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Salvage is of National Importance T HE direct transport interest in

27th April 1940, Page 25
27th April 1940
Page 25
Page 26
Page 25, 27th April 1940 — Salvage is of National Importance T HE direct transport interest in
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

the programme of the Institute of Public Cleansing meetings, which took place recently in London and Manchester, was not strongly emphasized, but all the papers dealt with the vitally important subject of salvage as applied to refuse collection.

Mr. H. Edridge, a Member of the Institute, and Assistant Controller of Salvage, Ministry of Supply, stated that approximately 190,000 tons of domestic refuse are collected weekly in this country, i.e., 10,000,000 tons per annum, and whether the quantity collected by a local authority be large or small, if success is to be achieved, each must make a contribution, for every ton of useful material destroyed by burying or burning may have to be replaced by imports of raw materials. Apart from this, the increase in the prices of certain materials makes their recovery worth while, The introduction of sanitary dustbins provided the householder with a receptacle into which all classes of unwanted material could be thrown. Therefore, it is not surprising to find him still throwing into the bin large quantities of the same but now much-needed materials.

It appears, therefore, that the careless use of the dustbin must be restricted, and the householder instructed to tie up all classes of waste paper and rags into one bundle, to retain household bones for collection, and to make such materials as are urgently required by industry and for other purposes easily available to the dustman when he calls.

Fitting Vehicles for Efficient Collection Provision should be made on the vehicles so that men engaged on collettion can carry out their instructions, and show the householder that his effort is worth while. Where side-loading vehicles are used, simple but effective arrangements can be made to separate materials in the vehicle as they-are collected. On the other hand, it may be found necessary to decorate other types of vehicle—perhaps much against the will of the operators—with baskets, boxes, bags, or even bins, for the conveyance of the separated materials. Well organized collection and propaganda may be expected to produce a weekly recovery per 1,000 houses of 1 ton of paper, 1 cwt. of bones and 2 cwt. of rags. Calculated on a national basis, this would show a total annual recovery of nearly 700,000 tons, representing a value of £1,600,000.

The recovery of tins is somewhat difficult, especially where disposal plant is not operating. It is estimated that the possible recovery might reasonably reach 340,000 tons annually. Separation, storage, baling or flattening, and marketing present their difficulties. Authorities having presses might assist by periodically collecting tins from tips in urban and rural areas, provided the haulage distance be reasonable. Mobile baling machines for metals might also be used in the less densely populated areas.

Even the Dust Can be Used Screened dust has been proved useful for agricultural purposes when compounded with other garden refuse. Disposal by this means might be encouraged, as its use in the garden would simplify the collection of other materials. The use of household waste food for pig feeding is of the utmost importance. Where local authorities keep pigs a regular outlet is provided; where they do not, the possibilities of collection and utilization are worth investigation.

Mr. J. C. Dawes, 0.13.E., Deputy Controller of Salvage, Ministry of Supply, said that at the beginning of this war no fewer than 70 refuse' disposal plants were in use in England and Scotland, and at many salvage operations were carried on intensively. Effective salvage means much more than local collection and sale. It saves the lives of merchant seamen and their ships; it saves currency and ensures regular supplies of raw materials to vital industries. It also assists in the production of equipment and munitions.

In 35 towns the latest figures show salvage work at the rate of fully 235 per annum per 1,000 of the population; in 10 of these the figure is over 250. On the other, hand, many districts are still submitting nil returns, and in others the figure is well under 25. Mr. Dawes suggests that the present figure for those below the £35 limit can be substantially increased. Over 550 local authorities out of a possible 1,112 are making positive monthly returns, but the work done is not yet nearly enough.

The tonnage of waste paper is increasing, the figure for February being 6,778 tons, i.e., 23 per cent, above that for January and SO per cent. more than for November; but the 60 per cent. proportion of clean paper is much too low, and the authorities would like to see the clean-paper tonnage increased four or five times.

Dealing with the salvage from the smaller kcal authorities, Mr. V. Marsden, Cleansing Officer, Walton and Weybridge, mentioned that upwards of 200 smaller authorities, with populations of less than, say, 50,000, dispose of their refuse by tipping and have not salvaged in the past any, or only very little, marketable material. Therefore, salvage must entail much reorganization of collection and disposal. Well-directed propaganda . would help to produce the desired results, and should play an important part in every salvage scheme.

It is impracticable to convert the interior of most refuse-collection vehicles so that all wanted materials can be separated as collected. It is possible, however, to make some extremely useful adaptations, without seriously interfering with their efficiency or the scheme of collection.

Sacks or Baskets Aid Separation If collecting vehicles have not separate compartments for storing paper, sacks should be carried at the rear, and their life will be considerably prolonged if they be eyeletted. Some authorities utilize detachable box-shaped baskets fitted to the rear door of side-loading vehicles, but for ease of handling, sacks prove more adaptable. Sacks could also be provided for shops, offic3s, etc., and the possibility of collecting them separately ;hould be examined. For bones and greas3 it will usually be found possible to carry a dustbin or small suitable container in a convenient position in the interior of the vehicle.

Pig feed presents a different collection problem, which must be solved according to kcal conditions. If there be a market in the district it should be collected separately in a second container. Often it may be found that the local pig dealers have themselves arranged to collect such material frarn hotels, restaurants, etc.

In practice, Mr. Marsden has found that all other unwanted materials can be conveniently picked out at the tip. The least troublesome method of collecting the full sacks and containers is for the vehicle to deposit them at the tip with each load, and for the day's collection to be transferred to the central depot each evening.

Wastepaper finds a readiel market if baled. Two men can separate into grades, hand-bale in a press, and load on to the buyers' vehicles some 8 tons during a normal working week.

Sorting at the Tip Face Instead of tipping refuse from a sleeper track or temporary roadway, it should be first tipped on to an improvised sorting platform at the edge of the tip-face; this can be of 1-in, boarding covered with sheet iron not less than in. thick. The platform should not be larger than 3 ft. by 9 ft., so that it may be moved from place to place as required; four to six make for convenient salvage at each tipping point.

Non-ferrous metals must be sorted, and work such as detaching sheet-metal handles from aluminium saucepans and kettles performed. Bottles which have contained oil will not be accepted by dealers, but the latter will usually provide sacks or other receptacles to store the sorted and classified materials.

Efficient salvage and controlled tipping can be effectively carried out in the ratio of one man to some 6 tons of refuse daily, whilst sorting and classification at the central depot can be performed by one man in the ratio of one hour's work for every 10 tons of unsorted house refuse collected daily. '

We would add that an unfortunate impression exists in many quarters that secondary metals and alloys are inherently inferior to the virgin products. It may be stated quite categorically that, provided sufficient care be exercised in the grading of scrap according to quality and analysis, and that modern techniques specially developed for scrap remelting be employed, there is no reason at all why recovered metals and alloys should not be, in every way, identical to the " all-mine " product. Particularly in this connection would we recommend attention to light alloys.


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