What do we do with our waste?
Nuclear waste can remain radioactive for millions of years. It is therefore necessary to provide specific places to store them.
In France, 3/4 of electricity is produced by nuclear power plants. This country is therefore the one that uses this energy the most. But then you have to get rid of this hazardous waste. France thus stores low-level radioactive waste which is covered with concrete in 2 disposal centers located in Aube and La Manche.
Highly radioactive waste, called long-lived waste, is melted in glass and then stored in 2 factories: La Hague, in Normandy and Marcoule, in Gard.
France is also studying the possibility of burying this waste deeply. To do this, studies are being carried out in the departments of Meuse and Vienne. Because the basement must be pierced without damage by several galleries and resist the high heat given off by the waste.
The La Hague and Marcoule factories also recycle part of the waste in order to transform it into new fuel. The plutonium is extracted from the waste and then mixed with new uranium. The new fuel thus obtained, called Mox, once again supplies certain nuclear power plants.
Did you know that each European produces an average of 390 kg of waste per year? Still, there are ways to reduce this amount. In some centers, waste does not end up in the trash, it is pampered and has a second life. In Toulouse, there is one. Every day, employees go to recycling centers to collect waste which can be repaired or reused.
You’ll never guess all the things that can be thrown away: bikes, mattresses, furniture, board games, clothes, CDs and DVDs! This waste is then cleaned and installed on the shelves of a store. These are like new items that you can buy! Thanks to this recovery system, this Resource Center has been able to reuse 85 tonnes of waste since the start of the year! This is the equivalent of the weight of 12 elephants.
You see, you don’t have to systematically throw everything in the trash. The term “glean” is the translation of the Latin verb “glenare”. Originally, the verb “to glean” means “to gather the ears left in the fields by the reapers”. Today, “to glean” is to “pick up here and there”, “to pick at random”. At La Glanerie, we do not glean ears left in the fields, but waste.
Waste management services
The above is just one example of a waste management company that found a way to simultaneously create a profitable business while helping the environment and reducing waste creation.