Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority
Encyclopedia
Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority is a collective of area towns and cities for the single-source recycling processing and sale of recyclable waste. It oversees the operation of four of the state's six trash-to-energy plants
. The plants are located in Hartford
, Bridgeport
, Wallingford
and Preston. The four plants generated 1.1 billion kilowatt hours of Class II green power
in 2004.
recycle post-consumer waste
in a mixed solid waste stream
, sorting by manual and mechanical methods to prepare the resources for the end-user.
Recycled resources generate revenues, but they also save energy. How much depends on the material: some materials such as aluminum, carpet
, and copper
consume so much energy in production, that recycling these energy-intensive products results in large energy savings. For example, a 2005 report by the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that one ton of aluminum can recycling saves 209 million BTUs, which is equivalent to 36 barrels (5,723.5 l) of oil. The same report provides statistics for other materials: carpeting—106 million Btu (18 barrels (2,861.8 l) of crude oil); copper wire—83.1 million Btu (14 barrels); high-density polyethylene milk jugs—51.4 million Btu (8.9 barrels); steel cans
--20.5 million Btu (3.5 barrels); newspaper—16.9 million Btu (2.9 barrels); and glass
--2.7 million Btu (0.47 barrels)
Recycling also preserves natural resource
s. About 20 trees are needed to produce one ton of virgin paper and on average Americans use about 730 pounds of paper (approximately a third of a ton) per year.
Recycling everything is not possible. When it comes to disposal of the remaining waste, environmentalists
favor sending it to an incineration plant rather than a landfill where it can pollute
the soil
, water
, and air
through contamination
and excess methane
production.
is directed to boil water for steam to spin turbine
s. The electricity
created by the spinning turbines is harnessed and sold to the region's electrical grid.
In the early 1990s, the Clean Air Act
increased regulations on trash-burning facilities causing the number of plants to shrink from more than 1,100 in 1990 to fewer than 90 today. Connecticut is host to six of those facilities, in part due to a conscious commitment to reduce the number of landfill developments and find environmentally responsible means to manage the state's waste.
Under the leadership of Governor Thomas J. Meskill
, the General Assembly
created the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority in 1973 with the passage of Public Act
73-549. Bridgeport was selected for the site of the CRRA's first regional trash-to-energy (TTE)
project. Connecticut will be the first state in the United States
without an active municipal solid waste
landfill
when a 171 acre (0.69201306 km²) landfill in Windsor
closes, which is slated to happen in 2012.
The museum has a sky-walk observation hallway above the recycling center with a self-guided tour that steps the museum visitor through the tipping and sorting
process. From the walkway, visitors can watch recycling collection trucks dump their loads and see how glass, plastic bottles, metal, paper and cardboard are sorted, crushed or baled. The museum features mostly hands-on activities, such as the "trash-o-saurus" scavenger hunt where you find specified items on the dinosaur and a game-show trivia exhibit, where a wrong answer will shower you in recyclables.
Until 2009, funding for the CRRA Garbage Museum came from revenues generated from the sale of recyclables processed at the CRRA facility. With the downturn in economy, and the cancellation of a six town contracts and the lower prices for commodities sold, the CRRA was no longer able to generate enough revenue to fund the museum's costs. As of late 2010, the Garbage Museum is still open to the public, but now charges a modest entrance fee.
The Garbage Museum is located at 1410 Honeyspot Road Extension in Stratford, Connecticut
.
Incineration
Incineration is a waste treatment process that involves the combustion of organic substances contained in waste materials. Incineration and other high temperature waste treatment systems are described as "thermal treatment". Incineration of waste materials converts the waste into ash, flue gas, and...
. The plants are located in Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, Bridgeport
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
, Wallingford
Wallingford, Connecticut
Wallingford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 43,026 at the 2000 census.- History :Wallingford was established on October 10, 1667, when the Connecticut General Assembly authorized the "making of a village on the east river" to 38 planters and freemen...
and Preston. The four plants generated 1.1 billion kilowatt hours of Class II green power
Sustainable energy
Sustainable energy is the provision of energy that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sustainable energy sources include all renewable energy sources, such as hydroelectricity, solar energy, wind energy, wave power, geothermal...
in 2004.
Recycled resources
The CRRA recovery facilitiesMaterials recovery facility
A materials recovery facility or materials reclamation facility or materials recycling facility is a specialized plant that receives, separates and prepares recyclable materials for marketing to end-user manufacturers...
recycle post-consumer waste
Post-consumer waste
Post-consumer waste is a waste type produced by the end consumer of a material stream; that is, where the waste-producing use did not involve the production of another product....
in a mixed solid waste stream
Single-stream recycling
Single stream recycling refers to a system in which all paper fibers, plastics, metals, and other containers are mixed together in a collection truck, instead of being sorted into separate commodities by the resident and handled separately throughout the collection...
, sorting by manual and mechanical methods to prepare the resources for the end-user.
Carpet
A carpet is a textile floor covering consisting of an upper layer of "pile" attached to a backing. The pile is generally either made from wool or a manmade fibre such as polypropylene,nylon or polyester and usually consists of twisted tufts which are often heat-treated to maintain their...
, and copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
consume so much energy in production, that recycling these energy-intensive products results in large energy savings. For example, a 2005 report by the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that one ton of aluminum can recycling saves 209 million BTUs, which is equivalent to 36 barrels (5,723.5 l) of oil. The same report provides statistics for other materials: carpeting—106 million Btu (18 barrels (2,861.8 l) of crude oil); copper wire—83.1 million Btu (14 barrels); high-density polyethylene milk jugs—51.4 million Btu (8.9 barrels); steel cans
Tin can
A tin can, tin , steel can, or a can, is a sealed container for the distribution or storage of goods, composed of thin metal. Many cans require opening by cutting the "end" open; others have removable covers. Cans hold diverse contents: foods, beverages, oil, chemicals, etc."Tin" cans are made...
--20.5 million Btu (3.5 barrels); newspaper—16.9 million Btu (2.9 barrels); and glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
--2.7 million Btu (0.47 barrels)
Recycling also preserves natural resource
Natural resource
Natural resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity and geodiversity existent in various ecosystems....
s. About 20 trees are needed to produce one ton of virgin paper and on average Americans use about 730 pounds of paper (approximately a third of a ton) per year.
Recycling everything is not possible. When it comes to disposal of the remaining waste, environmentalists
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
favor sending it to an incineration plant rather than a landfill where it can pollute
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
the soil
Soil contamination
Soil contamination or soil pollution is caused by the presence of xenobiotic chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment....
, water
Water pollution
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies . Water pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds....
, and air
Air pollution
Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or cause damage to the natural environment or built environment, into the atmosphere....
through contamination
Contamination
Contamination is the presence of a minor and unwanted constituent in material, physical body, natural environment, at a workplace, etc.-Specifics:"Contamination" also has more specific meanings in science:...
and excess methane
Methane
Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkane, the principal component of natural gas, and probably the most abundant organic compound on earth. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel...
production.
Trash-to-energy
In the United States, 64% of refuse is placed in landfills, 29% is recycled, and only about 7% generated energy. This is in contrast to some European countries where recycling and trash-to-energy processing is around 40-50%. Waste is converted to energy when the heat generated by burning trashIncineration
Incineration is a waste treatment process that involves the combustion of organic substances contained in waste materials. Incineration and other high temperature waste treatment systems are described as "thermal treatment". Incineration of waste materials converts the waste into ash, flue gas, and...
is directed to boil water for steam to spin turbine
Turbine
A turbine is a rotary engine that extracts energy from a fluid flow and converts it into useful work.The simplest turbines have one moving part, a rotor assembly, which is a shaft or drum with blades attached. Moving fluid acts on the blades, or the blades react to the flow, so that they move and...
s. The electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
created by the spinning turbines is harnessed and sold to the region's electrical grid.
In the early 1990s, the Clean Air Act
Clean Air Act (United States)
The Clean Air Act is a United States federal law enacted by Congress, and signed by President Richard Nixon on December 31, 1970 to control air pollution on a national level. It requires the Environmental Protection Agency to develop and enforce regulations to protect the general public from...
increased regulations on trash-burning facilities causing the number of plants to shrink from more than 1,100 in 1990 to fewer than 90 today. Connecticut is host to six of those facilities, in part due to a conscious commitment to reduce the number of landfill developments and find environmentally responsible means to manage the state's waste.
Under the leadership of Governor Thomas J. Meskill
Thomas Joseph Meskill
Thomas Joseph Meskill was a longtime judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He previously served as the 82nd Governor of Connecticut, as a U.S. Congressman from Connecticut, and as the mayor of New Britain, Connecticut...
, the General Assembly
Connecticut General Assembly
The Connecticut General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is a bicameral body composed of the 151-member House of Representatives and the 36-member Senate. It meets in the state capital, Hartford. There are no term limits for either chamber.During...
created the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority in 1973 with the passage of Public Act
Statute
A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law, decided by courts, and regulations...
73-549. Bridgeport was selected for the site of the CRRA's first regional trash-to-energy (TTE)
Incineration
Incineration is a waste treatment process that involves the combustion of organic substances contained in waste materials. Incineration and other high temperature waste treatment systems are described as "thermal treatment". Incineration of waste materials converts the waste into ash, flue gas, and...
project. Connecticut will be the first state in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
without an active municipal solid waste
Municipal solid waste
Municipal solid waste , commonly known as trash or garbage , refuse or rubbish is a waste type consisting of everyday items we consume and discard. It predominantly includes food wastes, yard wastes, containers and product packaging, and other miscellaneous inorganic wastes from residential,...
landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
when a 171 acre (0.69201306 km²) landfill in Windsor
Windsor, Connecticut
Windsor is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, and was the first English settlement in the state. It lies on the northern border of Connecticut's capital, Hartford. The population was estimated at 28,778 in 2005....
closes, which is slated to happen in 2012.
Educational outreach
The CRRA operates two museums and a number of educational programs to provide hands-on recycling and environmental education programs to children and adults. The outreach program coordinates in-school programs, scout tours, displays at public events, and offers lendable environmental educational kits for teachers and group leaders. In 2002, CRRA was awarded the Beth Brown Boettner Award by the National Recycling Coalition for outstanding public education.The Garbage Museum
Opened in 1993, the Garbage Museum features a "Trash-O-Saurus" displayed in the middle of the building. It is a dinosaur made entirely from discarded items salvaged from landfills and trash bins, and it represents the amount of trash one person generates in a year.The museum has a sky-walk observation hallway above the recycling center with a self-guided tour that steps the museum visitor through the tipping and sorting
Waste sorting
Waste sorting is the process by which waste is separated into different elements. Waste sorting can occur manually at the household and collected through curbside collection schemes, or automatically separated in materials recovery facilities or mechanical biological treatment systems.Waste can...
process. From the walkway, visitors can watch recycling collection trucks dump their loads and see how glass, plastic bottles, metal, paper and cardboard are sorted, crushed or baled. The museum features mostly hands-on activities, such as the "trash-o-saurus" scavenger hunt where you find specified items on the dinosaur and a game-show trivia exhibit, where a wrong answer will shower you in recyclables.
Until 2009, funding for the CRRA Garbage Museum came from revenues generated from the sale of recyclables processed at the CRRA facility. With the downturn in economy, and the cancellation of a six town contracts and the lower prices for commodities sold, the CRRA was no longer able to generate enough revenue to fund the museum's costs. As of late 2010, the Garbage Museum is still open to the public, but now charges a modest entrance fee.
The Garbage Museum is located at 1410 Honeyspot Road Extension in Stratford, Connecticut
Stratford, Connecticut
Stratford is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic River. It was founded by Puritans in 1639....
.
The Trash Museum
Open in 1995, the Mid-Connecticut Project Trash Museum is a 6500 sq ft (603.9 m²). educational exhibits. It features a sculpture of reclaimed garbage called the "temple of trash." Real-time recycling operations are displayed on close-circuit television in the mezzanine of the museum. As of late 2010, the Trash Museum remains funded and open to the public without charge.External links
- The Garbage Museum Channel on YouTube.com
- Phillup D. Bag educational website of the CRRA mascot