Municipal & Industrial Waste

Waste Any unwanted material or substance that results from a human activity or process. Each year the United States generates more than 10 billion metric tons of solid waste 22,046,226,218,000 pounds

Problems with Waste We are running out of space to put the waste Barges Burn it Population increases, waste increases, space decreases Average person in the United States produces 4.5 pounds of solid waste a day!

Types of Solid Waste Municipal solid waste Industrial solid waste Hazardous solid waste Wastewater

Municipal Solid Waste Non-liquid waste that comes from homes, institutions, and small businesses. 3% of total solid waste 210 million tons per year in the United States Fill a convoy of garbage trucks that would stretch around Earth 6 times

Municipal Solid Waste

Wastewater The water that is used in our households, businesses, industries, or public facilities and drain or flush down our pipes, as well as polluted runoff from our streets and storm drains.

Industrial Solid Waste Waste that comes from the production of consumer goods, mining, agriculture, and petroleum extraction and refining. Scrap metal Plastics Paper Sludge Construction waste Farm waste Factory waste

Sanitary Landfills Location where waste is buried in the ground or piled in large, carefully engineered mounds. Located away from wetlands / earthquake zones Must be 20 feet above the water table Bottom and sides lined with heavy duty plastic and four feet of impermeable clay to prevent groundwater contamination Must have a system of pipes to collect and treat leachate. Leachate systems have to be monitored for 30 years after the landfill closes.

Solid Waste Disposal: Sanitary Landfills Waste is buried in the ground or carefully piled into mounds. Designed to prevent groundwater contamination and minimize soil and air pollution.

Leachate The liquid that results when substances from the trash dissolve in water as rainwater percolates downward.

Organic waste decomposes where there is no oxygen and produces methane Highly flammable gas Pumped out of landfills and used for fuel May seep into the ground If ignited, it can cause explosions Organic waste decomposes where there is no oxygen and produces methane

Benefits & Costs of Landfills Decomposition yields methane, which can be used like natural gas. Leachate may eventually escape and contaminate the groundwater. When full, landfills are capped. The land can be used for recreation. Trash decomposes very slowly. Few communities are willing to host landfills (NIMBY). A power company in Hull, Massachusetts installed a large wind turbine on a site that had previously been a landfill.

Active Landfills in Ohio, 2014 8,000 Active Landfills in 2013 1,700 Active Landfills in Ohio, 2014 38 Difficulties Finding acceptable places to build landfills Far enough away from residents, close enough to the city producing the waste Increase cost with new safeguards

Incinerators A controlled process in which mixed garbage is burned at very high temperatures. Pollution control removes most pollutants from emissions. Burnable vs. Nonburnable waste is NOT separated Reduces weight of waste by 90% Reduces volume of waste by 75% Ashes are taken to landfill and occupy less space

Benefits & Cost of Incineration Costs Incinerating waste reduces its weight by up to 75% and volume by up to 90%. Toxic ash must be disposed of. Heat from burning trash can be used to generate electricity (waste-to-energy). Dioxins, heavy metals, and PCBs can be created and released by burning waste. Toxic Substances Control Act Incinerator The only U.S. facility permitted to burn certain hazardous wastes

Minimizing Solid Waste

Waste Reduction Methods Substitute disposable goods with reusable ones. Donate unwanted items. Minimize packaging. Reduce use of nonbiodegradable plastic. Design goods to last. Use financial incentives such as “pay as you throw” garbage disposal and “bottle bills.” BUY LESS!!!

Biodegradable Materials Can be broken down by biological processes Natural materials Plant/ animal waste Newspaper Cotton fibers Non-biodegradable Materials Cannot be broken down by natural processes Plastic Nylon Polyester

Problems with Plastics Made from petroleum and natural gas Made of hydrogen/carbon (hydrocarbons) Hydrocarbon chains not found in nature, so they can last for hundreds of years without breaking down

Waste Recovery: Composting Conversion of organic waste into mulch or humus by decomposition Currently 3800 municipal programs in the U.S. Has many benefits, including soil enrichment

Composting Yard waste accounts for 12.9% and food scraps make up 12.4% of the municipal solid waste in the United States Does not have to go to the landfill because they are biodegradable Process of Composting 1) Put yard and food scraps in a closed container 2) Let it sit and mix occasionally 3) Spread on gardens or fields to enrich soil

Benefits of Composting Keeps organic waste out of landfills Provides nutrients to the soil Reduces the need for chemical-based fertilizers Increases beneficial soil organisms, like worms, centipedes

Waste Recovery: Recycling Collection and reprocessing of waste materials Recycling rates among U.S. communities vary from 5 to 50%. Many programs run at a financial loss, but that doesn’t take into account the effects of not recycling. Material Recovery Facilities Recyclables are collected and cleaned for reuse.

Recycling Making products from recycled materials usually saves energy, water and other resources 95% less energy is needed to produce aluminum from recycled aluminum from ore 75% less energy is needed to make steel from scrap than ore 70% less energy is needed to make paper from recycled paper

Hazardous Waste

What is Hazardous Waste? Ignitable: Can catch fire Corrosive: Can damage or destroy metals Reactive: Chemically unstable; can explode or produce fumes when combined with water Toxic: Harmful or fatal when inhaled, ingested, or touched

Sources of Hazardous Waste Industries produce the most hazardous waste, but it is usually highly regulated. Household hazardous waste is unregulated. Paint Batteries Oil Solvents Cleaning Pesticides

Types of Hazardous Waste Organic compounds: Can act as mutagens, carcinogens, teratogens, and endocrine disruptors Heavy metals: Many cause neurological damage over time. Lead, Mercury, Arsenic, Copper E-waste: Contains heavy metals and toxic chemicals, but mostly treated as conventional solid waste

Hazardous Waste Disposal Landfills: Specifically designed to keep hazardous waste contained Most common Surface impoundment: Liquid waste poured into shallow lined pits; water evaporates and solid waste is transported elsewhere Deep-well injection (see diagram on right): Wastes injected into deep, confined porous rock layers

Radioactive Waste Waste that gives off harmful radiation Low-level: Less harmful; produced by hospitals, labs, uranium mines High-level: More harmful; produced by nuclear power plants Difficult to dispose of safely due to long half-lives

Hazardous Waste Regulation Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA): Sets standards for hazardous waste management by states; requires industry to track hazardous material “cradle to grave” Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), or “Superfund” Act: Federal program for cleaning up sites polluted by hazardous waste; culprits held liable for damage caused by their pollution