History and Goals ............. 1
My background; Zero Waste Systems, my chemical recycling company; the EPA's role in squelching recycling; the Ekotek waste oil recycling site; The purpose of this book.
Better ways to think about recycling .............. 11
Concepts of recycling and waste; the theses of this book; the misleading uses of language; garbage concepts corrupting everyday thought; the dismal state of conventional recycling.
Universal Recycling Nuts and Bolts .............. 31
Details of my proposal for universal recycling; common objections made to recycling; obstacles placed in the way of recycling today; five "laws" of recycling: 1. Recycle Function, 2. Design in Recycling Up Front, 3. Remove the Garbage Industry, 4. Eliminate Dump Subsidies, 5. Make it Profitable.
Models for thinking about recycling .............. 45
What is efficiency; Its relation to environmentalists and favored environmental projects such as biodiesel and ethanol fuels; inadequacies of the bio-organic model of recycling; the industrial model applied to acetic acid and polyurethane foam; The Hannover Principles; Comparison of universal recycling to the garbage approach for computers; bogus models.
Theory ............. 71
Discussion of Entropy, especially as it relates to the recycling of function vs. materials
Waste Definitions ............... 87
Applied definition of "waste"; The Palm Desert lawsuit; Lawsuit by the American Petroleum Institute and the American Mining Congress
Garbage Industry View of Resources ............. 103
Garbage industry overview; Sustainability and intensive development; Dumping subsidies; Regulatory subsidies; Bottle bills; Technological basis of garbage dumping; Schemes to destroy garbage; The future of the industry; the Garbage Mentality.
Government Regulations ............ 125
Love Canal, the Elizabeth NJ dump and the burning river; History of EPA scuttling RCRA and recycling; Curbside recycling and Waste exchanges; The Treaty of Basel outlawing shipments of used chemicals; United Nations Recycling Consortium; Kaiser Engineers lab chemicals; Respect for recycling; Inadequacy of EPA databases
Pollution ............. 157
Pollution as a gift; kinds of pollution; attitudes toward pollution; the legal right to pollute; thionyl chloride dumping; Novato dumpster diving; Big Al's dumpsite; manufacturer's liability.
Chemical Industry .............. 167
The chemical industry's Responsible Care program; Dow's incineration; lack of respect for recycling; Zero Waste Systems Inc.'s early work on chemical reuse; ABC-TV Documentary
Chemical Brokerage .............. 179
My entry into the brotherhood; brokers around the country; problem areas; working with garbage companies; how to get started. See also Appendix below.
Government Behavior ............ 201
EPA Critics, Sanjour and Swearingen; obstacles thrown up by regulations; $3 Million Discard; subway graffiti cleaner; aborted recycling; isopropyl alcohol recycling; FDA, OSHA, BATF and computerization as obstacles.
Superfund .............. 213
The CERCLA (Superfund) Law and how it works; The Ekotek situation; phosphorus mud recycling
Thoughts .............. 225
Political background; markets as malleable human constructions; humanism threatened.
Some Neat Ideas ............. 249
Suggestions and examples of recycling: electronics, polyester, paper (inks, coatings), car parts, dishes, ceramics, paints.
Glossary ............. 277

Definitions of terms
Appendix on Chemical References useful in Chemical Brokerage ............ 287
A detailed discussion of references for those who may want to try chemical brokerage.
Index

CONTENTS

Preface

History and Goals ............. 1

My background; Zero Waste Systems, my chemical recycling company; the EPA's role in squelching recycling; the Ekotek waste oil recycling site; The purpose of this book.

Better ways to think about recycling .............. 11

Concepts of recycling and waste; the theses of this book; the misleading uses of language; garbage concepts corrupting everyday thought; the dismal state of conventional recycling.

Universal Recycling Nuts and Bolts .............. 31

Details of my proposal for universal recycling; common objections made to recycling; obstacles placed in the way of recycling today; five "laws" of recycling: 1. Recycle Function, 2. Design in Recycling Up Front, 3. Remove the Garbage Industry, 4. Eliminate Dump Subsidies, 5. Make it Profitable.

Models for thinking about recycling .............. 45

Theory ............. 71

Discussion of Entropy, especially as it relates to the recycling of function vs. materials

Waste Definitions ............... 87

Applied definition of "waste"; The Palm Desert lawsuit; Lawsuit by the American Petroleum Institute and the American Mining Congress

Garbage Industry View of Resources ............. 103

Garbage industry overview; Sustainability and intensive development; Dumping subsidies; Regulatory subsidies; Bottle bills; Technological basis of garbage dumping; Schemes to destroy garbage; The future of the industry; the Garbage Mentality.

Government Regulations ............ 125

Pollution ............. 157

Pollution as a gift; kinds of pollution; attitudes toward pollution; the legal right to pollute; thionyl chloride dumping; Novato dumpster diving; Big Al's dumpsite; manufacturer's liability.

Chemical Industry .............. 167

The chemical industry's Responsible Care program; Dow's incineration; lack of respect for recycling; Zero Waste Systems Inc.'s early work on chemical reuse; ABC-TV Documentary

Chemical Brokerage .............. 179

My entry into the brotherhood; brokers around the country; problem areas; working with garbage companies; how to get started. See also Appendix below.

Government Behavior ............ 201

EPA Critics, Sanjour and Swearingen; obstacles thrown up by regulations; $3 Million Discard; subway graffiti cleaner; aborted recycling; isopropyl alcohol recycling; FDA, OSHA, BATF and computerization as obstacles.

Superfund .............. 213

The CERCLA (Superfund) Law and how it works; The Ekotek situation; phosphorus mud recycling

Thoughts .............. 225

Political background; markets as malleable human constructions; humanism threatened.

Some Neat Ideas ............. 249

Suggestions and examples of recycling: electronics, polyester, paper (inks, coatings), car parts, dishes, ceramics, paints.

Glossary ............. 277

Definitions of terms

Appendix on Chemical References useful in Chemical Brokerage ............ 287

A detailed discussion of references for those who may want to try chemical brokerage.

Index