised to come again in 5 years’ time. Let’s hope this time he successfully turns our plastic bottles into shirts! [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"8050","attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-14117 aligncenter","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"374","height":"278","alt":"selfi1"}}]]