Solid Waste

Solid Waste Unwanted/discarded material, not liquid or gas Sources: Sludge from water treatment, industry Commercial & Industrial byproducts Construction Municipal garbage An underutilized resource A mirror of society “Cradle to Grave” production philosophy

Natural Capital Degradation U.S. produces 1/3 of worlds solid waste 12 billion tons of solid waste produced in the United States each year from: 75% Mining, oil, and gas production 13% Agriculture 9.5% Industry 1.5% Municipal (MSW) 1% Sewage Sludge

Where does it come from? Paper is about 38% of MSW Yard waste – 12% Food waste – 11% Plastics - 10% Fastest growing problem is ‘e-waste’ or from electronic devices

Natural Resources Goods and Services Pollution, Waste and Environmental Disturbances

5 Rs Refuse-refuse items you don’t need Reduce-consume less Reuse-rely on items you can use over and over again Repurpose-use something for another purpose and not throw it away Recycle-separate and recycle paper, glass, cans, plastics, metal and buy products from recycled materials.

P2 – Pollution Prevention Option - Waste Management Accept high-waste society as unavoidable because of economic growth Reduce environmental harm; bury, burn or compress it Transfer from one environment to another

Exporting Wastes Between Countries Between States New York (3,774,000 tons) -> PA, VA, OH, CT <- VT, MA (0.16 mil tons) Illinois (2,800,000 tons) -> IN, WI <- MO, IA, IN, WI (1.3 mil. tons) California (453,183 tons) -> NV, WA

Problem: Rise of Interstate Garbage Commerce 1993: 14.45 million tons of municipal solid waste crossed state lines 2003: 39 million tons Causes: Increased generation Geographic distribution of landfill Capacity limits Consolidation of waste management industry

Interstate Commerce - Garbage Stakeholders Biggest Garbage Exporters New York, New Jersey, Missouri, Maryland, Massachusetts Biggest Garbage Importers: Pennsylvania, Virginia, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana Waste Management Companies: Three companies gross 67% of the revenue earned for U.S. municipal solid waste management

Environmental Concerns Diesel exhaust – air pollution Human health concerns Environmental impacts CO2 emissions– global warming Highway congestion Increase in accidents Increase in spills Inter-coastal transport – water pollution, spills

Bioremediation vs Phytoremediation- How we can clean up hazardous waste? Oil spills! Exxon-Valdez supertanker ran into a reef in Alaska in 1989. 38 million gallons of crude oil spilled into the Pacific Ocean. BP oil spill-Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded and sank in Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Estimated that 5 million barrels went into the sea. After watching-define Bioremediation Bioremediation: using genetically engineered or naturally occurring microorganisms to destroy toxic or hazardous chemicals or convert them to non-toxic forms. Picture from Space of BP oil spill Can we use microbes to “eat” the oil??

Phytoremediation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUYTK9B2RSw Define phytoremediation after you watch the video Phytoremediation: using genetically engineered plants to absorb, filter, remove contaminants from soil or water. Pollution “sponges”

Mercury and Lead Poisoning-Heavy Metals Chemical symbol-Pb Neurotoxin that does not break down in the environment. Mainly affects children (neural development, IQ, ADD, behavior disorders) Decreased numbers of poisonings due to removal of lead in paint, gasoline, banning it in ceramicware and various electronics. Chemical symbol-Hg Liquid at room temp Neurotoxin that interferes with nervous system and brain function. Released into atmosphere by rocks, volcanoes and soil. Humans put it in the air by coal burning mainly. Humans exposed by inhaling vapor or eat fish that have methylmercury (converted to this form by bacteria in water) Which trophic level would you expect to find the HIGHEST degree of mercury in an aquatic habitat?

P2 con’t. Option - Waste Reduction Low waste approach Reduce consumption Redesign products Eliminate or reduce packaging Recycle, Reduce View waste as a resource Encourage reduction and prevention (economically & legislatively) Conserves matter (resources) and energy Reduces pollution, ecological benefits Can be economically beneficial

SOLUTIONS - Sustainability Consume less Redesign manufacturing processes and products to use less Redesign industrial processes to produce less waste and pollution Develop products that are easy to repair, reuse, remanufacture, compost or recycle Design products that last longer Eliminate or reduce unnecessary packaging “Cradle to Cradle” philosophy

Recover Technical Nutrients Reduce Use of Natural Resources Recover Technical Nutrients

Ecoindustrial Revolution ‘Biomimicry’ mimic natural environment – matter is recycled Resource Exchange between industries Redevelop ‘brown fields’ Success stories – 3M: reduced waste by 30% Redesigned equipment and processes Used fewer hazardous chemicals Recycled more hazardous pollutants

Service-flow Economy Compare to material-flow economy Eco-leasing: Xerox Air conditioning Carpets & tile cameras

Reuse or Throw-away Society? Reuse Advantages Used in developing countries – saves $ E-Products used in developed countries dismantled and re-used where labor is cheap Drinks in reusable containers cost less (PET plastics); saves energy Cloth shopping bags instead of plastic Industrial packaging Disadvantages Potential health risks when reusing food or water containers Pollution and health risks from Pb, Hg, Cd, dioxin Companies make more money selling disposable containers Less convenient Need economic incentives and redesign

Recycling Preconsumer vs. postconsumer Municipal Possibilities Paper Glass Aluminum Steel Plastics US MSW recycling Currently - 30% Future - up to 60-80%

Recycling Primary or closed Loop Secondary recycling or down cycling (tires to surfacing materials)

Recycling Benefits Reduce solid waste Reduce pollution: air, water, soil Saves energy (harvesting virgin resources) Reduce habitat destruction Species protection Saves money (tire disposal site on fire)

Recycling Disadvantages Source separation Technology Cost? Space

Composting Reduce paper, yard, and vegetable waste Currently, composting 5% in the US Potential – 35% Useful as fertilizer, topsoil, or landfill cover

Why is the US behind in reuse and recycling? Market price of products do not include environmental costs Resource-extracting industries receive more tax breaks and subsidies than recycling and reuse industries Still cheaper here to use landfills. Demand and prices for recycled materials fluctuates

How can we encourage recycling and reuse? Increase subsidies and tax breaks for industries choosing recycled resources over virgin resources PAUT: pay as you throw Product stewardship – industry responsibility for take back of products (e-waste) Phase out use of hazardous materials when possible

Sanitary Landfills Advantages Disadvantages Little odor water pollution Quick and easy to build Low operating costs Disadvantages Noise and traffic Dust Air pollution Greehouse gases (methane and CO2) Water pollution

Incineration Advantages Disadvantages Reduce trash volume Lowers need for landfills Lower water pollution Easy Disadvantages High cost Air pollution (dioxins) Produces toxic ash Discourages recycling

Hazardous Waste Threatens human health or the environment. Examples: industrial solvents, hospital medical waste, car batteries (lead and acids), household pesticides, drain cleaners, dry cell batteries, incinerator ash It is toxic, chemically active, corrosive or flammable. Important statistics USA produces 1/3 of the world’s solid waste. 98.5% is industrial or solid waste, 1.5% municipal solid waste Average American produces 4.5lb/day Paper makes up 38% of the trash buried in US landfills, followed by yard waste, food waste and plastic. Plastic HARDEST to recycle Aluminum easiest to recycle (lowest amount of energy needed to recycle it

Hazardous Waste RCRA – Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, regulates 5% of hazardous waste Not regulated by RCRA: Radioactive waste Household waste Mining wastes Oil and gas drilling Liquid waste Small business

Detoxifying Hazardous Waste How? Physical methods Chemical reactions Bioremediation Phytoremediation Plasma Where do they go? Incineration Deep well injection Surface impoundments Secure landfills NIMBY

Brownfields Abandoned industrial sites or other hazardous waste sites that are cleaned up and put to use Include: old landfills, munitions dumps, shooting ranges, ode factories Require: remediation, soil reclamation

Chemical Toxins – Heavy Metals Lead Children inhale or ingest Banned leaded gas Still found in paint chips from homes build prior to 1960 Mercury Inhale or ingest in fish From burning coal and incineration Bioaccumulation and maginification

Chemical Toxins - Dioxins Chlorinated hydrocarbons Sources: 70% from incineration of MSW & medical waste Smelting, refining Forest fires Toxicity: Persistent Carcinogenic – TCDD HAAS Human exposure from food

Hazardous Waste Regulation RCRA – Resource Conservation and Recovery Act EPA identify hazardous waste and set standards Industry permits for managing Develop ‘cradle to grave’ system, generation to disposal CERCLA – Superfund Identify abandoned sites Protect and/or clean up ground water Identify sites for NPL – National Priorities List for remediation Who pays? Polluter or Taxpayer