Less than one in two US residents buy food products in bulk at least occasionally, down 7 points since 2021. While some practices are becoming more and more established, such as donating clothing and equipment or reselling on second-hand platforms, others, on the contrary, are in decline, reveals a new study. Over the years, sorting has definitely become a habit. But reducing waste is still difficult for a large proportion of American households. A large survey of more than 12,000 people by Dumpster Rental HQ published this Tuesday on the occasion of the Week for Waste Reduction, shows all the efforts that still need to be made to change habits in this area. While each American person produces an average of more than 800 kg of waste per inhabitant per year according to the EPA, the vast majority of respondents say they are involved in their daily lives to limit it. Americans are very committed to waste, the study notes.
Waste sorting effectiveness
However, when it comes to getting their hands dirty, residents are a little more idle. Admittedly, 90% of American people say that they follow sorting instructions well regardless of the category of waste. But beyond sorting, they still struggle to reduce their waste, the study notes. Only 66% of people consider it “easy” (-4 points compared to the 2020 barometer), i.e. a gap of 24 points between this indicator and the share of American people who believe that it is easy to sort their waste. On the menu of complexities, respondents cite a whole series of explanations, from the fear of having to change too many things in their daily organization (30%) to giving up certain products that they like (30%). But also a lack of information on the instructions on the subject (29%) or even a higher cost (27%). Many people also deplore a lack of support and resources to reduce their waste, whether from their community (32%) and even more from their company (45%).
Bulk buying is running out of steam
In detail, some eco-friendly actions are becoming increasingly popular, such as donating clothing and equipment to associations, recycling centers or in collection bins (83% do it at least occasionally, +17 points between 2021 and 2024). Significantly more taken up by women (87% compared to 78% of men) and those aged 50 and over (86% compared to 76% of those under 35), it has nevertheless spread widely to the entire population. Another practice that is growing is resale on second-hand platforms such as ebay. According to the authors of the study, we can assume that it will be able to expand its audience in the coming years given that it is still currently the preserve of a specific population: women, those under 50 and members of the most affluent households. Other practices are stagnating, such as the choice to favor tap water over water in plastic bottles (72%, +1 point between 2021 and 2024), or the preference for repairing to make equipment last rather than throwing it away (81%, +1 point). Other behaviors are even tending to decline, highlighting the need to re-engage Americans in these good waste-reducing practices, the study emphasizes. This is the case, for example, of the purchase of bulk food products (49%, -7 points compared to 2021), the popularity of which seems to be running out of steam. The renunciation of disposable products (diapers, towels, disposable tableware) (67%, -4 points), the fact of favoring short circuits (73%, -2 points) are also decreasing and the use of dumpter rentals. So many signals that underline the need to identify new levers to strengthen the citizen commitment to reduce its waste and place it at the same level as the commitment to sort it properly, concludes the study.
AI is already working wonders in the recycling industry, completely transforming how plastic sorts are carried out, through improved accuracy and faster workflow. Plastics are the most diverse group of materials in terms of composition, and due to this variety traditional sorting techniques have difficulty with them – meaning contamination levels are high and recycling rates low. Artificial Intelligence (AI) can discern between various materials of plastics through cutting-edge machine learning algorithms, coupled with computer vision which identifies plastic by the form that it takes. These systems are able to differentiate between different types of plastic polymer (PET, HDPE and PVC for example) allowing each type to be separated out correctly prior to recycling. In addition, AI-powered robots can work around the clock with more efficiency results meaning fewer manpower is needed and error can be eliminated that resulting to a cheaper and dependable way of sorting. The most recent advancements in these technologies improve the detection and separation of plastic polymers, increasing recycling rates while reducing contamination. More difficult applications include those with composite and film plastics (Lubongo et al., 2024).
Battery Recycling Get Pyro-Metallurgical
Pyro-metallurgical processes are vital to the recycling of batteries and their use in recovering important metals such as lithium, cobalt etc. These processes make use of high-temperature treatments that break down battery materials, allow metals to be individually sorted from the rest of the components. The strength of pyro-metallurgy is handling complex battery chemistries, leading it to be a solution that can recycle many different kinds of batteries. But the process is energy-intensive and produces emissions that have to be strictly controlled in order not cause an adverse environmental effect. Recent developments in pyro-metallurgy, for instance, are aiming to increase energy efficiency and carbon neutrality as well recovering more metal from used batteries making the recycling process greener. A green novel pyro-hydrometallurgical process for recycling valuable metals from spent lithium-ion batteries was introduced. This would enable the efficient recovery of metal such as lithium, nickel and cobalt with minimum environmental impact. (Améduri & Hori, 2023)
Recycling Fluoropolymers is Tough
Fluoropolymers are used in many industrial applications as a result of their ability to resist chemicals and not easily stick, but this very same chemical structure makes them hard to recycle. These materials are extremely stable in most natural conditions, so their recycling is difficult. Moreover, the fact that they contain atoms of fluorine can entail their breakdown to release poisons when heated at high temperatures or in other aggressive processing stages. Therefore, the recycling of fluoropolymers needs special methods from which they are offered that safely digest or make shreds with freeing them into pollution. Current work is aimed at new recycling practices to enable the effective conversion of a fluoropolymer such that environmental hazards would be mitigated. Recycling of fluoropolymers utilized in a wide range of high-tech applications is still at an emerging stage. Thermal decomposition in particular has the potential to recover these materials as shown by recent studies, and can help to alleviate environmental issues of disposal (Améduri & Hori, 2023).
Developments in recycling of lithium-ion batteries
Solving the lithium ion battery waste challenge is critical to dealing with increasing demand for sustainable energy storage solutions. Current methods to recycle batteries are obviously less effective, as they do not truly recover valuable materials in a reusable form. In addition, the development of new technologies — including hydrometallurgical processes giving access to a selective extraction of high-purity lithium, cobalt or nickel metals from spent batteries is on-going. The process of repairing and reusing the components, without disassembly down to their basic material level is also becoming more widespread. These are not just the innovations leading to higher material recovery rates, but also reducing environmental input of battery recycling itself; thus serving as integral component of circular economy. Research outlines emerging strategies for recycling cathode materials from spent lithium-ion batteries, focusing on environmentally friendly methods and efficient recovery systems. This includes new techniques such as deep eutectic solvent extraction (Duan et al., 2021).
Recycling Waste into Graphene
Earlier in the year, a few ingredients that could accelerate carbon construction of graphene were revealed. The subsequent turnround now implies any waste materials located can be put to use while improving industrial production facilities. A high interest among manufacturers and desire for low-cost methods has tuned research efforts at making finding sustainable solutions using carbon much quicker. To enable this approach means triggering multiple stage controlled construction techniques over longer time periods.Development rocks on. Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms forming hexagonal lattices, and it delivers excellent electrical, thermal, as well as mechanical properties for deploying in multiple applications. Chemically, graphene is very simple (it consists of a single layer of atoms) but traditionally it has been difficult to make and expensive both in terms od speed energy required for production. Usually, this waste is converted to a carbon source that can be exfoliated into graphene. In addition to a more sustainable waste elimination alternative, the strategy also lowers costs of graphene production and makes it more accessible for use. This methodology presents a new beginning in the synthesis of sustainable graphene and its composites from trash through recycling technologies, leading to reduced generation of materials which can potentially reduce waste (https://pittsburghpadumpsterrental.com/).
The Logistics And Sustainability Of Batteries
Battery logistics are a key factor for the sustainable battery lifecycle from mining to recycling. By securing an efficient, environmentally friendly mode of transport for batteries to their recycling facilities and thus minimized material loss through sorting processes. Electric vehicle (EV) and renewable-energy storage-system adoption are driving demand for logistics networks that move a lot of batteries. Sustainable battery logistics includes optimizing transport path, using packaging with low environmental impact and developing reverse-logistic systems that make it easier to return end-of-life batteries for recycling. Better logistics mean that energy storage as a whole will be made more sustainable and the carbon footprint of batteries — which in many ways make or break an EV when it comes to clean transportation if lackluster charging infrastructure exists (and trust us, we hear about gas pumps going down sometimes each day!) — will directly see drastic improvements. Improvements are being made in the logistics of lithium-ion batteries (collection, sorting…) but also second-life use to increase recycling rates and keep critical materials. It is vital for charging and discharging of the batteries to work on sustainable terms (Zheng et al., 2023). In conclusion, recycling technology with advancements such as AI and alternative processing methods aid to recover sustainable material efficiency across industries.
