HOW IT WORKS | Paper recycling, Cranes, Cherry jam, flower market | Episode 27| Free Documentary
Summary
TLDRThis episode delves into the fascinating processes behind everyday items. It explores the paper recycling journey from waste to new A4 sheets, the monumental task of constructing Europe's largest mobile crane for skyscrapers, the transformation of cherries into jam, and the bustling Almeria flower auction house in Holland. Each segment reveals the engineering marvels and human ingenuity that drive our world.
Takeaways
- 🌳 The process of paper recycling involves initial sorting to separate different types of paper, such as newspapers and cardboard.
- 🔍 High-tech equipment like color-sensitive cameras and air blasts are used to remove non-paper items and impurities during recycling.
- 🏭 The transformation of waste paper into new paper involves pulping, cleaning, and the removal of inks, resulting in gray slop that is then processed into fresh paper.
- 🔄 Despite the environmental benefits, paper fibers can only be recycled about 5-6 times before they become too brittle.
- 🏗️ Europe's largest mobile crane, capable of reaching over 200 meters, is essential for constructing tall structures like skyscrapers and power plant chimneys.
- 🚧 The assembly of such a massive crane is a significant project, requiring careful placement, reinforcement, and the use of smaller cranes to support the framework.
- 🍒 The production of cherry jam involves harvesting ripe cherries, removing stems and stones, cooking with sugar and pectin, and finally bottling.
- 🌹 Almeria Flower Market in Holland is the world's largest flower auction house, handling billions of flowers annually with a vast network of refrigerated warehouses and trolley systems.
- 💐 The auction process at Almeria involves a descending bid system where buyers must time their purchases correctly to get the best price and quality.
- ✈️ Flowers from Almeria are distributed globally, with some being shipped to as far as Moscow or Tokyo, wrapped in protective cellophane to prevent damage during transit.
Q & A
What is the significance of paper recycling in Britain, and how much paper does the country use annually?
-Paper recycling is significant for environmental conservation in Britain. The country uses over 11 million tons of paper annually for packaging and reading materials, with about 40% of it being sent for recycling.
How is the initial sorting of paper waste done at the recycling facility?
-The initial sorting of paper waste is done using a series of rollers that separate lighter paper from heavier materials like cardboard and padded envelopes.
What technology is used to remove colored card from the paper recycling process?
-A color-sensitive camera is used to detect colored card, and if any is detected, a well-timed blast of air removes it from the conveyor belt.
What is the first step in making new paper from old, and how is the waste paper pulped?
-The first step in making new paper from old is to pulp it. This is done by using chemicals to break down the waste paper, which is then filtered to remove impurities.
How are inks removed from the pulp during the paper recycling process?
-Inks are removed by adding chemicals and soap to the pulp. The inks stick to the soap bubbles, which rise to the surface and can be skimmed off.
What is the role of the large machine that turns pulp into fresh paper, and how long does it take?
-The large machine plays a crucial role in turning pulp into fresh paper. It contains various devices to transform sloppy pulp into pristine A4 paper, and this process takes only about 20 seconds.
How is the moisture content reduced in the pulp during paper production?
-The moisture content in the pulp is reduced by spreading it out and passing it through a roller with an absorbent cloth. The cloth captures most of the liquid, which is then rung out and returned to the machine.
What is the purpose of painting the paper with white ink after it has been dried?
-The paper is painted with white ink to give it a traditional clean appearance, as the pulp may still be grayed even after being cleaned earlier in the process.
How is the quality of the new paper determined, and what factors influence its use?
-The quality of the new paper is determined by a machine that tests samples and assigns a quality grade. Factors such as strength influence the paper's use; for example, books require a higher grade of paper than newspapers.
What is Europe's largest mobile crane used for, and how high can it reach?
-Europe's largest mobile crane is used for constructing tall structures like skyscrapers and power plant chimneys. It can reach over 200 meters high.
How does the crane operator ensure the safe and precise placement of a large chimney during construction?
-The crane operator ensures the safe and precise placement of a large chimney by carefully maneuvering it, considering factors like wind speed and using the crane's mechanisms to position the chimney with millimeter precision.
What is the process of turning cherries into jam, and what ingredients are involved?
-The process of turning cherries into jam involves collecting ripe cherries, removing leaves and stems, stoning the cherries, and then cooking them with sugar, pectin, and lemon juice to achieve the desired consistency and texture.
How does the Almeria flower auction house in Holland function, and what is its significance in the global flower industry?
-The Almeria flower auction house in Holland functions as a massive auction and distribution center for cut flowers and potted plants. It is the largest supplier in the world, handling over 20 million cut flowers daily and serving as a key hub in the global flower industry.
Outlines
📰 Paper Recycling Process
This paragraph delves into the paper recycling process, highlighting the increasing popularity of paper recycling due to modern environmental attitudes. It explains how paper, including newspapers, magazines, and packaging, is sorted and separated at a recycling facility. The process involves removing various contaminants like plastic, cardboard, and padded envelopes using rollers and air blasts. After sorting, the paper is pulped using chemicals, filtered to remove impurities, and cleaned to remove ink. The cleaned pulp is then transformed into new paper through a machine that dries and presses it into A4 sheets. The summary also mentions that paper fibers can only be recycled a limited number of times before they become too brittle.
🏗️ Building Skyscrapers with Europe's Largest Mobile Crane
The second paragraph focuses on the construction of skyscrapers, particularly the role of Europe's largest mobile crane in building power plants with 90-meter high chimneys. It describes the crane's assembly process, which includes reinforcing the ground to support its weight, aligning the crane using spray paint markings, and the careful placement of hydraulic supports and ballast. The crane's frame is constructed using massive steel pins, and a weather vane is installed to indicate wind speed to the operators. The paragraph also discusses the challenges of raising the crane over a busy road and the meticulous process of maneuvering large chimneys into place with precision.
🍒 Cherry Jam Production
This section explores the process of turning ripe black cherries into jam. It starts with the harvesting of cherries in an orchard, where a mechanical arm is used to shake the cherries off the trees onto a sheet below. The cherries are then transported to a processing plant where leaves and stems are removed using a roller system. The cherries are rinsed and passed through a stoning machine that removes the inedible middles. The fruit is cooked with sugar and pectin to create a jelly-like texture. The jam is then tested for sugar level and consistency before being bottled. The bottling process includes capping the jars with hot steam to create a vacuum seal, ensuring the jam stays fresh for up to two years.
🌹 Almeria Flower Market: The World's Largest Flower Auction
The fourth paragraph introduces Almeria flower market in Holland, the largest flower supplier in the world. It describes the daily arrival of trucks carrying over 20 million cut flowers and potted plants from across Europe. The flowers are stored in refrigerated warehouses, and each shipment is tracked with detailed information. The flowers are graded for quality based on color, smell, and frailty. The auction process is explained, where buyers make bids as the price decreases. The winning buyers' information is attached to the plants for delivery. The flowers are then transported to buyers' vans or shipped internationally, with some being wrapped in cellophane for long-distance travel.
🌺 Global Flower Trade and Delivery
The final paragraph discusses the global flower trade, emphasizing the international buyers at Almeria flower market and the long-distance journeys some flowers undertake. It highlights the meticulous quality control process and the importance of the information provided to buyers for making decisions. The auction process is described, where timing is crucial for buyers to secure flowers at the best price. After the auction, flowers are delivered to the buyers' vans using motorized trolleys. The paragraph also mentions the long-distance shipping of flowers, with some being flown to as far as Moscow or Tokyo, ensuring that these flowers can be enjoyed worldwide.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Recycling
💡Pulp
💡Rollers
💡Mobile Crane
💡Cherries
💡Pectin
💡Auction House
💡Jam
💡Floral Industry
💡Infrastructure
💡Sustainability
Highlights
The show explores the design, construction, and production of extraordinary items.
Europe's largest mobile crane is essential for constructing tall buildings.
The process of turning cherries into jam involves mechanical harvesting and stone removal.
The Almeria auction house in Holland is the world's largest florist.
Paper recycling has grown in popularity due to modern attitudes towards sustainability.
Britain uses over 11 million tons of paper annually, with 40% being recycled.
Recycling facilities sort paper types using rollers and air blasts to remove impurities.
High-tech equipment and human inspection are used to ensure paper purity for recycling.
The paper recycling process involves pulping old paper with chemicals and filtering out waste.
Inks from original paper print are removed using soap and chemicals during pulp processing.
A 120-meter long machine transforms pulp into fresh paper in just 20 seconds.
Heated rollers and air dryers are used to dry and smooth the newly formed paper.
White ink is applied to the grayed paper to give it a clean, traditional appearance.
Paper quality is tested to determine its suitability for books, newspapers, or other uses.
Paper fibers can only be recycled 5 or 6 times before becoming too brittle.
The construction of Europe's largest mobile crane is a major project taking 3 days to assemble.
Hydraulic supports and ballast are crucial for the stability of the crane during assembly.
The crane's pulley and winch mechanism can lift heavy loads such as 90-ton chimneys.
Safety is paramount when maneuvering large structures like power plant chimneys.
The Almeria flower market in Holland handles over 20 million cut flowers daily.
Auction houses use a descending bid system where buyers must time their purchases correctly.
Flowers are graded for quality, color, and smell before being sold at auction.
The flower market's vast operation relies on a 16.2 km track system to transport flowers.
Buyers from around the world purchase flowers at Almeria, with some being shipped globally.
Transcripts
the show that reveals how extraordinary
items in our world are designed
constructed and produced see the
engineering the technology and Big Ideas
that make the world go around find out
how it
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works
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coming up in today's show when it comes
to big buildings the only tool that's
tall enough is Europe's largest mobile
crane what breakfast table will be
complete without a jar of jam to spread
on your bread we'll find out how to turn
cherries into a cheerful toasty topping
and we'll take a tour of the world's
largest florist the almir auction house
in
Holland
but first paper recycling has grown in
popularity modern attitudes mean more of
us are returning our wasted newspaper
magazines and packaging to be used again
doing our bit for the planet sort of
thing in an average year Britain uses
over 11 million tons of paper as
packaging and reading material and about
40% of it ends up at a facility like
this but it's not recycled here this is
the first step where it's
sorted everything from padded envelopes
to glossy magazines are sent to be
recycled that's a lot of different types
of paper and this creates a big headache
for the recyclers who need to sort and
separate things like newspaper
supplements they're often wrapped in
plastic this has to
go padded envelopes and cardboard are
also found in the pile to remove this
the material is now passed over a series
of rollers lighter paper falls through
leaving the cardboard envelopes and
packaging on
[Music]
top unfortunately for the recyclers
there are still several more sting
stages to go through to get pure paper
they can work with after initial sorting
some types of colored card may still be
left a color sensitive camera checks
what passes by and if it's not right a
well-timed blast of air removes it from
the conveyor
this sorting facility uses some fairly
Hightech equipment but at the end of the
day people power is still the best
filter for the
job once all the material has been
sorted it should end up here pure waste
paper ready to be
recycled the first stage of making new
paper from old is to pulp it this is
done by using a range of chemicals to
break it it all down the waste is
filtered once more because even at this
stage impurities may have slipped
through the Clutter is sved out and the
workers end up with this gray slop this
has to be cleaned if it's to be
transformed into fresh recycled
paper the pulp still contains inks from
the original paper print to remove it
chemicals and soap are
[Music]
added and is pumped through the mix and
the inks stick to the soap bubbles which
are rising to the surface here they can
be
removed and this is the machine that
will turn the pulp into fresh
paper it's over 120 M long and contains
a variety of devices to help turn sloppy
pulp into pristine A4 now it may sound
hard to believe but it only takes 20 20
seconds to turn pulp into
paper when the pulp enters the machine
it's 99% water and just 1% fiber so the
water's got to go the pulp is spread out
and passed through a roller with an
absorbent
cloth the cloth captures most of the
liquid which is rung out below it then
returns to the machine to repeat the
process the sheet of emerging paper is
now passed through a series of heated
rollers 130° C dries the paper
[Music]
perfectly now even though the pulp was
cleaned earlier the processed paper is
still grayed so now it's painted two
rollers layer on white ink giving it its
traditional clean appearance the sheet
then passes over air dryers and like
your work shirt it then gets a good iron
this Smooths out any wrinkles the new
paper may have
have finally the fresh sheet is wound on
to enormous rollers the biggest ones can
weigh up to as much as 30
[Music]
tons strength is an important factor in
deciding what the new paper will be used
for Books use a far higher grade of
paper than newspapers a book may be read
many times where a newspaper is only
used two or three
times this machine tests samples so they
can be assigned a quality
grade it can then be packed up to be
sent to the right client when they need
fresh
stock but first the roll will be cut
down to the right size book publishers
need a different size of paper from a
company making gift wrap for
example the neatly sliced rolls tumble
slowly off the guillotine and sent off
to be be wrapped in yet more
paper this protective layer will help
keep the freshly recycled stock
clean finally the rolls are stored until
they're ready to be
delivered although paper recycling is a
big step forward for the environment
paper fibers can only be recycled 5 or
six times before they become too brittle
but the savings for the environment make
it all worthwhile as recyclers turn your
old newspaper into brand new
[Music]
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A4 the skyline of many cities are
covered in them they're known as boom
type cranes and you couldn't build a
skyscraper without them nowhere is this
more so than when you're building a
power plant with 90 M High chimneys this
is Europe's biggest mobile crane and it
can reach over 200 M
High the enormous chimneys are brought
to the site by trucks and
prepared the put to one side creating a
space big enough for the enormous
Crane's
[Music]
arrival and here it is this crane is so
big it's a major construction project in
itself the first step is getting the
base into
position The Cellar beneath the crane
must be reinforced to take its weight if
it collapsed the consequences would be
disastrous the guy then use spray paint
markings to line the crane up
perfectly constructing the crane alone
takes 3 days and the next morning the
hydraulic supports arrive they're
carefully lifted into place and the
workers make absolutely certain their
toes aren't in the way when they're put
down with the base now in place and
firmly supported work can begin to erect
the crane itself first comes the ballast
to help balance the structure the crane
uses 12 slabs in total weighing a
massive 206 tons next comes the massive
Crane's frame structure steel pins
weighing 36 kilos each hold the
individual sections
[Music]
together slowly the recognizable shape
of the boom begins to take
form the crane is so large ordinary
cranes are used to hold up The Towering
framework the next stage requires Great
care because it must reach high enough
to maneuver the chimney the crane must
be very long as it's raised one arm
extends into any available space in this
case directly over a busy
road but there's a deadline to be met so
construction must continue each section
is put in place whilst workers watch out
for the traffic
below
but who is watching the workers up here
for now there's not much for the rig's
operator to do while he waits for the
crane to be put together he makes tiny
adjustments to the Crane's position
whilst his colleagues are hammering 36
kilo pins over moving
buses with the framework complete a
handy Weather Vein is included to
indicate wind speed to the Crane's
operators it also has a flashing light
which acts as a navigation Aid and
obstacle warning for
Pilots finally the pulley and winch
mechanism are threaded up the cable
alone for this enormous Hook is 900 M
long and weighs a massive 7
[Music]
tons it's a tough job and fingers can
get crushed if accidentally trapped in
mechanism finally the driver gets some
action in his day with everything in
place he can now carefully raise the
crane in Readiness for tomorrow's big
job to put it all together this enormous
crane has needed 13 truck loads of
equipment and spare parts and three
whole days with a huge crane now
constructed work on the power plant
project can now
[Music]
begin reaching over 200 m in the air it
dwarves any crane around it however jobs
this size are a team effort and the
smaller cranes are still
important weighing in at 90 turns the
chimney is a large object to maneuver
safely because it's so long and must
positioned with millimet perfect
Precision the wind factor is a real
[Music]
worry the crane operator has a key role
in the job today he is responsible for
maneuvering the chimney before it's
moved it must be prepared the driver
raises it from its temporary stand to a
height where workers can make any last
minute repairs or necessary
[Music]
changes and when the foreman gives the
word the the massive crane is put to
work no it's not a bird or a plane this
is a power plant chimney over 100 m up
in the air joking aside this is a very
serious job and safety is Paramount the
enormous Smoke Stack is lowered into
position to the crane operator's obvious
relief without his skill and the sheer
scale of the crane Jobs's big as this
just wouldn't be
possible
[Music]
still to come with a slice of bread and
some butter who can resist the
temptation of a fruity Jam we'll show
you how preserves are produced and if
you've forgotten the flowers on your
anniversary the world's largest flower
auction house might be able to help
we're visiting Almia flower market in
Holland
[Music]
throughout the UK and plenty of other
countries besides bread and jam is one
thing you'll probably find on a
breakfast table but how do you turn
delicious black cherries into a Jam Jar
full of well Jam the logical place to
start would be the orchard where the
cherries are growing when they reach
full ripeness the farmer brings out this
gigantic
sheet now it looks like he's going to
spread it under the tree and just shake
all the cherries
out in fact that's exactly what he's
going to
do this mechanical arm is attached to
the tree and it does all the
work all the fruit that is ripe will
fall into the waiting sheet below where
it can easily be collected up up all
that's left behind are the empty
stems then all the farmer has to do is
turn on the engine and the sheet rolls
itself back up depositing thousands of R
cherries into the collection tray
simple Farm Workers collect box after
box of fresh cherries ready to take them
to the processing
plant the first step is to remove all
the leaves and stems that are still
mixed in with the
fruit this handy roller system traps the
stems and Yanks them
off only cherries make it past the
rollers to the next step of The Preserve
process next the cherries are rinsed but
there's one part the water can't remove
the stone
inside this next Contraption catches
each individual cherry they are then
passed up into the stoning machine where
spikes pass through the Cherry removing
the hard inedible middles all that's
left behind is pure fresh
[Music]
fruit the cherries are finally ready to
be turned into
jam now it won't come as a surprise to
learn that jams contain sugar but it may
surprise you to learn just how much to
make this Cherry Jam for instance for
every kilo of fruit you use you need 1
kg of sugar
too the sugar is added in with the fruit
which is cooking away and leav big
copper
[Music]
bows the next ingredient is
pectin it will help thicken the liquid
into a jellylike substance giving the
mixture that familiar jam-like
texture
this will be added to the fruit along
with lemon juice and the whole
combination is cooked down further
still after 15 minutes the chef will
take a sample the sample is checked for
a specific sugar level and consistency
before it's ready for bottling
[Music]
the hot fruity preserve is poured into
the waiting funnel which will take it to
the bottling plant on the floor
Below in this part of the factory
freshly clean jars pass under the tap
continually and a measured quantity of
the jam is
released as soon as it's in the jars
they're sent directly to to the capping
machine hot steam is included as the top
is put on each jar and there's a good
reason for
[Music]
this after they've been closed the jars
are sent straight to the refrigerator as
they cool quickly a vacuum is created
inside the jar which seals it tight if
it's unopened each jar of jam will stay
fresh for up to 2
years finally any e strange ham is
washed off the jars and they're sent on
to receive their traditional
labels so from the tree to the factory
to a slice of bread near you preserving
fruit in this way ensures the treats
like Cherry Jam can be enjoyed long
after the fruit has left the
trees
[Music]
this is not just a flower for
Valentine's Day this is a rose and it's
big business buying and selling flowers
is a massive Global industry and osmia
Market in Holland is the biggest
supplier in the world it's the size of
200 football pitchers making at the
biggest commercial property anywhere on
the
planet every morning hundreds of trucks
lores and vans arrive from all over
Europe their fragile cargo consists of
over 20 million cut flowers and potted
plants once they've been unloaded
they're stored in refrigerated
warehouses to keep track of who's buying
and selling detailed information is
assigned to the individual Lots in each
shipment they're then loaded onto these
carriages to be taken to the auction
rooms
with the paperwork complete hundreds of
workers organize the carriages into
orderly cues and join them
[Music]
up this Trolley system is what helps
almir's huge operation run so
smoothly from the moment the auctions
begin till the last flowers are sold at
night these carts will trundle through
the vast warehouses there's over 16.2 km
of track in here and their job is to
bring the carriages to one place the
auction
room in the course of a year over 1.7
billion roses more than 600 million
tulips and millions of other assorted
flowers and pot plants are sold here
quality control is vital to osa's
success with so many plants on offer the
buyers must be able to assess the
produce quickly experts at osmia take
samples from each seller and grade them
everything from color and smell to the
plant's Frailty is assessed the buyers
depend on this Vital Information for
making their
decisions once they're armed with the
fact they can start
shopping the flowers are wheeled past on
the carriages and a display tells the
buyers what the plants are who grew them
and their value but unlike normal
auctions bids are made as the price goes
down not
up like any auction the tricket ere is
timing If you bid too early you may pay
too much if you wait too long for a
lower price the flowers might sell out
it's not for the
faint-hearted
mistakes can be made but most of the
buyers here are experienced
operators all the bidding information is
fed to the master salesman he will then
assign the buyer's information to the
plants as they leave the
hall the staff attached the information
to the carriages so the plants can be
delivered to the right L for
transportation
using motorized trolleys a different
team can now deliver the flowers
directly to the buyer
van using the stickers that have been
placed with each lot after they were
bought the drivers are able to find the
right
buyer
[Music]
all the buyers have to do now is check
their delivery tallies with what they've
paid for any plants that are damaged or
not right can be sent back but it falls
well it can be loaded up and delivered
to their
stores hundreds of lores leave this
Depot every day to stock florists all
over
Europe for some flowers however the
journey is far longer to ensure they
aren't damaged on their travels they're
wrapped in a protective layer of
cellophane before they're shipped
off osmia attracts buyers from all over
the globe and some of these flowers are
destined for some very exclusive vases
in countries Halfway Around the
World these shipments are loaded onto
planes in the evening and by morning can
be as as far away as Moscow or even
Tokyo so the next time you're buying a
bouquet it's highly likely that it may
have made the long journey To You by The
ere Flower
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Market
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