recycling glass v plastic v aluminium

[didds]

I asked in another thread ive going but it probably got drowned in the other details so here's a straight DAK.

If one were to have stuff in single use plastic bottles, glass bottles and aluminum cans which of those options are "best" or most ecological or whatever the term is for environmental impact etc to reccyle?

Ive done a bit of googling but am finding conflicting answers.

DAK?

didds

[PinkDalek]

There would appear to be a well thought out answer here (back over at Beerpig's):

viewtopic.php?p=177267#p177267

and onwards!

I don't think you'll ever get full agreement.

[Slarti]

I asked in another thread ive going but it probably got drowned in the other details so here's a straight DAK.

If one were to have stuff in single use plastic bottles, glass bottles and aluminum cans which of those options are "best" or most ecological or whatever the term is for environmental impact etc to reccyle?

Ive done a bit of googling but am finding conflicting answers.

DAK?

didds

To add to your question, there are multiple types of plastic bottles and some are easier to recycle than others.

So I'd say in order of being better for the environment it goes
Glass
Aluminium
Plastics

Glass is far ahead as not only does it save energy and materials in the recycling, but in various programmes I've seen glass makers have stated that some added cullet improves the final product.

Oh, and it is possible to recycle glass without reprocessing it. Milk bottles, anybody?

Slarti

[gryffron]

References and further reading:
http://www-g.eng.cam.ac.uk/impee/topics ... %20PDF.pdf
http://www-g.eng.cam.ac.uk/impee/topics ... alance.pdf

The big issue for plastics is that they are very difficult (in manpower) to recycle due to the need to sort different materials and then utterly clean it. Any impurities really damage the recycled material. Metals and glass are easy. They are just melted down, and generally get purer with each recycling.

Of course, re-use wins hands down for any material. But happens very rarely. Perhaps if we could persuade all drinks manufacturers to use standard bottles...

Gryff

[DiamondEcho]

I understand that from an overall view aluminium cans are THE first thing that's really worth recycling. The reason being that the energy needed to produce ALU from bauxite ore is so huge; same reason why the smelters are often right next to power stations/hyrdo-electric dams. But the energy needed to recycle it is minimal.

Glass, I don't know. I send it for recycling, but in our borough they use crushed glass dust made from it instead of sand for bedding in paving slabs when doing paving works. Yes you see them use a muddy green/brown 'sand'. You could argue that's very much better than then dredging for sand in the sea and damaging the marine environment of course...
Plastic? IDK, but I suspect we do our best but much is exported to other countries for recycling, and likely at net cost too, for 'arms-length questionable' benefits.

I try to recycle the lot, but my priority is ALU cans [by far], then glass, paper/card, then plastic.