TASK 2A: RECYCLING

"Giving Packaging a New Life":


Recycling Aluminium:

It was definitely a relief to learn that the recycling quota for aluminium packaging is at a high of more than 87% in Germany.

Aluminium cans, foil caps and lids, to name a few, are quite neatly sorted out, allowing for the ease of recycling.

It was a comfort knowing that the raw material recovered could easily be processed by the aluminium industry, to later be manufactured aluminium products such as sheets.

In this sense, aluminium is quite sustainable and ranks quite high as a material to be chosen by industrial designers.


Recycling Glass:

I fancied the idea that consumers play a large role in the sorting of glass bottles, according to colour, at bottle banks. It highlighted the ease of taking the extra step to do your part when it comes to recycling.

The entire process of recycling glass however, seems to be quite a tedious one, requiring quite a series of steps and sorting.

Prior to seeing this video, I was unaware of the fact that coloured and clear glass had to so specifically be recycling separately, including fragments.

Overall, glass does not seem to be a wise material for industrial designers to use, given the amount of energy and manpower that has to be pumped into recycling it.


Recycling Paper:

The fact that most paper manufacturers are also recyclers is a plus point, as hopefully it cuts transport and other various costs involved.

It is encouraging to see that paper is quite easily recycled and to find out that about 60% of the material used to produce new paper is made from waste paper.

Different processes are used to churn out different types, grades and qualities of paper, which a bulk of the machinery in a paper mill is devoted to.

A consolation though, was that corrugated board, cardboard boxes and news-print, can be produced solely from waste paper, with tissues and toilet rolls not falling far behind.

Paper, especially forms that contain a high percentage of waste paper, is a favoured material that industrial designers can use, provided that it serves their needs.


Recycling Plastic:

It was shown that unlike the beginning of the 90s', where plastic were either incinerated or land-filled, it is easier than ever to recycle plastic.

It was good knowing however, that most types of plastic can be recycled, some more easily than others. Despite how difficult it may be to recycle certain kinds of plastic, today we would find it hard to live without plastic, with it being the preferred material to use.

Unfortunately, the recycling facts of plastic reveal that as compared to other materials like paper or glass, plastic lags far behind in the race to recycle as it is cheap to produce, does not corrode, can be molded into all sorts of shapes and is relatively ductile.

Industrial designers can surely cut down on the ways in which environmental pollution due to plastic, by reducing the use of it as a material.


Recycling Tetra Pak:

Knowing that everyday products such as sauce, juice and milk cartons contribute to the piles of garbage that make up beverage cartons, it is reassuring to know that the key component in each Tetra Pak carton is a specialised cardboard which, like all paper, is recyclable and is indeed fully recyclable.

Watching the process of recycling beverage cartons really shed light on the amount of energy involved, from our used cartons being transported to a recycling plant, where they are then soaked in water to separate the paper-board from the plastic and aluminium layers.

A comforting fact was that the paper content can then be turned into new products like toilet paper, tissue and notebooks, along with, the plastic and aluminium also being recovered to make tiles and pots, just to name a few.

Since the product developers of Tetra Pak profess to be using resources sparingly and designing cartons which can be recycled effectively, industrial designers should support their cause and help to minimise the packages' environmental impact as well.


Recycling Tinplate:

I came to see that tinplate is a extremely recyclable material, and the ease of the operation surprised me: The way their lifted out, compressed and processed.

Tin scrap is then the sole material used in the production of steel slabs, with nothing going to waste. What impressed me, was that the tin cans can be recycled infinity without any quality losses.

Industrial designers can indeed consider tinplate as a material, given that it is highly recyclable and reusable.


Sorting Innovations:

The concept of a sorting plant is new to me and it uses a variety of sorting devices, including screens, magnets and ultraviolet optical scanners that trigger blasts of air to separate certain items from the rest, as well as devices that separate paper from cans and bottles, including glass and plastic, were quite astonishing.

With the existence of sorting plants, consumers can simply put all recyclables into a single container to be sorted at the plant, encouraging recycling as a whole.

This should be good news industrial designers, knowing that the market for which they cater to, is only going to get more and more attuned with the idea of recycling and soon enough, it will be to them as a sort of second nature.