Waste Chapter 19 The amount of solid waste each American produces every year has more than doubled since the 1960s.

Types of Solid Waste Biodegradable: CAN be broken down by biological processes Ex: Plant and animal matter, newspapers, paper bags, cotton fibers, leather, etc. Nonbiodegradable: can NOT be broken down by biological processes Ex: Polyester, plastics, and other synthetic materials

Municipal Solid Waste 2% (236 million tons each year) of the total solid waste is produced by households and businesses Growing quickly

Waste from Manufacturing, Mining, Agriculture Manufacturing Waste: Items like scrap metal, plastics, paper, sludge, ash Not produced by consumers, but produced to bring consumers their goods Mining Waste: rocks left over from excavation and processing dumped in oceans, rivers, or used to fill abandoned mines Agriculture Waste: manure and crop wastes Biodegradable, but more frequently full of pesticides and fertilizers which could harm animals, other plants, and groundwater

Solid Waste Management Landfills help contain waste so it doesn’t pollute the environment (soil/groundwater)

Landfill Problems Leachate: liquid that has passed through waste in a landfill, collecting chemicals, is dangerous in groundwater supplies Can be prevented through monitoring, storage tanks, and treatment Methane: decomposing organic waste can create this highly flammable gas which can seep through the ground into basements of nearby homes, causing dangerous explosions. Can be monitored and pumped out to be used as fuel

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976/1984) Requires new landfills to be built with clay and plastic liners Must have systems to collect and treat leachate Vent pipes are required to carry methane out of the landfill

Landfill Solution – Incineration? Burning waste in incinerators reduces the solid waste by 75%, however batteries, cleansers, paints, etc. pollute the air when they are burned Ash is buried in a landfill and is more toxic than the trash before incineration REDUCE WASTE!!

Recycling Saves energy, water, and other resources STEPS: Collect and sort by type Clean and crush (glass)/turn to pulp (paper)/etc. Make new products to sell to consumers Demand drives production

Composting Variety of wastes: yard waste, fruit/vegetable trimmings, table scraps, restaurant waste, food-processing plant waste, manure from animal feedlots, municipal sewage sludge, etc. are biodegradable and will decompose in a compost pile Oxygen and moisture will speed up the process Compost is formed that is rich in nutrients and can help plants grow More compost=less waste/landfill space Can be done at home!

Degradable Plastics Plastics are NOT biodegradable, so some companies are making plastics that break down easier to appeal to consumers Photodegradable Plastic: left in the sun for many weeks becomes weak/brittle and breaks into pieces Green Plastic: sugars in plants blended with chemicals to make plastic and uses less fossil fuels to produce

Degradable Plastics: PROBLEMS Break apart, but do not completely disappear(just into smaller pieces) Still remain in landfills for many years (like regular plastics)