Solid Waste How much do we make?

Waste Overview: To Know  Main Type of waste generated  Major approaches to Managing Waste  Conventional waste disposal methods  Sanitary landfill  Incineration  Approaches for reducing waste  Managing Industrial solid waste  Managing Hazardous waste

MAIN TYPE OF WASTE Any unwanted material or substance that results from a human activity or process

Types of Solid Waste  Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)  Non-liquid waste that comes from homes, institutions, and small businesses, commonly referred to as “trash” or “garbage”.  Includes everything from paper to food, old appliances, furniture  Industrial Solid Waste  Waste from production of consumer goods, mining, agriculture, and petroleum extraction/refining  Hazardous waste  Solid or liquid waste that is toxic, chemically reactive, flammable, or corrosive  Can include everything from paint and household cleaners to medical waste and industrial solvents

Why Manage Waste? Conserves resources & energy Reduces water & air pollution Saves landfill space Waste = Food  In nature there is no waste  Cradle to cradle design  Product components are recyclable or biodegradable  Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) or Product Stewardship

Total US MSW Generation 2008 (by material) EPA

Each American produces about 4.5 pounds of waste per day. This chart breaks down waste by material (before recycling and composting). Over the past 30 years, the percentage of plastics has grown; glass & metals are decreasing.

Total US MSW Generation 2008 (by material) EPA About 57% of all generated waste is biodegradable (yard trimmings, food scraps, paper). 24 states and hundreds of municipalities now ban yard waste from landfills. Approximately 32% of municipal solid waste is recycled in the US. The Dept. of Environmental Quality estimates about 10% of municipal solid waste is recycled in Oklahoma, however, no state records are kept at this time.

Image: Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Integrated Solid Waste Management A set of plans to manage solid waste Adopted by many governments A means of achieving sustainability

Waste Management Three main components Source reduction Recycling Safe waste disposal

Source Reduction or “Reduce” Minimizing waste at it’s source EPA definition of Source Reduction: the design, manufacture, purchase, or use of materials to reduce their quantity or toxicity before they reach the waste stream including minimizing the production of wastes during any step in the creation or use of a product. Preferred method: Prevents the generation of waste in the first place

Source Reduction or “Reduce” Typically called “source reduction” when done by the manufacturer and “reduce” when done by the consumer. Manufacturer examples: Beverage cans made using a lighter gauge of aluminum; smaller computers, phones, and other electronics; development of concentrated forms of detergent, etc.; reduction of packaging materials; substitution of latex rather than lead paint.

Source Reduction or “Reduce” Consumer examples: Purchase items in bulk; purchase concentrated forms and refill systems; avoid single-serve containers; make double-sided copies; reduce the purchase of unnecessary items and borrow or rent rather than purchasing when possible. Other examples? Backyard composting of yard trimmings & food scraps is reduction (or reuse) because it keeps these items out of the waste stream (not collected at curb).

Source Reduction or “Reduce” 2007 – San Francisco became the first U.S. city to ban non- biodegradable plastic bags.

15 Back-end or Waste-end Charge Imposed on waste at time of disposal Provide financial incentive to reduce, reuse, recycle. Known as unit pricing, or pay-as-you-throw (PAYT), programsunit pricing, or pay-as-you-throw (PAYT), programs Households are charged based on the weight or volume of waste they put out at the curb rather than a flat fee. Real-world usage Used in over 4,000 communities in 43 states Empirical evidence $0.50 per container led to reduction of 3,650 tons/year for a community of 100,000 people (Jenkins 1993)

16 Front-end or Retail Disposal Charge Imposed on the product at point of sale Intended to encourage prevention through source reduction Aimed at a consumption externality

17 Deposit/Refund System Up-front fee imposed on a product at point of sale (like retail disposal charge) Fee is returned if consumer takes proper action to avoid environmental damages Real world examples Australia, Canada, Denmark, Mexico, South Korea, Sweden, and U.S. for beverages Greece, Norway, and Sweden on car hulks

Reuse Prolonging a product’s usable life Repairing items, selling them or donating them to charity Using durable rather than disposable items (i.e. reusable shopping bags, metal spoons) Preferable to recycling because item does not need to be collected/reprocessed

Compare the waste impact of disposable vs. durable goods: shopping bags, cutlery, serving ware, razors, etc. The collection and reprocessing of goods to be recycled is a costly endeavor, which is one reason why reduce and reuse are preferred.

Reuse Very few plastics are recyclable. The numbers on the bottom of plastic containers indicate the resin used to make the plastic. Although, plastic containers and packaging numbered 1-7 are potentially recyclable, most programs only accept #1 & #2 (clear bottles and milk jugs). Plastic cutlery and serving ware are not recycled anywhere in the US.

Metal vs. Plastic Spoon Cost to Purchase:  50 cents for metal vs. one cent for plastic Cost to Produce & Maintain:  Resources (metal, petroleum, water, chemicals, etc.)  Energy used (in extraction, manufacturing, transportation) External Costs:  Pollution (during extraction, manufacturing, transportation)  Disposal (landfill, incineration, litter clean-up) Savings from repetitive use of metal spoon:  Priceless!  One student in school about 200 days per year for 12 years may use 3 metal utensil vs. 7,200 plastic ones ($1.50 vs. $72. plus external costs).

Recycle Taking a product at the end of its useful life and using all or part of it to make another product Benefits: Saves energy, natural resources, and landfill space, reduces pollution, creates jobs and useful products Requires collection, processing, remanufacturing and purchase (Close the Loop!) EPA estimates 75% of our waste is recyclable

Image: Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Waste Disposal Last in the Hierarchy

Conventional Waste Disposal Methods Open dumps Open dumps Ocean Dumping Ocean Dumping Landfills Landfills Exporting Exporting Incinerating Incinerating

Open Dumps Open dumping and waste burning were the acceptable approaches to dealing with MSW until human population and consumption rates increased dramatically in the late 20 th century Open dumping and waste burning were the acceptable approaches to dealing with MSW until human population and consumption rates increased dramatically in the late 20 th century It is still common practice in developing countries It is still common practice in developing countries

Waste Disposal Since the late 1980’s, recovery of materials for recycling expanded significantly. As of 2008, U.S. waste managers were landfilling 54% of MSW, Incinerating 13%, and recovering 33% for composting and recycling.

Waste Disposal Incineration Combustion Combustion Controlled process in which mixed garbage is burned at very high temperatures, reducing original weight by up to 75% and its volume by up to 90% Regular incineration (with out energy capture) is expensive and has environmental and human health consequences.

Waste Disposal Incineration Glass & metals are typically removed before incineration to extend furnace and processing equipment life. Hazardous waste is removed as well as it can be.

Waste Disposal Incineration Drawbacks include Remaining ash contains toxic components that must be disposed of in hazardous waste landfills. Hazardous chemicals, dioxins, heavy metals and PCBs can be created and released into the atmosphere. Particulate matter needs to be physically removed from incinerator emissions and disposed of safely because of fly ash Heavy metals and dioxin

Waste Disposal Resource Recovery Resource Recovery (AKA Waste-to-Energy): Waste is burned to produce energy When burned, waste generates approximately 35% of the energy generated by burning coal. Heat energy used to boil water, creating steam that drives electricity generation.

Waste Disposal Resource Recovery Although pollution controls are strict, some pollution does occur, especially in the burning of plastics and hazardous waste. The environmental and human health impact of this pollution is known, however, we may not fully understand the extent of this impact.

Waste Disposal Landfill Sanitary landfills Sanitary landfills are carefully engineered sites where waste is buried in the ground or piled up in large mounds away from wetlands and earthquake-prone sites. leachate Modern landfills are now lined with impermeable surfaces (plastic and clay) to prevent aquifer or groundwater contamination by leachate (liquid that drains through the waste).

Waste Disposal Landfill Once a landfill reaches capacity it must be closed and monitored for 30 years or longer. Methane gas must be now be collected from landfills and can be used to generate energy, but is usually just burned off.

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act RCRA was enacted in 1976 Sets the standards to be met by all sanitary landfills It also regulates the storage, transportation, treatment, and disposal of hazardous waste, and permitting of these activities. It regulates underground storage tanks, and recycling and procurement of recycled goods.

Waste Disposal Landfill NIMBY syndrome Not in my backyard! Who wants a landfill or incinerator in their neighborhood? Challenge is to fine suitable areas for location.

Waste Disposal Landfill Dry and anaerobic conditions of capped landfills are not conducive environments for bacterial decomposition of the enclosed/buried wastes. Decomposition rates are turning out to be much slower than originally predicted.

Solid waste that is considered neither MSW nor hazardous waste under the U.S. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Managed by state or local governments Industrial Solid Waste

life cycle analysis Seeks to redesign industrial systems to reduce resource inputs and to maximize both physical and economic efficiency by functioning more like ecological systems and completing a product’s life cycle analysis Industrial Ecology

Image: Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Resource depletion, pollution and landfills are not the legacy we want to leave to future generations Recycling/reuse saves precious resources & energy Best solution is to reduce waste in the first place