A Great Recycling History – Magnetic Separation

Today, more than ever, there is an enormous focus on recycling and reusing waste materials. It is the opinion of many experts that our waste problem is related to the modern “throw-away” mentality that is so prevalent in society. The appeal of convenience, in combination with our busy lifestyles, has greatly driven up the need for quick, easy-access goods.

While this seems like a thoroughly modern problem, much can be learned by looking to the past. Despite the modern day obsession with recycling and environmental issues, recycling and waste-reduction activity have been common practice for the majority of human history. In this blog, we will look back at five examples of historical recycling success and consider what lessons we might be able to learn.

Recycling in 400 BC

Archaeologists have extensively studied ancient waste dumps, and their research has shown that during periods of scare resources, there was significantly less household waste (e.g. ash, discarded plates, pottery, and broken tools). This suggests that people were not simply throwing out waste products—rather, they were recycling them. There are documented records of recycling activity that extend as far back as Plato in 400 BC.

Metal Recycling

Prior to the industrial revolution, which began around 1750, there is evidence that scrap metals, such as bronze, were collected in Europe to be melted down for reuse.

The Dustman

The term “dustman” was first recorded around 1700-1710. It is thought to originate from when dust and ash from coal and wood fires was collected to be re-used as a base material in brick making.

Peddlers Recycling

Once the industrial revolution fully took hold, peddlers gathered secondary goods that were then processed and sold for reuse. These peddlers combed dumps, city streets, and even went door to door seeking discarded machinery, cooking pots, pans, and other metals.

Reusing “Pop” Bottles

Around 1800, UK beverage manufacturers (notably, Schweppes) kick started one of the most successful recycling initiatives of all time. They introduced the recycling of glass bottles with consumers paying a refundable deposit. In the 1970s, soda fans in the UK commonly bought their Corona fizzy drink, or “pop” bottles from flat-bed trucks, going on to return their bottles for reuse via a deposit scheme.

Recovering Metals

There is an extensive history of metals being recovered using magnetic separators and other methods. Collecting scrap metal for recycling is a practice that dates back to Roman times, with evidence of recycling excavated in Pompeii. Archaeologists have found that metal recycling was a highly popular practice during times of distress, and during archaeological digs, they matched historical evidence of war and famine with a significant lack of physical waste. This indicates increased recycling.

The “scrap” revolution began in the 1960s when the recycling industry shifted from labor-intensive to mechanical techniques. During the 1970s, there was a boom in the recovery of ferrous metals using magnetic separators including scrap drum magnets and crossbelt magnets.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, high-intensity permanent neodymium rare earth magnets entered the market. These powerful magnets led to the development of Eddy Current Separators, equipment capable of separating non-ferrous metals. This changed the recycling landscape forever, as the Eddy Current Separator technology allowed for automated, low-cost recovery of high value non-ferrous metals like aluminum, copper, and zinc. A more recent development is the high-intensity Stainless Steel Separation Conveyor. This piece of equipment allows for the automated recovery of fragmented stainless steel. Future technological advances will continue to alter the landscape even more.

Learning Lessons?

In today’s world, the importance of recycling has never been greater. History illustrates that successful recovery and reuse of materials is often driven by economical rather than environmental reasons, and that technology plays a huge role. The key to enhancing recycling rates is by finding ways to successfully reuse or recycle waste materials. There is a question as to whether simply collecting waste without an end-market will ever be successful.

At Bunting, we specialize in designing and manufacturing technology that enables optimal recycling.

This includes an extensive range of magnetic separation equipment to recover and separate ferrous metals, as well as our Eddy Current Separators to extract non-ferrous metals.