廢鋼回收率高於塑膠，為何污染依然嚴重？| World Wide Waste：英語精讀講義

Steel is one of the most recycled materials on Earth. 文法

鋼鐵是地球上回收再利用率最高的材料之一。

It beats out plastic, 片語動詞

它的回收量勝過塑膠、

glass, and copper.

玻璃和銅。

More than half of it gets melted down 片語動詞

超過一半的鋼鐵會被熔化，

and reused over and over. 片語搭配

並一再重複利用。

So, if it's easy to repurpose, 表達脈絡

那麼，既然它很容易再利用，

why is steel a major source of pollution?

為什麼鋼鐵仍是主要污染源之一？

We visited a company experimenting with ways

我們走訪了一家正在嘗試各種方法的公司，

to clean up the industry 片語動詞

試圖讓這個產業變得更乾淨，

using worldwide waste.

而所用的正是世界各地的廢棄物。

Humans invented steel thousands of years ago,

幾千年前，人類發明了鋼，

when they figured out that mixing iron with carbon 講解

當時人們發現，將鐵和碳混合

made a stronger material.

可以製成更堅固的材料。

Today, there are more than 3,000 types of steel

如今，鋼的種類超過3,000種，

with other elements mixed in for different uses. 文法

為了滿足不同用途，還會混入其他元素。

This Australian company has been recycling steel 文法

這家澳洲公司回收鋼鐵

for over a century.

已經超過一個世紀。

Trucks deliver about 1,000 metric tons

每天都有卡車運來約1,000公噸

of pre-sorted scrap here every day. 用詞

預先分類好的廢料。

It comes from cars, refrigerators,

這些廢料來自汽車、冰箱、

washing machines, demolished buildings,

洗衣機、拆除的建築物，

and even old mattress springs.

甚至還有舊床墊的彈簧。

Powerful magnets layer different types of steel,

強力磁鐵會將不同種類的鋼分層鋪放，

depending on what's needed for each batch. 文法

視每一批的需求而定。

From here, the scraps go to the furnace,

接著，廢料會被送進熔爐，

where they melt in about an hour.

大約一小時後就會熔化。

This is what is supposed to make recycled steel 文法

正是這個環節，照理說會讓再生鋼

cleaner than new steel.

比新鋼更乾淨。

There's no need to mine new iron. 文法

不必再開採鐵礦石。

And these furnaces use less than half 文法

而且，這些熔爐消耗的能源還不到

as much energy as the ones that make new steel.

生產新鋼所用熔爐的一半。

We use electricity, much like a large welder, 片語搭配

我們用電，就像使用一台大型焊接機，

to melt that steel.

來熔化這些鋼鐵。

Other processes adjust the steel's chemistry and strength.

後續的其他製程會調整鋼的化學成分和強度。

Molds shape the liquid steel into bars.

模具會將鋼液鑄成棒材。

The company sells some of these,

公司會出售其中一部分，

but most are forged into a ball shape. 用詞

但大多數會被鍛造成球狀。

They're sold to copper and gold mining companies,

這些鋼球會賣給銅礦和金礦公司，

which use them inside giant rotating mills

礦業公司把它們放進巨大的旋轉研磨機中，

to crush ore.

用來粉碎礦石。

Molycop says all of its products are made

Molycop表示，旗下所有產品都由

from 93% recycled materials,

93%的再生材料製成，

though Insider could not independently verify this. 表達脈絡

不過Insider無法獨立查證這項說法。

We want to push that as close as we can to 100%. 文法

我們希望盡可能把這個比例提高到接近100%。

About a third of the steel made around the world

全球每年生產的鋼鐵中，

each year comes from scrap.

約有三分之一來自廢鋼。

Nearly all the rest is new steel,

剩下的幾乎全是新鋼，

created from iron ore.

由鐵礦石製成。

Recycling is better for the planet and is usually cheaper.

回收再利用對地球更友善，而且通常也更便宜。

So, why are we still making so much of it from scratch? 講解

那麼，為什麼我們還是要從頭生產這麼多鋼鐵？

Because the world needs more steel

因為全球需要的鋼鐵

than scraps can provide.

超出廢鋼所能供應的數量。

That's really limited by scrap steel supply.

真正的限制在於廢鋼的供應量。

The total demand for steel means that we'll still have to

鋼鐵的總需求意味著，我們仍然必須

mine iron ore.

開採鐵礦石。

In 2020, the industry churned out almost 2 billion metric tons. 片語動詞

2020年，這個產業的產量接近20億公噸。

About half of that went into buildings and bridges 片語動詞

其中約一半用於建造建築物和橋梁，

that won't become scrap for a long time.

很久以後才會變成廢鋼。

And scrap doesn't always end up in the hands of recyclers. 講解

而且，廢鋼不一定都會送到回收業者手中。

In 2018, 7% of all the waste

2018年，送往美國垃圾掩埋場的所有廢棄物中，

sent to US landfills was made of iron or steel.

有7%是鐵或鋼。

Plus, some experts say that purely scrap-based steel 用詞

此外，有些專家表示，完全以廢鋼製成的鋼材

can't be used for everything.

並不適用於所有用途。

The main problem with scrap is that you always have some impurities

廢鋼的主要問題是，裡面總會含有一些雜質，

in there, which reduce the strength.

這些雜質會降低強度。

With demand for steel on the rise, 慣用語

隨著鋼鐵需求持續上升，

it's estimated that within the coming decades, 文法

據估計，在未來幾十年內，

at least half of it will still have to be made 文法

至少仍有一半的鋼鐵必須

from iron ore.

由鐵礦石製成。

That's a big issue for the climate.

這對氣候來說是個大問題。

Steel is responsible for about a quarter of all 片語搭配

鋼鐵產業的排放量約占所有

industry-related greenhouse gas emissions. 用詞

工業相關溫室氣體排放的四分之一。

Most of that comes from cooking it up from scratch.

其中大部分來自從頭冶煉新鋼的過程。

But recycled steel is part of the problem, too. 表達脈絡

但再生鋼也是問題的一部分。

Melting scrap in a furnace uses a lot of electricity.

在熔爐中熔化廢鋼會耗費大量電力。

Since 2020, Molycop's plant has gotten over half its power 文法

自2020年起，Molycop工廠已有一半以上的電力

from renewable solar and wind.

來自太陽能和風力等再生能源。

Supporting the generation of renewable energy

支持再生能源發電

seemed a natural step to make and the right thing to do.

似乎是自然而然的一步，也是正確的選擇。

But even recycling usually requires coke, 用詞

但即使是回收鋼鐵，通常也需要焦炭，

which is coal that's been baked for hours

也就是經過數小時高溫烘煉的煤，

until it's almost pure carbon.

直到它幾乎變成純碳。

You can't make steel without carbon. 文法

沒有碳就無法煉鋼。

But mining coal and turning it into coke 文法

但開採煤炭並將它製成焦炭

also uses lots of energy and creates air pollution.

同樣會耗費大量能源，並造成空氣污染。

Molycop is looking for other options.

Molycop正在尋找其他選擇。

It partnered with scientists at the University of New South Wales 片語搭配

它與新南威爾斯大學的科學家合作，

to study alternatives, like old rubber and plastic.

研究廢棄橡膠和塑膠等替代材料。

We get to see our ideas being brought to life 講解

我們得以親眼看到自己的想法

in an industrial setting.

在工業環境中化為現實。

The researchers have used Molycop's plant

研究人員利用Molycop的工廠

to test out replacing coke with briquettes 講解

測試以壓塊取代焦炭，

made with plastic waste,

這些壓塊由塑膠廢棄物製成，

though using them would still release 表達脈絡

不過使用它們仍會釋放

a smaller amount of carbon dioxide.

較少的二氧化碳。

Our objective is how do we replace all of it

我們的目標，是設法把焦炭全部取代，

with material that would otherwise end up in landfill. 文法

改用原本會被送進垃圾掩埋場的材料。

It gives hope

這帶來了希望，

and that sense of positivity

也讓人產生正向的信念：

that together we can actually solve these kinds of challenging problems.

只要攜手合作，我們確實能解決這類棘手的問題。

But these ideas are still in the testing phase. 片語搭配

但這些構想仍處於測試階段。

So, for now, 表達脈絡

所以，就目前而言，

Here at Molycop, we consume about 4,000 to 5,000 tons of coke

在Molycop，我們大約要消耗4,000至5,000噸焦炭，

each year in the steel making process.

這是煉鋼過程中每年的用量。

It sounds like a lot, 表達脈絡

聽起來很多，

but making new steel from iron

但用鐵礦石生產新鋼

can use at least 20 times more coke than recycled steel. 文法

所需焦炭至少是生產再生鋼的20倍。

Ultimately, cleaning up steel 表達脈絡

歸根究柢，要減少鋼鐵造成的污染，

will require updates to 100-year-old recycling methods.

就必須改進已有百年歷史的回收方法。

We're the oldest operating steel maker

我們是澳洲歷史最悠久

in Australia,

且仍在營運的鋼鐵製造商，

and we want to be around for another 100 years. 用詞

我們希望再經營100年。

And we'll do that through

而要做到這一點，

being a sustainable and responsible steel maker.

就得成為一家永續且負責任的鋼鐵製造商。