Throwing out a plastic Christmas tree will benefit China

ByTamburix

Decoration of the world's luxurious Christmas tree using 1578 diamonds, ruby, white goldIf it is, it is treated carefully even after it is finished, many Christmas trees are put out only once a year, so it has turned into fertilization of closet, and we have not received much treatment. Even if it becomes useless, if you repurchase it is over.

"Garbage" which comes out from such a Christmas tree finally has new profit in China.

Christmas tree with glittering electricity

ByPeminumkopi

However, when you finish the role, the treatment is like this.

ByMrlerone

It has turned into a big mountain of garbage

ByGavin Bell

Although trees using natural wood are finished if it burns, if it is a plastic tree, wires of core and plastics, electric decoration adorning the tree, fine wires such as electric wires and bulbs will come out. One of the destinations to which this trash will arrive is Shijiao, which ran for about an hour by car from Guangzhou City, Guangdong province. In the scrap factory called "Yong Chang Processing", we handle 6600 pounds (about 3 tons) of electric garbage every day.

The Chinese Town That Turns Your Old Christmas Tree Lights Into Slippers - Adam Minter - International - The Atlantic

Tangled christmas wreckage


Even if it says garbage, it is not burning or burying, but recycling is done here. This is the state of recycling processing.


A volume like a seaweed launched


We cut this shortly and throw it in the shredder


It seems that the details are trade secret, but put water and muddy substances here and make a mixture.


Put the mixture on a sieve table with water flow, and screen the contents.


Brass, plastic, glass of copper and bulb socket used for electric wires will be screened


Copper and brass that came out in large quantities, it is possible to screen with this simple system at roughly 95% purity. In addition, the contaminated water used here is used again in this recycling system through a filtration device.



According to Raymond Lee, the plant manager, Yong Chang recycles 2.2 million pounds (about 1,000 tons), and at the very least it imports the same amount in the surrounding nine factories and processes it That's right.

Although it does not bother to do purposely in China, although it can do in the United States only if such a process that cuts the electric wire in this way, in China there are many manufacturers wanting insulation of rubber and plastic, the point of recycling in the USA It seems that traders are obstacles that these garbage is specified to be landfilled or sold to electric power companies.

According to Randy Goodman who runs a similar recycling company in the United States, there is no domestic insulation market lacking in the United States, there is no market to deal with pieces of copper and brass, and furthermore, environmental problems It seems that smelter specialized in electric wire has been closed for 10 years ago at last. Now, in the United States, such manufacturing using copper and brass mixture is not being done, so it is sent to China and India where demand is demanded.

For this small resource outflow, in the United States there are companies and organizations collecting trees for free, "Recyclate resources are recycled in the country", but mostly 60 per pound (about 500 g) It has been sold to China in cents (about 50 yen). This cycle can be stopped if Americans cease to buy a Christmas tree in an early cycle, such as "Illuminations got useless" or "It's OK" etc ... ....

By the way,Let's make environment tree-friendly natural tree rather than plastic tree with only 5 to 6 years difficult to processThe movement seems to be properly.