The downside is that solar panels have finite lifespans; are difficult and expensive to recycle; and are being decommissioned in increasingly large numbers. The United States lags behind Europe and other regions in its PV recycling programs and policy progress, with the majority of unusable solar panels ending up in landfill.
There is not a single type of Li-ion battery, though. They may be comprised of a variety of chemistries, which is one of the challenges that comes with recycling them through varying stages. The commonality is that all Li-ion batteries transfer lithium-ions between their electrodes when charging or discharging. As the chemistries continue to evolve with increased research for efficiency, so too must the consideration for streamlining their makeup to facilitate end-of-use recycling.
Lead-acid batteries, such as those found in combustion engine vehicles, have a better established and largely efficient circular market. In the US, these lead-acid batteries have up to a 99 percent recycling rate. There are two main reasons behind this. First, the components are easy to separate and recycle. For example, lead is indefinitely recyclable without losing its quality and therefore value. Second, there is an established recycling market, where car battery recycling is often included in the upfront cost of a consumer buying a vehicle. At the battery’s end-of-use, customers are refunded for returning used batteries to dealers or other sites.
With Li-ion batteries, the amount of recycling is limited, because these same two conditions do not apply, at least not yet.
Focused on individual impact, Keep America Beautiful urges people to pledge to reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle in every aspect of their life by taking the #BeRecycled Pledge. The pledge is a promise to learn about local recycling regulations; to recycle consistently and correctly; to reduce personal waste; and to buy products made from recycled content. Participants are encouraged to help spread the word by educating and encouraging friends, family, and neighbors to recycle in their community and to integrate the act of recycling and buying recycled content throughout their daily routines.
Brought to you by the plastics industry and the bottles manufacturers lobby. Be green, don't throw trash out your car windows says the crying Indian.
The myth created around plastic recycling has been one of simplicity. We look for the familiar triangle arrows, then pop the waste in the recycling bin so it can be reused.
But the true purpose of those triangles has been misunderstood by the general public ever since their invention in the 1980s.
These triangles were actually created by the plastics industry and, according to a report provided to them in July 1993, were creating "unrealistic expectations" about what could be recycled. But they decided to keep using the codes.
he coronavirus pandemic has sparked a rush for plastic.
From Wuhan to New York, demand for face shields, gloves, takeaway food containers and bubble wrap for online shopping has surged. Since most of that cannot be recycled, so has the waste.
But there is another consequence. The pandemic has intensified a price war between recycled and new plastic, made by the oil industry. It’s a war recyclers worldwide are losing, price data and interviews with more than two dozen businesses across five continents show.
For as long as I can remember, I've been intrigued by the idea of melting metal and making things with it. The problem has always been that it was out of reach or required really expensive equipment.
In this project I experimented with 10 different prototypes, to develop a reusable backyard foundry that melts aluminum soda cans easily and safely. I tested different refractory recipes, different containers, different setting for blowing air, and different types of makeshift crucibles.
I tried various ratios of portland cement, sand, perlite, plaster of paris, water, and even kitty litter. For containers, I experimented with clay pots, plastic buckets, no container, cinderblocks, and a galvanized steel pail.