Q&A on the News
Q: Under the current trash pickup and recycle system in Gwinnett County, our recyclable items are picked up in a separate truck that compacts the various items involved. If these things are compacted, how are they separated for recycling?
-- Rob Caldwell, Lilburn
A: Paper, glass, plastics and metals are brought to a recycling processing facility and are separated by machines and people, Connie Wiggins, executive director of the nonprofit organization Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful, told Q&A on the News in an e-mail. Pre-sorting typically is done by hand so items such as wire, plastic bags and rubber hoses can be removed. The mixed recyclables travel on a conveyor to a "disc screen" machine that separates the paper from the plastic bottles and metal cans. The paper is loaded on a truck and shipped to a mill for use as a raw material to make newsprint, paper containers or insulation, she wrote. The plastic and metal containers fall onto another conveyor and are separated mechanically or by hand. Plastics are sorted by resin type and baled. Steel and metal containers are separated by large magnets, baled and prepared for transport to metal companies; they are used to make metal cans or car parts. Much of the glass is broken during the process; it can be used by fiberglass or sand-blasting companies, she wrote.
Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
