How Recycling Works

What is the main purpose of recycling waste materials?

• To burn them for energy.

• To bury them in landfills.

• To break them down into basic components for new products.

• To store them indefinitely.

In a single stream recycling plant, how are different recyclable materials initially handled?

• They are sorted into separate bins by the homeowner.

• They are all thrown into the same bin and sorted later by machines and people.

• They are separated into paper and non-paper categories at the curb.

• They are immediately melted down together.

What is the purpose of a 'de-inker' bath in paper recycling?

• To compact the paper into bales.

• To break down paper into cellulose fibers.

• To separate ink from the paper pulp using air bubbles and chemicals.

• To sort different types of paper by color.

How are iron-containing metals like steel separated from other recyclables at a material recovery facility?

• They are hand-sorted by workers.

• They are pushed by an air classifier.

• They are attracted by a powerful cross-belt magnet.

• They fall through rotary screen separators.

Why are some glass bottles, like those for beer, made with brown or green glass instead of clear glass?

• To make them look more appealing.

• To prevent the contents from freezing.

• To protect the contents from harmful UV light.

• To make them easier to recycle with other colored glass.

How is aluminum separated from other materials during the recycling process?

• It is melted down and poured into separate molds.

• Magnets are used to pull it away from non-magnetic items.

• An eddy current separator creates a magnetic field that repels aluminum.

• It is hand-sorted by workers at the recycling plant.

Which statement accurately describes the recycling of different plastic types?

• All types of plastic can be easily melted together and reshaped.

• PVC is known as the "poison plastic" because it releases a toxic gas when melted.

• PET plastic is difficult to reshape because its molecular structure is very rigid.

• Styrofoam is widely recycled because it is lightweight and easy to transport.

How do modern recycling plants efficiently separate different types of plastics?

• They use large sieves to sort plastics by size.

• Infrared sensors identify plastics based on how they reflect light.

• Plastics are manually sorted by human workers.

• They are separated by their weight using a water bath.