By Jasmin Šutković 21th Nov. 2016 BIO410- Ecology and Environmental Engineering FALL 2016 By Jasmin Šutković 21th Nov. 2016 Lecture 7a: Solid waste

Outline Solid waste Concerns and stations for solid waste Book Chapter 12, 13 and 14– follow the subtitles in this presentations while reading the book. Solid waste Concerns and stations for solid waste Solid waste disposal options Recycling

Solid waste Such solid wastes are often called municipal solid waste (MSW) and consist of all the solid and semisolid materials discarded by a community! The relationship between solid waste and human disease is intuitively obvious but difficult to prove. If a rat is sustained by an open dump, and that rat sustains a flea that transmits murine typhus to a human, the absolute proof of the pathway would require finding the particular rat and flea, an obviously impossible task

Concerns.. Disease vectors are the means by which disease organisms are transmitted, and water, air, and food may all be vectors. The two most important disease vectors related to solid wastes are rats and flies Leachate, formed when rainwater collects in landfills, pits, waste ponds, or waste lagoons, and stays in contact with waste material long enough to leach out and dissolve some of its chemical and biochemical constituents.

Transfer station method of solid waste collection

DISPOSAL OPTIONS Many cities in the United States encouraged “backyard burning” of trash, in order to reduce MSW volume! This lead to often uncontrolled fires and ultimately have led to a complete prohibition of backyard burning Landfields are still the most used options for disposals even though they are not proven safe. Besides, people use OCEAN as an disposal place.

Sanitary landfields The term sanitary landfields, was first used for the method of disposal employed after World War II. The sanitary landfill differs markedly from open dumps: open dumps are simply places to deposit wastes, but sanitary landfills are engineered operations, designed and operated according to acceptable standards

Typically, refuse is unloaded, compacted with bulldozers, and covered with compacted soil. The landfill is built up in units called cells.

Re usage ? A landfill continues to subside after closure, so that permanent structures cannot be built on-site without special foundations. Closed landfills have potential uses as golf courses, playgrounds, tennis courts, winter recreation, or parks and greenbelts.

From landfield to Solar energy

Reuse, Recycling, and Resource Recovery Finding new sources of energy and materials is becoming increasingly difficult. Concurrently, we are finding it more and more difficult to locate solid waste disposal sites, and the cost of disposal is escalating exponentially. As a result, society’s interest in recycling(reuse and recovery ) of materials from refuse has grown.

What does the Recycling Symbol Mean?

The first top arrow represents the collection of recyclable materials for processing. The bottom right arrow represents the recyclables being processed into recycled products. The bottom left arrow is the most important. It represents when the consumer actually buys a product with recycled content.

What are the three R’s of Recycling?

Reduce Reduce means to use less of something. Some examples are: Use a handkerchief instead of tissues. Use a cotton rag when cleaning house instead of paper towels. Use a sports bottle instead of buying bottled water everyday.

Reuse Reuse is to put again into service without changing. Examples are: Wrapping paper Floppy disks Plastic grocery bags

Recycle Recycle is to put again into service with changing. Examples are: Cans Glass Plastics

Paper Cardboard Glass Steel Cans Batteries Plastic Tires Shoes Computers

What are some items that I cannot Recycle?

Ceramics Windows Light Bulbs Mirrors Spray Cans

Where do I take my Recyclables

A local recycling center A local waste recycling center At curbside A local bulky waste recycling center

How can Recycling conserve our natural resources?

Recycling conserves natural resources by substituting “secondary resources” such as glass, metal, and paper for raw materials extracted. By recycling paper the need to cut down trees reduces. By recycling aluminum it minimizes the need for mining new minerals, thereby decreasing damage to the wilderness.

How does Recycling save energy?

The energy required to manufacture paper, plastics, glass, and metal from recycled materials is usually less than the energy required to produce them from new materials. The steps such as collection, processing, and transportation is also usually less energy then the steps in supplying new materials.

What can I do at home to help?

Bring old glasses to eye doctors. Bring your old clothes to Goodwill. Use glass cups and plates instead of paper. Use cloth napkins instead of paper. Buy in bulk rather then buying smaller bottles of something. Reuse glass bottles or containers.

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