Recursive Recycling is a technique where a function, in order to accomplish a task, calls itself with some part of the task or output from a previous step. In municipal solid waste and waste reclamation processing it is the process of extracting and converting materials from recycled materials derived from the previous step until all subsequent levels of output are extracted or used.
In true recursive recycling and conservation processing the ability to divert all materials in the waste stream from landfill at greater than 99 percent is a concept based on outputs used to provide the next level of processing, reuse, conservation and market delivery of the derivatives.
Since that pilot commercial facility stopped operating, the concept of Recursive Recycling has not met with as much success as originally anticipated by environmentalists and conservationists. There are a number of companies operating autoclaves with limited success across the globe (Anaheim CA and a number of others) but the full concept of treatment using technology has not been fully realized globally. There is limited available engineering background to demonstrate successful testing that can be validated in physical production facilities.
A number of companies are working on technology to support this concept. That may bring about change to conservation and recycling when associated advances prove out as successful. However, given the current state related areas of technology the growth to full scale production appears to be limited because the technology and demonstrating it is available in larger capacities has not been demonstrated commercially.
Waste Autoclaves * www.answer.com
Alverno College * www.alverno.edu
Autoclaves Environment Agency, United Kingdom (http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/wtd/679004/679032/679093/?lang=_e)