What is the process of processing R5 and R3 waste?

Recycling waste means using it in such a way that it can be reused as a substitute for other materials. In Annex 1 to the Act of 14 December 2012 on waste, there is a list of recovery processes for various types of waste, including: R5 and R3 processes. What are they and what is worth knowing about them?

Waste processing process vs. recovery and recycling

At the beginning, let's explain some basic concepts related to waste management. What is the waste treatment process? It includes various preparatory activities to enable the recovery or recycling of raw materials. Recovery means activities and technologies that make it possible to reuse waste. In the light of Polish and international law, recycling is one of the forms of recovery. It is the use of waste for various purposes, restoring its original function or giving it a completely new purpose.

The technological process of waste treatment is a task for specialized companies. These are plants with appropriate machinery and equipment for the production of secondary raw materials. Enterprises dealing with waste processing also have appropriate permits for the collection and treatment of such waste that could pose a potential threat to the natural environment.

Types of waste treatment process

Over the course of several decades, we as humanity have learned to process and use garbage in many different ways. The selection of appropriate treatment methods depends, of course, on the specificity of the waste. Substances can be treated:

• recycling,
• regeneration,
• burning,
• refining.

Some waste is suitable for fuel, others are biodegradable and 100% compostable, i.e. they decompose naturally under the influence of bacteria and fungi. More data on the types of waste treatment processes are included in the aforementioned Appendix 1 of the Waste Act. The classification R1 – R13 appears in this annex. The division concerns raw materials suitable for reuse, such as:

• fuel,
• solvents,
• organic substances,
• metals and their compounds,
• acids, bases,
• catalyst components,
• oils.

The list also includes storage, replacement or recycling processes for the listed types of waste. The list is an important point of reference for all entrepreneurs operating in the material recovery industry. On the basis of the Waste Act and the guidelines of Annex No. 1, internal procedures and technologies for the processing of materials suitable for reuse are developed.

R5 recovery process - what is it?

The process called R5 concerns the recycling or recovery of inorganic materials other than metals or chemical compounds, for example: building materials, packaging, plastics, mining spoil or contaminated soil. Activities classified as R5 include a number of activities aimed at processing raw materials and preparing them for further use. These may include earthworks, during which undesirable substances are removed from the soil masses.

Thanks to R5 recovery (or regeneration) processes, raw materials are produced that are used in many industries: construction, road, mining, mining, etc. These are semi-finished products and products that act as insulators, stabilizers, hardeners, additives to bituminous mixtures, ditch fillers, excavations, etc.

R3 recovery - what is it and what is it about?

The R3 process is another waste recovery method. It includes the recycling or recovery of organic substances that are not used as solvents. What kind of waste are we talking about? It can be both organic waste produced in food processing plants and waste generated by farms or restaurants.

The R3 method aims to recover and prepare the raw material for re-use. This process can take place as a result of composting, gasification (semi-combustion) or pyrolysis, i.e. combustion of waste in anaerobic conditions or with minimal use of oxygen. From raw materials treated with R3, digestate is produced, among other things, which is used as a fertiliser. In the R3 type recovery process, it is also possible to obtain material for the reclamation of depleted soils in post-industrial areas.

How important is the recovery of organic and inorganic materials?

Waste processing plants and composting plants operating in communes and poviats play a significant role in the fight against excessive amounts of waste. The R3 and R5 methods used in them are efficient, innovative processes, designed for the future of the next generations. Their primary goal is to protect the environment and resources.

What are the benefits of implementing R3 and R5 processes in companies? By using both methods, organic and inorganic waste can be reused, saving natural resources and energy. The recovery of raw materials in the R3 and R5 processes also allows you to relieve local landfills and landfills, and thus reduce water, soil and air pollution.