Three Headaches for the Recycling Industry

ScrAPES#19: Three Headaches for the Recycling Industry

by Matt Richtel

March 25, 2016

The advanced recycling companies in the world modifies 75 percent or more of the community's waste from landfills. But these companies like, Zero Waste, are having difficulties to recycle THREE products; Diapers, Plastic Bags, and Juice Boxes. Diapers are made of composite materials with more than one type of plastic. A recycling consultant in Northern California, Gary Liss, says that he knows a company that is in the process of knowing a way to recycle diapers. But the process is long consisting of curbside pickup for used diapers, pulling apart, and cleaning. Plus it cost money. There are also adult diapers and it is not going to get better due to Baby Bloomers. Plastic Bags on the other hand are an everyday, per person use. It is in every retail or grocery stores in the United States and in the world. When plastic bags enter the world of machinery they are a nightmare because they float, cling, wrap, and gum up the expensive machines. Juice boxes are also a problem because they are extremely difficult to pull apart. The only possible solution people have figured out is to design packaging that allows the materials to be more easily separated. 

This is interesting to me because I never knew that diapers were one of the massive problems the recycling companies have to endure with to keep it from landfills. But then again it is not surprising because every day almost every second there is a new baby born in the United States. Juice boxes also surprised me because I did not know that machine could not disassemble a box and that people have to do it by hand. What did not surprise me at all was plastic bags because they are very widespread and the quality of these plastic bags are extremely strong.

This is important to the environment because if we do not recycle these products at all or in a faster pace it will build up and will eventually reach the landfills. It will pollute our streams and oceans and kill the aquatic animals. We will not have clean water available and we do need clean water in order to survive. Even though the process to prevent these products from reaching the landfills are expensive I think it is very much worth it! Would people rather care about the green paper we call money than our health and the health of our planet?

Resources:

• Three Headaches for the Recycling Industry

Biotic #28:

My pet rats, William and Junior, are biotics because they are living.

Native Species #27:

Goldfish are considered native species because they have been around for hundreds and thousands of years. They typically are "house pets" and originated from China, but when people are no longer interested in keeping them they are often released in ponds, lakes or streams.

Abiotic #26:

The sky is abiotic because it is not living.

Land Pollution #25:

This is land pollution because there are many waste that is spread on the ground and not put in the trash bin properly.

Community #24:

Charlestown is a community because there plenty of people with different backgrounds of race, religion, and nationality.

Consumer #23:

My dog Lucky is a consumer because he takes in other food (for example pork/pig, beef/cow, chicken) to get his energy.

Autotroph #22:

These two plants are considered autotrophs because they are green plants who make their own food by taking sunlight and using the energy to make sugar.

Natural Disaster #21:

This is considered a natural disaster because in this picture it was raining and there was a lot of fog. Rain can create flooding.

Renewable resource #20:

This tea cup from DavidsTea is a renewable resource because it can be composted to become renewable soil.

What Went Wrong in Flint

ScrAPES#18: What Went Wrong in Flint

by Monica Davey and Mitch Smith

March 3, 2016

On April 2014, Flint's state allowed a temporary change on the city's water source. Flint's water was originally coming from Lake Huron and was transferred to Flint's river. During the switch, Flint officials did not add corrosion controls (the measures that are implemented in various fields to control corrosion in: Soil, Metal, Concrete, and Water). Since the corrosion controls controlled metals, the contamination of lead could have been prevented initially. The epidemic of the contamination of lead derived from the city's old lead pipes. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality did not check twice for the corrosion controls and are one of the many people who is in fault for this issue. The Federal Environmental Protection Agency ignored when a scientist warned them about the levels of high lead in the water coming out of Flint's tap water. State and local officials relentlessly overlooked resident's complaints about the discoloration of the water and the effect of rashes. Mayor Walling also announced that he thinks people are wasting precious money buying bottled water. When Flint officials finally realized the elevated levels of contamination they told residents to boil their water before drinking it, but it failed miserably. The city and state officials did not warn the issue and later on arranged the water to return to Lake Huron. Detroit also offered to give Flint fresh and clean water but was rejected stating that Detroit's water is expensive. Other than rashes the other extreme, horrific effects of the contamination was the Legionnaire's Disease (a form of pneumonia) and high levels of lead in newborns. Governor Snyder was withheld the information of the contamination, even though he worried about Flint's water. Instead he was assured by officials and scientists that the water was perfectly fine!

This article or issue is interesting to me because water is the most important and valuable resource any living organism need. Humans can survive without food for probably a week or two because of water. It is disgusting that the officials of Flint hid a horrid complication instead of taking it in their own hands, which would have prevented lead contamination, residents and children getting sick and dying. Sometimes I question people's lack of humanity because apparently Flint rather would have cheap water than extravagant water. I guess people love to ruin our existence and cause dramatic problems for money. 

This is important for the environment because as I said earlier, water is literally everything for everyone! We NEED water and murky water is not the way to go with! Imagine a parent washing their hands on dirty tap water and then holding their newborn child, that child will get ill and die. Polluted water can also poison animals because there are aquatic animals who depend and live in the water. There are also animals who drink water from rivers and lakes. It can wipe out the diversity in the community of the animals, which will prevent them from surviving. Taking in too much lead can effect the human nervous system, bones, teeth, kidneys, cardiovascular, immune system, and reproductive system. As well as hearing loss and cataracts. Lead is extremely deadly and I know people are afraid to die. My point is that it is more important for us to be healthy over the possession of money.



Resources:

• What Went Wrong in Flint