Recovery Operations

Wastes and hazardous wastes could be recovered in different ways, i.e. recycling to materials, recycling to energy recovery and chemical recovery. The choice between these different recovery options depends on the quality or property of the waste and is made according to economic and ecological considerations. For instance, the economics of recovery depends on, for example, the revenue from recovery (materials or energy), the cost of the operation, the savings compared to final disposal and cost of final disposal of residues coming out from recycling operations.

To be economically and technically viable for recovery, the stream usually should be uniform. It must not contain too many contaminants, and the recycled products must meet the purity requirements for a manufacturing process. Recoverable wastes could be used as feed stock in production processes or as substitutes for commercial products, in particular chemical products.

Recovery operations or facilities of hazardous wastes can release toxic emissions or discharges to air, soil or water which represent a potential threat to human health and the environment. Residues arising from the recovery of hazardous wastes can be hazardous themselves, perhaps even more hazardous than the original wastes. Consequently, environmentally sound and safe disposal of these wastes should be ensured.

Recoverable wastes could be used as feed stock in production processes. A waste for which there is a viable ongoing market for the products is more likely to be managed in an environmentally sound manner. Consolidated large-scale processing on an economical scale makes a viable recovery more likely.