Recycle

Recycling is defined in the Websters Dictionary as a process which 'Converts (waste) into reusable material or Returns (material) to a previous stage in a cyclic process.

Did you know that -a society's energy consumption is reduced by recycling...Glass, Steel, Aluminium, newspapers, Plastic and even Used Batteries -ALL can be recycled today! What are we giving back to our future generations? Do you children not deserve more? Lets join hands and lets Recycle!!

Recycling is  done in three stages..first the old products are collected , sorted, cleaned and made ready for recycling or processing.Then manufacturing of new products from the raw material is done and Finally, the process ends with the purchasing of recycled goods by the consumers. 

So why is Recycling Important??

• It is an Ethical deed.
• It makes optimum use of our waste.
• It saves Energy thereby reducing our Carbon Footprint
• It saves Natural Resorces so they can be around a while longer.
• It reduces Pollution and other harmful elements destroying the Enviornment.
• It helps us reap great Economic benefits.

Lets take a look at the Global Recycling Scenario...what are countries around the world doing, what are their collaborated efforts on Going Green.

• The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recycles about 31% of its waste with New York, Virginia and a few other states leading the way.
• In China, Beijing hopes to increase their recycling rate from 10 percent to 90 percent whereas four Chinese cities, including Qingdao, Guiyang, Xining, and Jiaxing are working with Japan on a urban-waste recycling up until 2015.
• Japan has a 360 Billion Dollar Recycling Industry. As it is a country with barely any natural resources , reycling programmes are the need of the hour and Necessity becomes the Mother of Invention.Japan recycles nearly 50% of its total waste.
• In Germany 'Not Recycling' is punishable by law. Apartment Buildings have five types of rubbish bin  which are colour coded- a yellow bin for packaging, a blue bin for paper and cardboard, bins for glass and a black bin for the rest of the rubbish.
• In Dharavi India, Recycling is a major source of income as almost 200,000 people make a living by creating their own Recycling factories. $0% of E waste in India is recycled and is mandatory by law. The E-waste Rules 2010 — drafted by the the Ministry of Environment and Forests came into effect on May 1, 2012. Using plastic bags is punishable by law and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has been empowered to implement the ban and register complaint against violators. 

Here are some Interesting Recycling Facts:-

• It is said that every person creates around 4.7 pounds of waste every day.
• Recycled glass containers can save about 9 gallons of fuel.
• Another amazing fact - recycled paper produces less air pollution than if it was made from raw materials.
• 125 recycled aluminum cans save up enough energy required to supply power to one home for 1 day.
• Glass never wears out and can be recycled forever. A glass bottle takes approximately 1 million years to decompose in a landfill site.
• A recycled glass bottle can save enough energy to run a computer for 25 minutes.
• Recycling an aluminum can preserves enough energy required to run a 100-watt bulb for 20 hours, a computer for 3 hours or a TV for 2 hours.

Recycling plastic is a method of recovering scrap or waste plastic and processing it into a product that is both useful and different from its original state. Such processing could mean melting down plastic furniture to make bottles and containers.

Plastic is difficult to recycle...it needs greater amount of processing as compared to other objects like metal and glass. Heating alone is not enough to melt plastic. Plastic is non biodegradable but now there is change and plastic can be recycled just as efficiently  as other products.

The important thing is to identify the type of plastic it is so that it can get segregated properly and then be recycled. Lets get a lowdown on the types of plastics identified. 

• Plastics PET or PETE (polyethylene Terephthalate) Found in: Soft drink, water and beer bottles; mouthwash bottles; peanut butter containers; salad dressing and vegetable oil containers; ovenable food trays.Recycling: Picked up through most curbside recycling programs.  Recycled into: Polar fleece, fiber, tote bags, furniture, carpet, paneling, straps, (occasionally) new containers. 

PET plastic is the most common for single-use bottled beverages, because it is inexpensive, lightweight and easy to recycle.

•  Plastics HDPE (high density polyethylene) Found in: Milk jugs, juice bottles; bleach, detergent and household cleaner bottles; shampoo bottles; some trash and shopping bags; motor oil bottles; butter and yogurt tubs; cereal box liners Recycling: Picked up through most curbside recycling programs, although some allow only those containers with necks. Recycled into: Laundry detergent bottles, oil bottles, pens, recycling containers, floor tile, drainage pipe, lumber, benches, doghouses, picnic tables. 

HDPE is a versatile plastic with many uses, especially for packaging. It carries low risk of leaching and is readily recyclable into many goods.

• Plastics V (Vinyl) or PVC  Found in: Window cleaner and detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, cooking oil bottles, clear food packaging, wire jacketing, medical equipment, siding, windows, piping. Recycling: Rarely recycled; accepted by some plastic lumber makers. Recycled into: Decks, paneling, mudflaps, roadway gutters, flooring, cables, speed bumps, mats.

PVC is tough and weathers well, so it is commonly used for piping, siding and similar applications. If you must cook with PVC, don't let the plastic touch food. Also never burn PVC, because it releases toxins.

• Plastics LDPE (low density polyethylene) Found in: Squeezable bottles; bread, frozen food, dry cleaning and shopping bags; tote bags; clothing; furniture; carpet. Recycling: LDPE is not often recycled through curbside programs, but some communities will accept it. Plastic shopping bags can be returned to many stores for recycling. Recycled into: Trash can liners and cans, compost bins, shipping envelopes, paneling, lumber, landscaping ties, floor tile.

LDPE is a flexible plastic with many applications. Historically it has not been accepted through most American curbside recycling programs, but more and more communities are starting to accept it.

• Plastics PP (polypropylene) Found in: Some yogurt containers, syrup bottles, ketchup bottles, caps, straws, medicine bottles.Recycling: Number 5 plastics can be recycled through some curbside programs. Recycled into: Signal lights, battery cables, brooms, brushes, auto battery cases, ice scrapers, landscape borders, bicycle racks, rakes, bins, pallets, trays.

Polypropylene has a high melting point, and so is often chosen for containers that must accept hot liquid. It is gradually becoming more accepted by recyclers.

• Plastics PS (polystyrene)Found in: Disposable plates and cups, meat trays, egg cartons, carry-out containers, aspirin bottles, compact disc cases. Recycling: Number 6 plastics can be recycled through some curbside programs. Recycled into: Insulation, light switch plates, egg cartons, vents, rulers, foam packing, carry-out containers.

Polystyrene can be made into rigid or foam products -- in the latter case it is popularly known as the trademark Styrofoam. Evidence suggests polystyrene can leach potential toxins into foods. The material was long on environmentalists' hit lists for dispersing widely across the landscape, and for being notoriously difficult to recycle. Most places still don't accept it, though it is gradually gaining traction.

• Plastics Miscellaneous Found in: Three- and five-gallon water bottles, 'bullet-proof' materials, sunglasses, DVDs, iPod and computer cases, signs and displays, certain food containers, nylon. Recycling: Number 7 plastics have traditionally not been recycled, though some curbside programs now take them.Recycled into: Plastic lumber, custom-made products.

A wide variety of plastic resins that don't fit into the previous categories are lumped into number 7. A few are even made from plants (polyactide) and are compostable. Polycarbonate is number 7, and is the hard plastic that has parents worried these days, after studies have shown it can leach potential hormone disruptors. 

White Poison: Asbestos

Posted on April 14, 2013

As a child i remember my summer holidays in my grandfathers old house. Those were unending days of leisure and one can still recall how time stood still in those long summer afternoons when we played on the kitchen floor. My grandma’s kitchen brings back memories of exotic smells, of food being eaten hot as it was cooked. But that ended when my grandma died after a long spell of suffering caused by asbestos related poisoning and subsequent lung cancer….you see the roof was not cemented but was made of old asbestos sheets lined next to one another. It was the fumes from the microscopic fibers that she inhaled and ingested over the years that had a devastating effect on her health.

According to International law, Asbestos is listed as a category of controlled waste under Annex I of the Basel Convention on the Control of Trans boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal. Banned in 60 countries worldwide including the European Union, Asbestos is India’s next biggest killer.

Known for years as the poor man’s material and popular for its use in construction due to its high resistance to heat and fire, asbestos use  in India continues to grow. 

Asbestos fibres are used in the cement industry located in 18 different parts of the country. It also has its uses in the textile industry and in the mining and milling industries of Andra and Rajasthan. Despite its hazadrous nature the Indian government gives incentives and makes Asbestos artificially cheaper.New factories are coming up near Vaishali in Bihar despite opposition from NGO’s, local workers and the Human Rights Commission. 

The country is now the world’s second largest asbestos market, behind only China, consuming nearly 3,50,000 tonnes . The industry generates more than $850 million a year in revenue, and directly employs 3,00,000 people. Indirectly, it supports as many as three million more. Backed by a powerful lobby and government consent asbestos use in India has risen by 83 percent. Serving the poor, this hazadrous material is imported in tonnes from Russia and Canada.

A study by two Delhi researchers suggests that by 2020, deaths from asbestos-related cancers could reach one million in developing countries. So what exactly is Asbestos poisoning?? Shortness of breath,  a dry cough and a tightness in the chest is what a person exposed to Asbestos will feel. These are the first symptoms. 

Main health problems attributed to asbestos include

• Asbestosis - A lung disease first found in textile workers, asbestosis is a scarring of the lung tissue from an acid produced by the body’s attempt to dissolve the fibers. The scarring may eventually become so severe that the lungs can no longer function.
•  Mesothelioma - A cancer of the mesothelial lining of the lungs and the chest cavity, unlike lung cancer, mesothelioma has no association with smoking.
•  Cancer - Cancer of the lung, gastrointestinal tract, kidney and larynx have been linked to asbestos. The latency period for cancer is often 15–30 years.

Disturbing facts about Asbestos use

• India is the largest importer of Asbestos. Most of it is used in making corrugated sheets which sell for as little as 300 INR.
• More than 100,000 people in India are employed by companies producing Asbestos.
• An estimated 55,000 workers are constantly exposed to the harmful effects of Asbestos unaware of the dangers.
• Economic development and construction are the reasons for the overuse and easy availability of this resource. 

Hybrid Horizons in India

Posted on April 2, 2013

India is finally accepting Hybrids. This year the Indian automotive giant Mahindra and Mahindra launched their hybrid hatchback- the E-two-oh.(read E 20). This hybrid is a better version of the previous prototype launched by Mahindra way back in 2001. The earlier one did not gain popularity and acceptance due to performance and capacity issues. The new Mahindra E 20 is a step ahead of that.

Designed and styled by Dilip Chabbria himself, the new Reva looks futuristic and has features that promise to attend to the earlier shortcomings. Its on road price in New Delhi is 5,90,000 INR and the car will be phased out in 8 cities through 29 dealerships with its manufacturing plant being in Bangalore.

Given below are the features of the Reva E20.

• The Reva E20 has more space as compared to the earlier version and can seat four easily.
• It has an air conditioner, power steering, music system, a power outlet USB port .
• The E20 is powered by an electric motor with the lithium-ion batteries.
• It has a range of approximately 100 kilometers on a single charge and a speed of 80 kmph.
• The Reva can be charged from a power outlet and full charging takes 8 hours. The batteries come in three sizes-small, medium and large.
• The electric car promises  a running cost of .50 paisa per km as it is nearly one tenth of a same size petrol car.
• It does not require servicing but an annual check up of the batteries will do.
• The batteries come with a three year warranty or 60,000 kms and the one time cost of replacement is Rs 1.5 lakhs.
• The car comes with three apps for your smartphone- reva e20 , life with e20 app and the E20 connectivity app. The apps help to lock/unlock the car with the smartphone and also help to turn the AC on or off. Besides this you can check battery charge and enable GPS on your smartphone for better directions.

Buying the Reva E20 comes with multiple benefits as the Delhi Government like in other countries has slashed the prices of the road tax in half and also offers a refund on your Vat of 12.5%. A 15% subsidy on the base price is also offered. 

India has spent a whopping 230 billion INR to increase hybrid vehicle production in the coming years. It plans to target a production of an ambitious 6 million vehicles by 2020, most of them being two wheelers.