Reducing Use of Resources (AQA GCSE Combined Science: Trilogy): Revision Note

Recycling & reusing materials

• Everyday materials such as glass, metal, plastics and ceramics are produced from natural but finite sources

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• Reuse and recycling of materials cuts down the use of limited material resources, reduces energy use and decreases waste production

• Some products can be reused directly, which saves energy and decreases environmental impact

  • Glass bottles only need to be washed and sterilised before they can be reused

• Other products cannot be reused in this way but can be processed and recycled

Metals recycling

• Metals can be melted and recast or reformed into new products

• The amount of separation required depends on the metal and the properties required of the final product

• For example, in steel making, scrap steel is added to the iron from a blast furnace — this reduces the amount of iron that needs to be extracted from iron ore

Glass recycling

• Glass that is broken or damaged and cannot be reused is separated by colour and composition before being recycled

• The glass is then crushed and melted, and remoulded into shape for its new use

Advantages & disadvantages of recycling

Advantages

Economic advantages

• It is economically beneficial to recycle metals, especially those that are costly to extract such as aluminium

• Recycling is fast becoming a major industry and provides employment which feeds back into the economy

Environmental advantages

• Mining and extracting metals from ores has detrimental effects on the environment and ecosystems

  • Recycling means less mining is required

• It is much more energy efficient to recycle metals than to extract them

  • Melting and remoulding requires less energy than extraction

• Recycling decreases the amount of waste produced, reducing the space needed at landfill sites

• Less mining and less energy use means fewer CO₂ and greenhouse gas emissions, reducing the contribution to global warming

Raw materials

• There is a limited supply of every material on Earth

• As global populations increase, there is a greater need for effective recycling to attain sustainable development

• Mining and extraction use up fossil fuels, which contributes to climate change

Disadvantages

• Collection and transport of material to be recycled requires energy and fuel

• Workers, vehicles and work sites need to be organised and maintained

• Materials need to be sorted before they can be recycled, which requires energy and labour

• Products made from recycled materials may not always be of the same quality as the original