Solid Waste Ecological Issues Winter 2007

Mobro 4000 March 22, 1987 – 3,168 tons of garbage refused as landfill in Islip, NY Transferred onto the barge Mobro 4000, headed for North Carolina Refused there, traveled 6,000 miles, five states, 3 countries Eventually incinerated in Brooklyn in July, 1987

Municipal Solid Waste MSW – (mostly) non-hazardous waste generated in households, commercial establishments and institutions Does not include industrial process wastes, agricultural wastes, mining wastes, and sewage sludge

MSW We throw away over 200 million tons of MSW each year Average of 4.5 pounds per person, per day

MSW Management Source Reduction/Reuse Recycling Composting Landfills Combustion-to-Energy

Source Reduction Altering the design, manufacture, or use of products and materials to reduce the amount and toxicity of what gets thrown away Grasscycling, backyard composting, transport packaging reduction Prevents emissions of greenhouse gases, reduces pollutants, saves energy Other ways????

Recycling Diverted 79 million tons of material away from disposal in 2005 About 32% of our MSW is recycled, up from 6.5% in 1960!!!! Materials are recycled through curbside pick-up, drop-off programs, buy-back programs and deposit centers

Recycling Benefits Prevents emission of greenhouse gases Saves energy and resources Creates jobs Conserves resources Reduces need for new landfills and combustors recycling benefits

Composting Compost is organic material that can be used as a soil amendment or as a medium to grow plants. Created by combining organic wastes (e.g., yard trimmings, food wastes, manures) in proper ratios High temperatures destroy weed seeds and pathogens

Landfills Number of landfills is steadily decreasing – down from 8,000 in 1988 to 1,654 in 2005 New landfills are much larger New landfills are called “sanitary landfills” and are different than “dumps”

Combustion/Incineration Burning MSW can generate energy while reducing amount of waste by up to 90% Scrubbers must be used to clean emissions Ash must still be disposed of – often contains high levels of toxic materials

Public Education You must take the responsibility to use and dispose of products you buy properly Solid Waste Disposal Act – 1965 –First Federal law to require safeguards Resource Conservation and Recovery Act –Protect human health and environment –Conserve energy and natural resources