LU 1: RECYCLING: COLLECTING MORE

OPEN-ENDED BRIEF - It has been recommended for many years that reducing, reusing and recycling provide many opportunities for environmental improvements in our own and other countries and in product manufacture. Design and make a product that uses at least one of those criteria.

SPECIFIC BRIEF - New targets are soon to be introduced for the recycling and recovery of packaging waste. Although it is likely to be possible to meet the plastic recycling target for 2006 from industrial waste sources, more metal and glass is going to have to be extracted from the domestic waste stream. Design an appropriate separation and storage system for household use.

Likely recycling targets for 2006:

• 2001 Comparing the second row with the first shows that the recycling targets were met in 2001. The ‘recovery’ heading includes other useful outputs from the waste stream (eg energy from incineration).
• 2006 Comparing the second and third rows shows that it is glass and metal that need to be significantly increased.

Currently it is thought that it is likely to be possible to meet the plastic recycling target for 2006 from industrial waste sources, but that more metal and glass is going to have to be extracted from the domestic waste stream.

Further information concerning this design task can be found on the Centre for Alternative Technology website, (http://www.cat.org.uk) in the education section.

Some issues that the design must address
• separation of the different types of metal
• either, an appropriate volume to match the current frequency of visits to a recycling centre
• or, safe compaction
• acceptable styling for UK households
• acceptable cost to UK households
• design suitable for UK manufacture
• appropriate material selection
• hygiene issues associated with the contents of the glass and metal containers

SUPPORT INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS

The following photographs illustrate the design problem. They show the kind of products currently stored in glass and metal containers in UK households. Teachers wishing to extend the design tasks for a particular student might include the collection of batteries in the design brief. It is likely that the collection and recycling of waste batteries will be required soon in relation to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive. The WEEE Directive will come into force in the next year or so.

They can be used as an introduction to the open-ended brief “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”. or the specific recycling design context on ” Recycling: collecting more”

Typical products stored in glass and metal containers in UK households

Some of the different types of batteries that need to collected.