Recycling and Reclamation Services

Recycling and reclamation services recycle and recover solvents, precious metals, hydrocarbons, and other industrial materials. They may also provide analytical testing, collection, trading, process optimization, research and development, technology and licensing, toll processing, training and consulting, and warehousing and distribution services. In terms of batch size, there are three basic types of recycling and reclamation services: laboratory scale, Pitot scale, and production or field scale. Laboratory or benchtop applications require facilities with a processing capacity of a few pounds (lbs) or gallons (gal). For nanomaterials and specialized biochemical compounds, laboratory-scale quantities are often measured in milligrams (mg). Pitot-scale quantities are larger than laboratory-scale amounts, but smaller than full-scale production facilities. Most Pitot-scale quantities are in the range of several drums or hundreds of pounds of gallons; however, amounts vary with the density and type of the processed material. Production-scale recycling and reclamation services offer processing ranges in the thousands of gallons or pounds.  

Recycling and reclamation services differ in terms of processing capability and scrap or waste type. Some companies provide biotransformation, chamber recovery, cleaning, coating, conversion, cryogenic processing, culling, demolition, destruction, distillation, disinfection, excavation, forming, or grading services. Others use techniques such as drying, evaporation, extraction, filtration, melting, milling, reconditioning, recovery, refining, resurfacing, purification, screening, size reduction, sorting, sterilization, treatment, and vacuum processing. Scrap or waste types for recycling and reclamation services include automobiles, batteries, bulk solids, computer and electronics, gas and liquid gas, liquids, powders, tires or scrap rubber, toxic or hazardous wastes, used equipment, and web or continuous stock. Recycled chemicals can be divided into acetylenes, active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), alchohols, beverages, biochemicals, cleaners, coatings, coolants, cosmetics, drugs, foods, fuels, greases, lubricants, polymers, slag, and solvents. Recycled materials are categorized as abrasives, alloys, aluminum, ceramics, cobalt, copper, elastomers, ferrous or iron-based waste, glass and fiberglass, metals, nickel, non-ferrous metals, minerals, nuclear materials, plastics, pulp and paper, steel, tin, titanium, textiles and wood products.   

Recycling and reclamation services are located across North America and around the world. In the United States, they meet federal requirements from the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Recycling and reclamation services that meet state regulations and U.S. military specifications (MIL-SPEC) are also available. ISO 9001:200 and ISO 14001 are commonly-recognized certifications from the International Standards Organization (ISO). Quality standards also include QS-900, which is based on the 1994 edition of ISO, but contains additional requirements that are particular to the automotive industry. Some recycling and reclamation services meet the Recycling Industry Operating Standard (RIOS) from the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (RIOS). The RIOS standard addresses a full spectrum of quality, environmental, and health and safety issues in recycling operations.    

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