WASTE MANAGEMENT INTRODUCTION How do our choices as consumers and waste producers affect our environment? What steps have we taken to reduce the impact of waste on our environment?

WASTE MANAGEMENT EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION WHAT IS WASTE? The three main categories of waste include municipal solid waste, industrial waste, and hazardous waste. –Municipal solid waste comes from homes, institutions, and small businesses. –Industrial waste comes from production of consumer goods, mining, agriculture, and petroleum extraction and refining. –Hazardous waste is any waste that is toxic, chemically reactive, flammable, or corrosive.

WASTE MANAGEMENT EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION METHODS OF SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL Current solid waste disposal is based on ancient practices of dumping, burying, or burning wastes. Modern sanitary landfills are carefully engineers to prevent contamination of groundwater, soil and air. Incineration is a controlled process in which garbage is control burned at very high temperatures.

WASTE MANAGEMENT EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION SANITARY LANDFILLSINCINERATION

WASTE MANAGEMENT EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION WASTE REDUCTION Reducing waste is the best way to manage solid waste (ex. reduced packaging, recycling, longer lasting goods). Waste may also be reduced through composting and recycling.

WASTE MANAGEMENT GUIDED PRACTICE WHAT DO YOU THINK? Should recycling programs be subsidized by governments, even if they run at an economic loss? What types of external costs – costs not reflected in market prices – do you think would be involved in not recycling, say, aluminum cans? (see pg. 595) Do you feel these costs justify sponsoring recycling programs even when the programs are not financially self-supporting? Explain.

WASTE MANAGEMENT INDEPENDENT PRACTICE 1.Compare and contrast sanitary landfills and incineration. In your opinion, which method is better? Explain your answer. 2.Why is it so important to reduce the amount of our waste? 3.Why do you think companies wrap their products in so much packaging? What can consumers do to reduce the amount of packaging companies use? 4.How does recycling and composting save energy and money?