TREE - project Brochure

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PARTNERSHIP FOR LEARNING GRUNDTVIG
“TEACHING RECYCLING AND
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION”
Secondary school,,Nicolae Velea "Cepari, Argeş -ROMÂNIA
RECYCLING IS A BIG WIN FOR THE
ENVIRONMENT WHICH HAS TO BE CLEAN FOR
FUTURE GENERATIONS
Our mission is to stop the degradation of the environment and to build a
future in which humans live in harmony with nature.
The Working Group:
GAVAN NICOLAE
GEORGETA MANAFU
LULACHE MARIANA
GEORGESCU ALEXANDRU
TOMA ELENA
GAVAN CAMELIA MELANIA
GEORGESCU MAGDALENA
POPA CATALINA

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Table of contents
Foreword ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...... …... 3
I. Waste-general context ………………………………… ….… 4
II. Selective waste Collecting saves the future!......................... 5
III. Reduce, reuse, recycle. ………………………………………... 7
IV. Recycling= a responsible choice. …………………………..… 9
V. Waste + creativity = useful objects-climate change……….... 15
VI. “ Selective colectivity of waste”……………………………….19
VII. The composting..........................................................................29
VIII. Renewable energys.....................................................................30
IX. The pollution of the environment .............................................34
X. Measures for environmental protection....................................45

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FOREWORD
In the context of increasingly more visible and stronger climate on humanity and
the environment, we believe that the young generations must realize that they have a very
important role in promoting sustainable development. It is essential the involvement of
children and youth in the work of environmental protection and at the same time their
awareness on living a life that provides access to resources and wealth, at least to the same
extent as at present.
Protecting environment is our duty, all of us and can be achieved through
education, being aware of environmental issues. Its outcome is the creation of a general
vision, to be reflected in the activities of everyday life. For this, people should be well
informed and aware of the opportunity to get involved in shaping their own destiny. Lack
of information and education makes many people of good will to persist in actions that are
harmful to the environment and their own health, without realizing the damages.
This material aims to tackle some issues concerning environmental education
from the perspective of preventing and reducing the impact of climate change and it is
conducted within the Grundtvig learning partnership “Teaching recycling and
Environmental Education "-ongoing at secondary school, Nicolae Velea" Cepari, Arges in
the period 2013-2015.
The main objective pursued is educating students, adults in terms of recovery and
recycling of waste, in order to reduce their impact on the environment.
Through educational activities, creative and competitive activities, they gain the
skills needed to sort and recover recyclable materials both in school and out of it and are
invited to effectively realize the threats to the environment, caused by man.

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I Waste
General Context
As the society developed , a lot of materials appeared - waste-generated in day-to-
day activities, which are pretty hard to reintegrated into natural circuit.
Waste is one of the most visible polluting factors produced by human society,
taking into account the impressive quantities generated and their potential for degradation
of environmental factors.
While reducing the amount of waste generated is preferred, experience shows that
it takes solutions for the waste we inevitably produce, a considerable amount of them being
of packaging waste. The selective collecting and recycling shall recover a very large
quantity of materials considered unnecessary, but in whose production, energy, raw
materials, labor were used and which should not be wasted.
Wastes are materials which the holder discards or intends to discard and which
economically cannot be used without being subjected to prior physical or chemical
processing. However, the diversity of man-made materials is not the real cause, but their
management. In addition to the fact that non-renewable and exhaustible resources are
incorporated, after use they are thrown at random, without knowing the environmental
impact created . If not treated properly, waste can become sources of pollution for
environment and the spread of disease outbreaks.
The amount of waste resulting from human activities is increasing in most countries
of the world, consequently the imposition of restrictions in respect of the use of material
resources became imminent, and made the waste generation becoming an objective
necessity.
Recovery and reintroduction into the circuit of material resources should be
considered as parts of harmonizing strategies of the relationships between economic
growth, consumption of natural resources and environmental protection.
Since the second half of the last century, many countries have begun to adopt a
series of measures to encourage the minimizing the quantity of waste deposited. These
measures are based on a whole range of options for integrated management of waste whose
rank is generally as follows:
- Reducing the amount of waste produced;

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- Waste recycling (recovery) in terms of economic efficiency;
- Composting organic waste;
- Incineration of waste in terms of minimum impact on the environment;
- Controlled waste disposal
Many communities around the world are making efforts to learn to recycle as much
as possible. Newspapers, glass, metal and plastics are the materials most commonly
recycled.
Waste reduction can be achieved through reuse of certain products. Consumers can
buy products with less packaging or which can be reused, thus reducing the amount of
materials that are finally thrown in the trash.
II Selective waste Collecting saves the future!
In all civilized States efforts are made to reduce the quantities of waste that may be
stored in the end. In order to achieve this aim, it is necessary to implement the sorting of
waste by type of material and including the results in the processes of the reuse, recycling,
energy recovery, composting or biogas.
The objective of the selective collection of packaging waste is the waste to be
recycled. For this reason, the quality of it influences its acceptance by recyclers.
In general, all separately collected waste shall be subject to a process of sorting in
order to ensure quality requirements imposed by the Recycler. Packaging waste which
have energetic value, but are unsuitable for recycling, you can be delivered for energy
recovery.
According to the Waste Framework Directive, by 2015, EU Member States have an
obligation to organize systems for separate collecting of waste generated in households, for
at least four streams of materials, glass, paper, plastic and metal.
Sorting can be done either at the source of the waste, either before storage. There is
the possibility of a combined solution, such as a collection in two fractions-compostable

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and non-recoverable scrap waste-recycling of waste as paper, glass, plastic, metal is placed
in a line where sorting can be done on every type of material.
Specialized lines of sorting is a costly solution, regardless of whether the process
runs automatically or manually by workers during a posting in transporting waste.
The most appropriate solution is to ensure sorting in the phase where wastes are
disposed.
To do this, it requires the involvement of the municipality, and sanitation operators,
which must be fitted with containers differentiated by type of waste and, most importantly,
it requires a high degree of consciousness for each citizen, in order to put the waste to the
right place. Without such an attitude, there cannot be achieved results in sorting waste at
source.
In Romania, selective is not yet a widespread practice, but it should be very soon a
habit. It has been created the legal framework for a system identification based on colors
which can collect six distinct fractions of household waste:
- non-recoverable waste in black/gray containers;
- plastic and metallic wastei n yellow containers;
- paper, cardboard, newspapers and magazines in the blue containers;
- white glass in white containers;
- coloured glass in green containers;
- compostable/biodegradable waste in the Brown containers.
The performance of a system of selective collection may refer to the following
indicators:
A. The quantitative performance of the system;
B. Performance in the use of infrastructure;
C. Participation of the population.
The more people participate in the selective collecting, the more efficient the
system could be.
Five reasons to collect separately and to value waste:
1. It reduces environmental pollution;
2. it saves energy;
3. It protects nature and natural resources;
4. it reduces pollution of air, water and soil;
5. It reduces the occupied land areas of landfill trash.

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III To reduce, reuse, recycle.
Most of the waste in the every day trash is 100% recoverable, and if the potential
for recovery is used, then the amount of stored waste will be reduced, along with the
amount of methane emissions which contribute to the greenhouse effect.
If you choose to recycle these materials, the benefits are numerous:
- reducing the risk of minimizing the natural resources - each process of recycling
means less new raw materials;
- reducing energy consumption-the recycling process, though an energy consumer is
more economical than producing new materials again;
- reduce air and water pollution-due to the fact that it is based on the already
processed materials, the process is less polluted than the production itself;
- decrease the need to open new spaces for the storage of the waste-recycling means
lowering the amount of materials deposited in landfills.;
- the creation of jobs and material benefits -recycling is a new economic sector that
requires a workforce and brings profit.
To preserve the quality of the environment, we must be aware why an effective
waste management is so important to us.
It requires control of the waste we produce, in order to be sure that they do not
harm the environment and our health.
What can we do so that future generations have the same resources as we do? The
three "R" may represent a response.
Reduce-refers to the decrease, the diminishing (as a proportion or quantity).
"Waste reduction" means reducing the amount of waste even before a purchase, acquiring
only the strictly necessary products or products that don't waste too many materials for
packaging. A key part of the waste reduction is conservation, which means a moderate use
of natural resources. We can reduce the amount of waste we produce by choosing those
products which should not reach the cemetery:
- first of all, buy and use as little as possible!
If we all buy more than we need, the planet should be four times higher in order
to have enough room for storage. Therefore, buy only necessities and use

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everything you buy! Or make sure that if you do not use something, you give it
to someone else to whom it is necessary;
- carefully select products that you purchase according to their packaging. You
can reduce the volume of waste by choosing products that do not make
excessive packaging;
- buy concentrated products, rather than diluted-means fewer containers thrown
when products end;
- if you know that you need a larger quantity of a product, buy the product in the
largest package , than to buy several small packages;
- refuse bags to the store! Take home bags with you to put the shoppings in;
- buy and use sustainable products that resist longer and can be used several
times.
To reuse-refers to the introduction into economic circulation of the products in
their original form, instead of being thrown away. Certain products can be reused, by
giving them to someone who needs them more.
Remember: what you don't need might be welcome by somebody else!
There are some examples of products that can be reused:
- when you decide to replace something, donate things that you don't use
anymore,they will certainly be well received;
- use gift bags of textile material that can be reused, instead of paper ones;
- use wipes that can be washed instead of paper wipes
To recycle-refers to the process by which materials contained in waste are being
processed and used for the manufacture of new products. Recycling is part of the waste
management process and occurs when instead of throwing, we take reusable materials in
places where they can be converted either in the same type of product, or entirely new
products. Processing of objects from recycled materials requires lower energy
consumption than their raw processing. Almost any object from home, school or place of
work that cannot be retrieved, could be recycled and turned into something else.

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IV. Recycling: a responsible choice
What can i recycle ?
- Paper: newsprint, magazines, writing paper, cardboard cartons, cardboard
packaging
- Plastic: plastic packaging (bottles, plastic cups, plates, pots, jars, bags, etc. )
- Glass: glass jars, glass,bottle packaging
- Metal: Aluminum and steel packaging
- Wood, textile
Effects of the recycling
- reducing the amount of energy and raw materials necessary for the manufacture
of new products;
- plays important part in the economic circuit of raw materials;
- reduce the quantities stored at landfills or incinerators;
- reduce the risks to our health and the environment caused by improper
depositing of hazardous waste;
- reduce air and water pollution.
- The natural degradation of the different categories of waste shall be submitted
as follows:
- Apple core -3 months
- waste paper -3 months
- newspapers -3-12 months
- matches - 6 months
- cigarette filter - 1-2 years
- chewing gum -5 years
- aluminum cans -10-100 years
- plastic bottles -100-1000 years
- plastic Bags -100-1000 years
- credit cards -1000 years
- Glass Containers -4000 years
You can't Recycle:
- Ceramic materials;
- Sprays;
- Toxic materials Packaging;
- Bumper stickers, waxed paper, napkins, fax paper;
- Metal parts attached to magnets.

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How to recycle paper?
Step 1-gather the papers you no longer use for packing or writing;
Step 2- crush the carton boxes
Step 3-store them in a specially equipped place to collect paper.
Newspapers, magazines, cardboard cartons, cardboard packaging, specifications if
collected separately by means of recycling they can turn into paper or paper for
newspapers, magazines, books. Of packaging waste can be obtained bags, paper towels,
napkins, wrapping paper.
From collection centres paper, cardboard, packaging etc. are packed and sent to
paper mills where they are to be recycled.
The paper cannot be recycled too many times, because the fibers break during the
process of recycling and become too worn out to be processed into paper
Why Recycle paper?
Paper Recycling saves huge amounts of wood, obviating the danger of
deforestation forests;
• To conserve forests, a tree can filter out up to 27 kg of pollutants from the
air each year;
• The natural production of a m3 requires at least 70 years of age;
• Waste paper Processing consumes two or three times less energy than
making paper from cellulose fibres;
• One tonne of paper wasted means:-2 sheets of paper and a daily newspaper
for one year
• One ton of recycled paper means:-17 saved trees, 4102 kwh and 26000l
water saved
27 kg less emissions disposed in the atmosphere
• Avoid waste of paper! Before printing a document, or an e-mail, think about
whether it is necessary to print it. An european citizen "consumes "about 20
kg of paper per month, considering that for getting a ton of paper is
consumed about 2 tonnes of wood.

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How to recycle plastic?
Because there are many types of plastic, each of them must be recycled separately
through specific processes.
It Can be recycled a lot of plastic packaging waste: PET bottles, plates, glasses,
cups, food containers, bags, etc.
Step 1: - wash plastic items
Step 2:- crush them to occupy as little space
Step 3: - store them in special places for collecting plastic.
After collecting plastic bottles waste are transported to recycling factories where it
enters the processing being converted into flakes of plastic that can be used for various
products:
- Fibres for carpets, stuffing material for pillows, plush toys, etc.;
- Sealants for sleeping bags;
- Adhesive tape used for sealing boxes, etc.;
- Frameworks for videos, audios, CDs;
- Spare parts for the automotive industry
Why to recycle plastic packaging?
• Reduces the amount of natural resources used (oil, water, energy) and
reduces polluting emissions from the air;
• Reduces the costs of waste storage;
• Plastics Recycling helps conserve petroleum resources;
• There Are waste that remain longer in nature without being biodegradable
(do not decompose only after hundreds or even thousands of years);
• Are valuable:
- ten recycled plastic bottles can make shirt
- 50 recycled plastic bottles can make a sweater
• Each year more than 45,000 tons of plastic end in water, killing more than a
million birds and about 100. 000 marine mammals;
• Recycling A plastic bottle saves enough energy for the operation of a 60W
light bulb for 6 hours or a television for 20 minutes.

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How to recycle glass?
 Glass collected is sorted according to color and sent to processing centers
where it is converted into shards, cleaned and passed through filters;
 The melten Glass is poured into molds and molded into bottles of various
shapes.
 Better than recycling the glass is its reuse. So many of the glass packaging
can be refilled, subtracting the costs of raw materials.
Why Recycle glass?
 In the production process, pollution is reduced, the amount of raw materials
used and about 25% of the energy saved
 A bottle needs 1,000,000 years to decompose into small pieces;
 Recycling a bottle saves enough energy to operate a 100W bulb for 4 hours.
How to recycle the metals
Metal packaging are of two categories: packaging made of aluminium and steel
packaging.
Aluminium is the most recycled waste, it can be recycled indefinitely without
losing its quality. Most of the aluminium packaging is the aluminum cans for drinks.
Why to recycle aluminum cans?
• If a dose of aluminum is recycled, a dose of aluminum is obtained, saving
an identical amount of raw materials;
• Each year thre are used over 6 billion doses of aluminum;
• Recycling means reducing the pollution that would have resulted from the
process of extracting the ore, processing and transporting it ;

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• Aluminium is obtained by recycling with a power consumption of less than
95% of the energy used to process it.
• Reduces the amount of waste and the need for space in landfills.
Why Recycle steel cans?
• Steel and aluminium can be recycled without loss of quality;
• To get the new steel, we need the old steel;
• Steel Recycling reduces pollution that would have resulted from the process
of burning Coke, thereby contributing to the protection of the ozone layer,
acid rain and the greenhouse effect;
• With the energy needed to manufacture a new steel box one can factory four
boxes of recycled steel.
What happens to the waste collected separately and which cannot be recycled?
• Not all separately collected waste materials can be recycled, for several
reasons:
• lack of technologies or factories or workshops which may use these for
development of new products;
• The quality of the collected waste does not meet all the requirements to be
able to be processed;
• Costs of sorting, storing and transporting them to recyclers are large and
their use instead of raw materials would lead to increasing prices of
products we manufactured.
Conclusions:
- Reducing the amount of recyclable materials, is in fact a means by which the raw
materials used in the manufacture of that product are not reduced but the quantity
of recyclable materials to the landfill;
- Developed States have promoted this activity to a recycling business for firms with
this activity, and the main factor which was the basis of this success, was
education.

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RECYCLING IS A BIG WIN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT WHICH HAS
TO BE CLEAN FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS!
Get involved too!
THINK BEFORE THROWING OUT THE THINGS YOU NO LONGER
NEED!
Some of us think it is normal to fold down plastic bottles, packs of chocolate ice
cream or bags of snacKs or doses of aluminum after they consumed products, but this only
proves the lack of concern towards the environment in which we live. That's why to keep
it clean and healthy you have to follow some rules.
1. Don't throw anything at random: sidewalk and streets, parks and gardens,
waters, rivers’ edge , road, and anywhere else in nature! Even if you don't immediately
find a trash can, that does not mean that it is not your job to be careful where you throw
garbage.
2. Learn the system of marking and identifying the packaging, to be able to easily
recognize the materials that can be recycled .
3. Help your family to sort the trash you produce. Use different colored bags or
cardboard boxes marked so your family knows where to put the waste paper, cardboard,
plastic bottles, aluminum cans, glass and organic debris usually.
4. Follow the directions on the container for selective collecting and do not mix
materials with each other. Try as much as you can to crush the boxes before putting them
into the container to increase the quantity of the waste collected and transported.
5. Do not store the waste near or on the containers, even if they are already full.
Call your local operator and inform him about the situation.
6. Promote the concept of separate collecting among friends and at work!
7. Donate! Don't throw away items you no longer want.
8. Buy solid objects, preferably with long usage and easy to repair. Avoid
disposable items.
9. Do not throw, compost in the household biodegradable products.

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V. WASTE + CREATIVITY = USEFUL OBJECTS- CLIMATE CHANGES

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THE WASTE CAN BE USEFUL TOO!

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VI.“ Selective colectivity of waste”
February 2014
What is the SELECTIVE COLECTIVITY?
The selective collectivity of waste is the handy solution and it consists
in the depositing of waste in places made especially for such purposes as
recycling.
According to HG 621/ 2006 ( completed and modified through
1872/2006 ) public institutions,associations,foundations,and physical persons
are obligated to selectively collect waste of wrapping bags in different
containers,inscriptioned accordingly and placed in areas available to citizens.
Colours,used for identifying containers and recipients destined to selective
collectivity of wrappers,are set in accordance to order 1121 from the 5th
of
January 2006.
Wrapping waste consists of every wrapper and wrapping material that
is no longer in use and/or is thrown away.Waste represents one of the main
causes for pollution.
The good news is that many of the fore mentioned waste is recyclable,
and recycling and using it as prime matter is the most indicated method for
reentering it in the economical field.

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THE CREATION OF WASTE
The composition of waste in the year of 2002 goes like this:
- paper and cardboard: 11 %;
- glass: 5 %;
- metal: 5 %;
- plastic: 10 %;
- textile: 5 %;
- organic,biodegradable waste: 51 %;
- other types: 13 %.
Dump goods are currently collected with no selection and eliminated through
depositing;it is thought that only 5 % of the dump goods capacity is collected
to be recovered.

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Reciclyng means collecting,separating and processing some of the
waste components with the purpose of using in to create useful products.
What are the materials that are components of dump goods and that can
be recycled ?
The materials that can be recycled are:
- transparent glass recipients;
- coloured glass recipients;
- paper;
- newspaper/printings;
- aluminium boxes used for the storage of beverages;
- plastic and plastic made products,
NOTE:
Recycling consists of separating and collecting of materials with the
purpose of turning them into useful products.A big part of the
aluminum,glass,paper or steel in the world today are products of
recycling.Glass and steel can be recycled not once but for a countless number
of times.The recycling of steel and aluminum used for beverage storage,of
paper and cardboard,of glass,as well as the recycling of certain plastic

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products constitutes a florishing industry all over the world.Also,recycling
allows people to reduce the depositing costs of waste.The electrical industry is
also positively marked by recycling.
4 reasons to recycle:
 It protects nature and natural resources
 It reduces the pollution of land,water,air
 It reduces the pollution of the surrounding environment
 It saves energy.
THE RECYCLING OF GLASS
Glass is 100% recyclable,its recovery saving a huge amount of
energy.Fabricating glass from broken glass uses less energy than fabricating it
from prime,base matter. Recycled glass is used for fabricating recipients for
beverages or food,as well as an isolator in the constructions industry.
Usually,the recovered transparent glass is being used for fabricating
clear glass products,whilst coloured glass is used for creating coloured
products.For this reason,some recovery programs ask the citizens to sort the
glass based on colour.

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4 reasons to recycle GLASS :
 Broken glass constitues a replacement of prime matter;
 Broken glass produced by glass companies are being used
as replacement matter,in the industry of glass making;
 Glass is one of the most energy expensive materials,which
means that it requires a great amount of energy to be fabricated.
Did you know...
 Glass needs 1000000 years to decompose ?
 By recycling 1 ton of glass,you save 1.2 tons of prime
matter(hydrate of sodium,sand, feldspat)?
 Glass can be recycled endlessly without losing its
properties?

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Recycling of plastics
Why recycle plastics ?
Because natural decomposition in the environment requires more than 500
years due to materials that make it up . Every ton of recycled plastic saves
between 700 and 800 kg of crude oil .
Plastics industry has developed a coding system that allows consumers to
identify different types of plastics used in packaging industry . The code can
be found on the back most of the containers. Of the many types of plastics
used in packaging , usually recycled : packaging of mineral water / juice made
of PET ( polyethylene tetraftalat ) recyclable raw materials . Packages are
delivered pancakes, with plug and ring removed. Paper labels do not have to
be removed .
The packaging of different colors separated. The clear will lead to obtain
granules which can be given any use. The color mix and color in the

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Melting different colors , depending on the use which is to be given .
PET PACKAGING - A PROBLEM FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
PET stands for polyethylene terephthalate , and is in the form of a resin ( a
polyester form ) . In particular , polyethylene terephthalate is a combination of
the two monomers as ethylene glycol and purified terephthalic acid .
It has become highly popular in the food industry ( bottling soft drinks, water
, milk , oil , vinegar ) and not only is cheap , lightweight, shock resistant ,
recyclable .
RECYCLING OPPORTUNITIES
PET packaging , as well as all plastics are not biodegradable . Increase their
consumption , especially in the last 10 years has led to an alarming increase in
the number of discarded packaging irresponsible in nature. By collecting and
recycling , reduce the negative impact on the environment. Recycled
polyethylene terephthalate ( RPET ) can be used : polyester fiber ( 75 % )
used in turn as a raw material for carpets , upholstery , toys, felts for textile
industry as insulation in coats , sleeping bags , automotive and others. A. ,
industrial foil , straps and bands : we pet -food packaging (eg egg cartons ,
household items , etc. ) .
Another positive aspect of PET recycling is to reduce the quantity of waste
going to landfills , their share increased creepy in recent years , reaching 30 %
of the total .
In Western countries there is a whole system of recycling. PET bottles are
collected from businesses and the public, sorted and transformed into new
goods . From waste clean PET flakes are produced which can be exported as
such ( at a price of 550-600 dollars a ton ) or sold in the country in the form of
fibers or alloys industries.
The classical method used in Romania , burning and burial of large quantities
of municipal waste ( wet plastic ) outdoor produce dioxin, one of the most
toxic substances known to date, which is bioaccumulative .

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WARNING ! By burning plastic is eliminated substances that cause lung
disease and a long time can get sick liver, kidneys şisângele . Moreover ,
more complex materials such as vinyl , plastic , hard rubber, bakelite or tires,
combustion emits substances that cause cancer , attacking first the blood ,
which in time may get sick all organs .
Today there are technologies , respecting the environment, are able to
retopească and reprocessing plastic waste . This is not yet in Romania , but
there are companies that collect plastic packaging Romanian , crushing them
and export them overseas factories that have their recycling facilities required
. Since we are among the last European countries have a public recycling ,
urgent and unconditional implementation of a national public system of
selective collection of waste for recycling should be a priority for all citizens !
Did you know ...
• From 10 recycled PET bottles can be manufactured a shirt or one square
meter of carpet ?
• Out of 50 plastic bottles can make a sweater?
• From 20 2-liter PET bottles can get lining for a winter jacket ?
• From 35 other packages arrive for achieving a sleeping bag ?
• From the recycled PET bottles can get sheets for roof insulation ,
automotive components , luminaires and others ?

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Paper Recycling
Why recycle paper and cardboard?
For printing a circulation daily use 3,000 cubic meters, that means 1,500 trees
with an age of 50 years.
Paper - reusable materials
• Raw materials used in papermaking are wood pulp, old paper. Recycled
paper allows a saving of about 25% of the power and 90% of the water (300 l)
needed to produce 1 kg. white paper.
• Also, by recycling paper, it eliminates toxic chlorine, needed to produce
white paper.
Did you know ...
• Newspapers contains 50% recycled paper ?
• It takes 15 years for a tree to produce 700 paper bags?
• Every ton of recycled paper can save 17 trees?
• Paper and cardboard can be recycled only 10 times?
Why we recycle metal?
For the manufacture of a new product from recycled metal saves between 74
% and 95 % of the energy required to achieve the same product from primary

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resources . If you recycle an aluminum can, you will save enough energy to
produce other 20 recycled doses.
Aluminum
Aluminium is the most valuable of recycled household products .
Of aluminum beverage containers create new products with the same
destination with much lower power consumption . It is recommended that
before storage containers suitable collection vessel to verify that material is
aluminum with a magnet.
Containers should be rinsed before storing to not lead to the breeding of
insects . They can be crushed to occupy less space.
Other aluminum products can be recycled are clean aluminum foil trays of
cakes clean , removable parts of the equipment or kitchen furniture .
Did you know?
Aluminum is 100% recyclable
• One ton of recycled steel means one ton of iron ore saved?
• Every second 630 recycled steel cans?
• A TV can work three hours continuously with the energy saved by recycling
one aluminum cans?

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Each of us, as a representative of community, ave the power and duty to
influence the greening of their own town or the area where he is vacationing.
The solution is within our reach and consists of selective waste disposal.
Must store the waste in designated areas and, wherever possible, on the
following categories:
• Paper and cardboard (newspapers, magazines, prints, boxes of detergent,
cereal, etc..) That can be sold at specially arranged stalls;
• Packaging PET and other plastics (bags, sheets, yogurt, bottles, cosmetics
and cleaning products, etc..) That can be recycled;
• Bottles and broken; selling glass packaging centers Engaged in Soft their
acquisition;
Waste ferrous (iron, tin etc.) and cans that can be capitalized on points
"REMAT"
• Wet waste (vegetable scraps, animals, etc..).
The main advantage of recycling is given by reducing the consumption of
natural resources (oil, water, energy) and level of emissions to the air.
VII.The composting
The composting is a process of decomposing and transforming
organical and solid substances made by microorganisms(mainly bacterias)in
a stable material (compost,humus) which can be used in agriculture as a
biofertilizer.The process is controled regarding the accelerating composition
,the optimizer and minimizer of the impact on the environoment and
population,it can be applied on green rubbish and solid ones,held in two
phases:
-phase I - the mechanical treating for rubbish preparation
-phase II – the decomposing(fermentation)of rubbish, a process of

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power,a century of some nuclear and renewable resourcesc,next to conventional
resources ,some of them are in a process of rapid exhaustion.
The concerns about the renewable resources of energy amplified especially after
the second world war,when the humanity confrunted the first major crisis about
energy,also the oil crisis from the second half of 20th Century.
Regarding the securtity of energy supplies,UE is expecting the independence
import of natural gas to rise from 57% to 84 % in 2030 and the oil from 82% to 93%
at the same time.
The European Comision propose the next objectives:
-the reducing greenhouse of gas emissions with 20% until 2020,comparing with
1990
-the weight increassing of renewable energy from 7% in 2006 ,to 20%from the
total resources of energy until 2020.
-the increassing of using biofuels at 10% in 2020
-the reduction of global consum of primary energy with 20% until 2020
The last years marked an increase of these resources,due to crisis from the enrgetic
domain(prices of oil with significant fluctuations,the crisis of gas from Rusia),and
also due to political commitments of some states,especially from UE,to reduce the
emissions of greenhouse gases.
The two biggest sourcess of energy in Univers are:the fusion of atoms from
Sun(stars) and the universal gravity.All the energy sourcess arising from these major
sourcess of energy.
The mains resourcess of extern energy are:solar radiation,the solar energy on the
surface of the Earth,the gravitational influence of Sun and the Moon’s.
Domestic energy sources at the origin of the internal heat of the Earth (volcanoes,
earthquakes, hot springs).

32
The energy in different forms in nature, energy and phenomena pass conversion of
one system to another. Here for example one of the best energy chains: energy - fuel -
heat - electricity - work.
Other classic examples are energy processes occurring in the Sun (fusion and fission)
or chemical energy from wood and turning it into heat and mechanical.
Regarding the transformation efficiency of primary energy into electricity:
- Conventional fuels is 32-34%;
- In power plants 28 to 30%;
- The power atomoelectrice 70%;
- The overall average fuel efficiency is 35-38%. [12] Another form of classification -
thermodynamic criteria - showing the existence of potential energy ( chemical energy
stored in fuels , hydropower potential of radioactive chemical elements ) and current
energy ( kinetic ) .
The degree of integration of energy resources in the current economic consumption,
now classic classification is as follows :
- Classical resources ( conventional energy resources , wood , coal , hydrocarbons,
hydropower and nuclear fuels ) ;
- Non-classical resources ( inexhaustible unconventional but still low weight energy
balance : solar radiation , wind , geothermal , ocean energy etc.) ;
- Other energy ( in the laboratory stages based on physical and chemical technologies
promising ) .
The first form of energy used by prehistoric man was his physical force by which
civilization has managed to survive the first wave from hunter gatherer and at farmer
and craftsman . Alternative energy resources on the planet would have to meet
several conditions :
• can be widely used without risk of rapid exhaustion thereof;
• not be very harmful to the environment (not to pollute and / or do not contribute
greatly to increased emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere ) ;

33
• not too expensive.
The main alternative energy sources today are :
• alternative sources of hydrocarbons : research funding agencies around the world
began to be increasingly interested in studying " gas hydrates". Gas hydrates or
"methane ice " , are an important potential source of energy;
• use of ' clean' coal - coal , whose use on a large scale began with the Industrial
Revolution of the eighteenth century, still best known energy reserves on Earth ;
• Biofuels - processing of oilseeds for obtaining liquid fuels has been regarded in
recent years as one of the viable alternatives of using conventional hydrocarbons;
shale and tar sands - are sedimentary rocks in geologic time were rich in organic
matter . In many cases , these rocks were generating hirocarburi ( petroleum);
 Solar energy - photovoltaic effect is based on the construction of solar panels is not
as expensive today as decades ago , and thanks to new technologies;
 wind energy - using wind power to obtain electricity, windmills appeared in recent
decades have also benefited from new technologies and have seen a significant
increase in energy efficiency compared to the first models appeared a few decades
ago;
 hydro energy - hydroelectric dam construction began almost a century and has
already been extended to most rivers of the world;
 Geothermal energy - energy source in this case is inexhaustible, since this internal
heat of the Earth. As we descend to the Earth's core temperature increase on average
by 3 degrees every hundred yards ;
 hydrogen Is the most widespread, an inexhaustible source is the water, which can be
separated by electrolysis . The energy obtained by converting hydrogen into helium is
very high that hydrogen could replace him kg to 20,000 t conventional coal. This
source is considered a panacea energy future.
 The methanol and ammonia can be obtained by synthesis of hydrogen . Methanol
burns out , it is clean and can effectively replace gasoline.

34
 Nuclear energy - is one of the most popular new energy sources to the end of this
century. Nuclear energy can be produced in two ways: fission and fusion .
 Splitting using heavy atoms such as uranium decays and generates a large amount of
energy , but the reaction is unstable and there is a large amount of radiation. Wasts
remaining after reaction are radioactive , hazardous and should be stored under
special conditions .
 Fusion using light atoms such as hydrogen . They use tritium hydrogen isotopes
deuterium and . By joining atom releases a lot of energy . However, this reaction is
very unstable . The advantage is that the hydrogen is present in large quantities , it is
not polluting , it is recyclable and can be stored. In future we will try capturing solar
energy in space and transmitting it to earth using microwaves ;
 wave and tidal energy - converting mechanical energy of tidal and wave power ,
however, is only possible under certain conditions. You so near shore areas where
plants have also installed a high energy regime - significant tidal respectively high
waves . Electro tidal centrals are thus currently used on North Atlantic coasts , where
astronomical tide is more than 2 meters .
The pollution of the environment
Polution can be described by the apparition of certain perturbating
factors of the environment and by the lack of equilibrium at the ecosystem
level,usually man-made.
Natural pollution - caused by natural disasters considered
natural sources of pollution, which can be:
 the soil, which can spread into the air and water through dust
storms,or as a result of erosion;
 volcanoes, w h i c h emit g a s e s (sulf oxide,nitrogen,carbon), water
vapors, solid material, lava;
 earthquakes, which destroy the soil, polute the air with solid particles and

35
gases;
 plants – when it comes to water, vegetation can produce fenomenons of
water pollution,slowing its flowing speed and when it comes to smaller
ponds/lakes,vegetation affects them through the aquatic vegetation or the
vegetation on the shore. As for air, it can be polluted with fungus, polen,
organic and anorganic substances;
 cosmic dust,meteor falls can have radioactive capacities;
 immolation of the vegetal matter with ash,sulf oxides,nitrogen oxides and
carbon oxides.
Natural sources of pollution can be permanent or accidental,and the
pollution can be: biological,physical,chemical. Although the term of natural
pollution can be considered impersonal, it must be seen as the perturbation
of the environment which leads to the impossibility of assuring life-
supporting conditions.
Artificial pollution - it is caused by the human activities , by the
functioning of man-made systems ; in this case,the pollution can be:
industrial, agricultural, transport-related, etc.
The Romanian environment law defines pollutants as being any
substance (solid, liquid, gas or vapors), or any energy form (electromagnetic
radiation,ionized, thermic, sound or vibration) which,when placed in the
environment, it modifies the equilibrium of its constituents and of the living
organisms and also causes material damage.
Pollutants can be caracterised, through the limit of concentration
(the maximum concentration) for which a substance can present a polluting
effect. The concentration limits are dependant of the nature of the polluting
substance,of the effect that it has over the environmenti, the limits being set at
a legislative level, specific to certain countries or groups of countries. For
instance, the concentration limits (expressed ind ppbv, parts per million, in
volume) for the tropospherical ozone,in an hour,are the following:

36
-The European Comission (Directive 92/73/EEC) 76-100 ppbv;
- The Agency of Environment-Protection (AEP) from USA - 120 ppbv;
- The World Health Organisation (WHO) - 100 ppbv.
Another characteristic of pollutants is the lethal dose which is given by the
maximum amount of substance that can kill 50% of the experiment
animals,after 14 days. It is written as DL50 and it is expressed as mg/kg-
corp. For instance, for DDT (diclordifeniltricloretan, insecticide used on a
large scale in the period of 1950 - 1980), the lethal dose for humans is
somewhere between 50-500 mg/kg-corp. In the case in which the pollutants
are in a watery solution,the lethal dose is in the matter.
The degree of resistance into the environment, another characteristic of
pollutants, is a parametre which depends of the conditions in which the
pollutant is found. The persistence period is really different from a pollutant
to another, varying from a few seconds (for instance,hydroxide radicals,
present as intermediar in the polluted atmosphere,have a life span of a few
seconds), to days (for instance, for NH3 pollutant of the air, the life span is 2
days) and up to a couple of years,even centuries(for instance, CO persists in
the air for 2-3 years, and freons for aproximately 100 years).
Pollutant groups. There exists an organic pollutants group which,due to
their resistance in the environment (to degradation, chemical reactions,
biological ones, photolytic ones) were categorized as organical persisten
pollutants (OPP). The majority of pollutants in this category are used as
pesticides , but there are also organic solvents, organo-metallic products.
Some of the pollutant groups, are presented as it follows:
I. Based on their chemical nature, poluants can be organic or anorganic
substances;
II. based on their state, pollutants can be solid, liquid, gas; III. Based on the
way they formed and on their spreading into the atmosphere ,the air
pollutants can be:

37
a) poluanţi primari, generaţi şi emişi direct de către surse (de exemplu
CO, SO2, NO, Cl2, etc.);
b) Secondary pollutants,resulted from chemical atmospheric reactions, in
certain conditions (for instance,the hydroxide radical,tropospheryc ozone,
aldehides etc.);
IV. Based on their dimensions, atmospherycal particles can be labeled as
such:
a) sedimentary dust – with dimensions and density that favours
their deposit according to he law of gravity;
b) suspension dust – they remain in the air for a long time;
c) aerosols – systems composed of small particles solid or
liquid (of colloidal dimensions) dispersed as a gas; they are formed
through the condensation of vapors or in the reactions of certain
gasses, etc;
d) smoke – it represents vis ible aerosols, formed of solid small
particles,as a result of incomplete combustion of fosil fuel.
The chemical composition of particles depends of the source that disperses
them,but also of the atmospherical conditions (composition, temperature,
umidity, luminous radiation).
V. Out of the pollutants specific to surface waters the following categories are
mentioned:
Micro oligoelements; Heavy metals; Metals bound in compounds;
Acidifiants; Radinucldsi; Anorganic pollutants; Azbestus; Nutrients of
algae;Organic pollutants residue; Policloride derived substances (PCB);
Pesticides; Petrol residue; human and animal waste; Patogens;
Detergents; Sediments;
VI. By the effect to the global environment, we have:
a) Gases that lead to global warming - CO2, CH4, N2O, HF C,PFC,SF6,

38
O3 tropospheryc, water vapors;
b) Ozone affecting gases - CFC, HCFC , CH3Br, CCl4, metil-cloroform;
c) Acid substances - SO2, NOx, CO2;
d) OPP - aldrin, clordan, DDT, dieldrin, endrin,
heptaclor, hexaclorbenzen, mirex, difelinili policloruraţi, dibenzo-p-
dioxine policlorurate, dibenzofurani policloruraţi şi toxafen, PAH
(antracen, naftalină, benzo[a]antracen, benzo[a]piren, benzo[e]piren,
benzo[b]fluorantren, fluorantren, fenatren etc.);
e) Precursors of the ozone - substances which, in the presence of
solar radiation react with the components of the air and form ozone in
the troposphere, as a secondary pollutant - CO, CH4, hidrocarburs,
Nitrogen oxides,volatile organic compounds;
f)nutrients – the group of chemical substances that are
responsible for the pollution of the water: phosphates, Nitrogen
compounds,NH3, organic matter
g) Volatile organic compounds (VOC) – they’re organic
compounds,with a high vapor pression ,and represent and important
category of pollutants with a very important role in atmospherycal
chemistry,because they contribute to the creation of chemical oxide
species,very dangerous for ecosistems and for the human health.
The pollution of the air due to cars :
Cars have a major contribution when it comes to polluting the atmosphere
with particules and gas emission, including toxic species such as benzen,
PAH, metals, being one of the main causers of CO2 emissions. In the
meantime, due to technological progress and especially due to the law,
the pollutant substance emissions have gotten smaller, but they haven’t
stopped, remaining a continuous challenge to everyone involved: car
producers, environment, persons with high legislative/political strength.

39
The pollution of waters due to change of the river’s course
The textile industry is a huge pollution problem. The World Wide Bank
estimates that 17 - 20% of water pollution due to industrial waste
contamination comes from paint used for textile materials. So far, the water
has been declared to contain 72 toxic chemical compounds, all of which are
the result of textile material paint factories, and 30 of which can’t be
removed by conventional means.
Phenol – a water pollutant
Phenol is one of the most studied organic water pollutant. It is toxic even in
very low quantities, and its presence in the water can lead to the formation of
derivative substances, which are substituted during the disinfecting or
oxidation processes, during which the respective water is processed.
Phenol is one of the most utilized organic compounds within the petrochemical
industry, and market demand for this product is continually rising.
In residual water, phenol is present as a result of industrial spilling, such as:
refinery activity (6-500 mg/l), earth coal extractions (28-39000 mg/l), coal
processing (9-800 mg/l), the manufacturing of petrochemical products (2.8-
1220 mg/l). Phenol (and its derivatives) are the pollutants found in the greatest
quantity of residual water, water which originates from coal gasification and
liquefaction.
Persistent organic pollutants:
Organic compounds that have an unusually large chemical resistance – which
are obtained exclusively through synthetic processes – persistent organic
pollutants (POP’s) are known to meddle with genetics, cause diseases and to
be potentially carcinogenic.
At a world level, there are numerous studies of emissions caused by organic
polychlorinated compounds, revealing their toxicity and great stability, thus
proving their persistence in the environment and in the organisms which they
have occupied. Their presence in the air is caused by their transfer from

40
ground-level, where they have been spread (as pesticides) across cultures of
grass, food, or waste.
The chemical derivatives found in this category are inhaled, or ingurgitated
directly – or via food (beef, chicken, dairy) – by humans. The aforementioned
products accumulate in the mother’s milk, thus being transferred inside the
baby’s organism.
Products in the dioxin category have a teratogenic effect.
There are numerous chemical compounds found in the POP category, but
there is a mention of those that have been banned from production/usage in
different states of the world:
 Aldrin - insecticide used for wheat and cotton
 Chlordane - insecticide used for vegetables, citric fruit, cotton, and
potatoes
 DDT - insecticide used for cotton
 Dieldrin - insecticide used for wheat and cotton
 Endrin - insecticide used for grain
 Heptachlor - insecticide used against termites and various other insects
 Hexachlorobenzene - fungicide used for seed treatment
 Mirex - insecticide used within agriculture
 Toxaphene - insecticide used within agriculture and for animals
 PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls) - chemical substances with industrial
usage (heat exchanging fluid, electrical transformers, additive for plastics
and paints)
 Dioxins - chemical organo-chlorinated substances, which are an
unintentional byproduct of the combustion of plastics and especially of
organic substances
 Furans – chemical byproducts of the combustion of organic substances

42
characterized by a neutral vertical stability – the wind’s fluctuations are
lower, and the turbulence is weak.
Turbulence is a factor that favorizes the difusion and formation speed of the
pollutant-air mix.
Keeping in mind that any method of atmospherical protection is quite costly,
defining and quantifying the pollution necessity is essential.
The data required for selecting the optimal, most efficient methods of
atmospherical protection is as follows :
1. Knowing the technology behind the pollution source
The source of pollution must be very well known and defined from a
constructional point of view (the height of the evacuation chimney, the
chimney’s diameter, the number of chimneys etc.). It is also important to
know the exact origin of the pollutants.
2. Knowing the physical and chemical nature of the pollutants
The physico-chemical processes that happen inside the monitorized
installation (the source) must be very well known in order to properly define
the exact chemical nature and physico-chemical traits of the pollutants (state
of aggregation, density, form, temperature, pressure etc.). This information is
necessary in order to answer the question: whom/what must the atmosphere
be protected from?
This information can be obtained from the technical (that of materials and
energy) balance sheet of the monitorized installation.
3. Knowing the effects of the pollutant on the environment, from a health and
economic point of view
The information mentioned answers the question: what must you protect?
(population, animals, vegetation, constructions)
4. Knowing the pollutants’ level of toxicity
This information is necessary for evaluationg the necessary level of
protection.

43
The information mentioned answers the question: how much must you
protect?
An exaggerated protection implies additional costs, reflected in the price of
products, while regarding as unnecessary the health of the population, of
vegetation, and of animals, or the protection of constructions.
5. Knowing the field’s topograpy and weather conditions
This information is necessary in order to position the protective systems
towards the direction of the pollutant, as carried via dispersion. For example,
it is completely inefficient to position protective panels towards a direction
opposite that of the pollutant influx.
6. Knowing how to calculate the optimal height of the evacuation chimneys
Considering the fact that a pollutant-evacuating chimney that is as high as
possible will keep the pollutant away from human-populated areas, a normal
inclination would be that of building tall chimneys. Even so, given that any
large-scale construction implies additional costs, there must exist a way to
optimize the height of chimneys. There are many methods for doing so; they
begin with the value depicting pollutant concentration that must not be
exceeded at ground-level, while also taking into account every parameter
which influences pollutant dispersion.
7. Keeping in mind the possibility of potential pollutants being used within the
technological circuit of factories
Recovering pollutants will lower the global costs of factory investments, as they
can be used or commercialized as raw materials for other technological processes.
8. Knowing the degree of automatisation present withing the polluting factory
When it comes to automatized factories, it is not necessary to invest money
towards eliminating local vitiation, because no personnel is exposed to the
pollution. The only investments necessary are those that limit the escape of
pollutants into the atmosphere.

44
The fundamental methods of avoiding atmospherical pollution are:
 Diminishing toxic emissions from the source, by using rational technology;
 Replacing the raw materials that present a highly toxic potential;
 Replacing the industrial techniques that favor pollution;
 Perfecting or replacing current technology;
 Diluting emissions through very tall chimneys;
 Disipating the emission sources;
 Atmospheric air must not be allowed to stagnate, thus requiring: ventilated
streets, yards, passageways and construction yards (achieved via careful
planning), building small patches of nature around sanitary buildings, or
constructing buildings in which people work but don’t occupy as a residence
(warehouses, offices etc.)
Controlling the degree of atmospherical pollution must be concerned with both the
source (measuring the emissions) and the inside territory (measuring imissions).
Within the organizing of emission and imission measurements, there must exist
many sectors of activity, each of which must have well-defined responsibilities:
industrial sector, sanitary sector, agricultural sector, and weather sector. The
industrial sector mentions the characteristics of the source, while the other sectors
establish the degree to which it has spread, as well as both the mechanism and the
effects of the pollution.
Controlling the degree of atmospherical pollution must function constantly, by
retrieving samples from the source and the territory. This process offers the
necessary information for choosing the type of de-pollution factory, while also
monitoring its efficiency.

45
Measures for environmental protection
To protect waters from pollution we can take the following measures:
-wastewater treatments
-reusing of water after partials or total cleansing
- renunciation of the manufacture of toxic products(DDT, non-biodegradable
detergents)
- increasing of surfaces with wastewater
- increasing the capacity of self-purification of natural courses by:
-increasing of dilution on the discharge on natural courses
-increasing the capacity of natural oxygenation of rivers,by creating waterfalls
etc.
-the complex arrangement of natural courses with
accumulations,derivations,etc
-building of dams
-building of specials pools that collect rubbish,to prevent the shedding of
them directly in the surfaces of water.
-building of protection areas for water
-reducing the quantity and the concentration of pollutants by using the
manufacturing technology to reduce the amount of water involved.
Between the measures of preventing and combating the pollution of soil
also are:
-afforestation areas with the erosion process
-the hygenical collection of household waste in special recipes,and also the
selectiv collection on different types.
-the organized removal of wastes,on shorts periods of time,the recycling or
the controlled disposal.

46
-the collecting(recovery),the transport,the recycling and the capitalization of
waste,or when these are no longer possible,their elimination by storage them
in ecological spaces,appling the 3Rs principle:recovery,reuse,recycling;
-the avoiding of uncontrolled drainings which led to saturated soils;
-rational using of fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture and forestry;
-ending of uncontrolled deforestations,reducing of excessive grazing;
-eliminating of inappropriate plowing;
-close supervision of activities potentially polluting(drillings for oil);
-using of biodegradable and recycling materials;
The main measures for achieving air protection are:
-arraging of many green spaces;
-rational exploitation of technological installations selected for a certain
production as the least polluting;
-building of companies outside the lived areas,which,eliminate the polluting
from the localities;
-treatment of used fuel or of raw material to reduce the concentration of
pollutants;
-enusring the combustion of some fuels used in industry,equipping the
industrial enterprises with installations that retain the pollution;
-the recovery and capitalization of waste substances;
-placing the sources of pollution based on a scientific study of consequences
which are situated in a certain geoclimatic ambient;
-adoption of systems and conveyances that are less polluting;
-the proper adjustment of combustion on vechicles to reduce the pollution;
-the replacement of lower fuel with higher one,less polluting;

47
References:
1.http://www.bucurestirecicleaza.ro/informatii-despre-colectarea-
selectiva.html#sus;
2.Course materials prepared by „Quarter Mediation” from Holand at
trening activity Comenius „EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AND USING
INDOOR AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES”-sponsored by European
Comision through ANPCDEFP.

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