While more traditional materials like aluminum, copper, and other metals are recycled without difficulty at your local scrap-metal dealer, there isn’t an equivalent hydraulic hose collection point. However, with the necessary knowledge, a bit of effort, and a commitment to preserving and protecting our environment, recycling hydraulic hoses is a feasible, eco-friendly achievement.
Below you will find a few important things to consider before you can recycle your hydraulic hose.
What is the hose made of?
The typical hydraulic hose is usually made of rubber or plastic, which should make recycling a simple task. However, steel components frequently line hoses to make a longer lasting, more durable product.
Unfortunately, while such reinforcements are vital to the functionality of hoses in various applications, they also make recycling them more difficult. While hoses that are metal-free or have very little metal inside them can be crumbled to create modified-asphalt surfaces, rubber hoses that are lined with significant amounts of steel are slightly more complicated.
Although determining which materials are used in different hydraulic hoses takes time, it will make finding the appropriate recycling center easy. The easiest way to identify and recycle hoses is to call the manufacturer to get the necessary information.
Get the hose ready for recycling
When disposing of hydraulic hose, there a few simple instructions you should follow to ensure a simple and successful recycling process:
Drain: Always allow the hose to drain overnight.
Rinse: Be sure to rinse all pesticide hoses and reuse the water as part of a legal application.
Bundle: Tie hoses together to make transport easier and to keep it as compact as possible.
Find the right recycling center
While it would convenient if the local recycling center accepted hydraulic hoses, municipalities cannot easily recycle every material. Therefore, it is important to identify and use recycling centers that can dispose of these more difficult-to-recycle materials.
To get started, look to the local district. The case can be made that these tax-funded municipalities should be aiding in hydraulic hose recycling, particularly when a local business or employer is doing the recycling. However, if the district is not equipped to handle hydraulic hoses, the next appropriate step is to contact the local recycling centers in the area regarding their recycling capabilities. Depending on their equipment, size, and function, they might be able to help recycle hoses with certain components.
Look outside the usual recycling options
If both the local district and recycling centers are unable to aid in recycling hoses, it is a good idea to apply for recycling exchange. These programs allow companies to sell or trade hydraulic hoses that are still usable or recycle the hoses to groups seeking certain materials for projects and repairs.
If there isn’t a local recycling exchange, there are some recycling companies that use hoses to make fuel blends, all it takes is a bit more research to locate them. For instance, one of Parker's hose manufacturing plants wanted to consider additional recycling options when it comes to recycling rubber hose that are feasible and eco-friendly. The process to create hydraulic hose assemblies generates a variety of waste materials including: scrap hose and couplings as well as other rubber and plastic material associated with the assembly process. These items all need to go somewhere if they can’t be reused or recycled. Many of these materials were ending up in the scrap yard or a landfill. The 75-person team in Davenport, Iowa looked at fuel blending and other alternatives options before partnering with Covanta, which offers Energy-from-Waste solutions.
In operation since July 2016, Hose Products Division’s new approach to recycling hydraulic hose has resulted in over 200,000 pounds of non-hazardous waste being shipped to Covanta's Energy-from-Waste facility in Indianapolis, Indiana instead of local landfills.
Once the waste arrives at the Indiana facility, it enters Covanta's high-temperature combustion process that destroys it at temperatures of 2,000ºF, producing clean energy as a byproduct that is then used to feed the steam loop in downtown Indianapolis.
In 2016, Hose Products Division's Davenport facility sent 31 tons of waste to the landfill compared to a three-year average of 80 tons – that’s more than a 60 percent reduction.
By identifying additional waste streams to include in the material sent to Covanta, including food and other non-manufacturing wastes, the conservation team anticipates they will be able to further reduce the amount of waste ordinarily sent to landfills over the next several years. Besides making an impact on their sustainability goal, another benefit that the Davenport conservation team expect from reducing waste sent to the landfill is facilitating the attainment of ISO 14001 certification for any customers requiring it. ISO's (International Standards Organization) 14001 certification serves as accreditation of an organization or company’s environmental management program against a pre-established set of qualifiers.
Recycling rules vary by state
Before disposing of hydraulic hoses and assemblies, it is important to remember that each state has their own rules and regulations regarding recycling and waste disposal, so be sure to contact local waste management authorities to learn your options and proper procedures for hydraulic hose disposal and recycling.
Article contributed by Kyri McDonough, marketing services manager at Hose Products Division, Parker Hannifin.
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