Solid and Hazardous Waste G. Tyler Miller’s Living in the Environment 14 th Edition Chapter 24 G. Tyler Miller’s Living in the Environment 14 th Edition Chapter 24

Key Concepts  Types and amounts of wastes  Methods to reduce waste  Methods of dealing with wastes  Hazardous waste regulation in the US US: 11 billion metric tons/year

Producing Less Waste and Pollution  Waste management (high waste approach)  Waste management (high waste approach) Burying, burning, shipping  Waste prevention (low waste approach)  Waste prevention (low waste approach) Reduce, reuse, recycle Sustainability Six 1.Consume less. 2.Use less materials and energy by redesigning manufacturing processes and products. 3.Produce less waste and pollution by redesigning manufacturing processes. 4.Develop products that are easily repaired, reused, remanufactured, composted, or recycled. 5.Design products with long lives. 6.Eliminate or reduce unnecessary packaging. – Japan 1990’s Integrated Waste Management – Japan 1990’s

Solutions: Cleaner Production  Ecoindustrial revolution  Resource exchange webs  Biomimicry- (for example, 3M Company’s Pollution Prevention Pays (3P)).  Service-flow economy Solutions: Selling Services Instead of Things  Service-flow economy  Uses a minimum amount of material  Products last longer  Products are easier to maintain, repair, and recycle  Eco-leasing - Xerox Corporation’s document services and Ray Anderson’s INTERFACE company). See Individuals Matter p. 538 Reuse  Extends resource supplies  Saves energy and money  Reduces pollution  Create jobs  Reusable products

Recycling  Primary (closed-loop) -when new products of the same type are created from the waste: new newspaper from old newspaper.  Preconsumer waste / internal waste is generated from a manufacturing process that is recycled.  Secondary (open loop) –downcycling converts waste materials into different products.  Postconsumer waste external waste is generated by consumer use of products. Characteristics of Recyclable Materials  Easily isolated from other waste  Available in large quantities  Valuable

Benefits of Recycling Fig p. 541 Recycling Methods  Centralized recycling of mixed waste (Materials-Recovery Facilities, MRFs) **  Centralized recycling of mixed waste (Materials-Recovery Facilities, MRFs) **  Source separation  Pay-as-you-throw (PAUT)

Case Studies: Wastepaper and Plastics  49% of wastepaper recycled in US  Chlorine-based compound in paper production  10% or less of plastic recycled in US  Plastics can be very difficult to recycle Paper Plastics Plastic recycling is not feasible because of these problems: 1.Plastics are difficult to isolate in different materials. 2.Not much individual plastic resin is recoverable per product. 3.Recycled resin is much more expensive than virgin plastic resin. Some success with plastics –building materials Some success with plastics –building materials Paper Recycling

Burning Wastes  Mass burn incineration  Air pollution  Waste to energy Japan’s Incineration program Japan’s Incineration program Burying Wastes  Open dumps  Sanitary landfills Leachate collection Monitoring wells Emit greenhouse gases (CO 2 and methane) that can be collected  Sanitary landfills Leachate collection Monitoring wells Emit greenhouse gases (CO 2 and methane) that can be collected Waste-to-Energy

Burying Wastes Fresh kills: before and after

Hazardous Wastes: Types  Contains at least one toxic compound  Catches fire easily  Reactive or explosive  Corrodes metal containers Not Hazardous Wastes under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)  Radioactive wastes  Household wastes  Mining wastes  Oil and gas drilling wastes  Liquids containing organic hydrocarbons  Cement kiln dust  <100 kg (220 lb) per month

Detoxifying and Removing Wastes  Bioremediation **  Bioremediation **  Phytoremediation  Plasma incineration **  Plasma incineration **  Physical methods  Chemical methods

Deep-well Disposal Hazardous Waste Landfill Surface Impoundments: Examples: Love Canal Times Beach Netherlands’ Successful Hazardous Waste Program & Hazardous Waste Reduction Netherlands’ Successful Hazardous Waste Program & Hazardous Waste Reduction Clean up vs. Prevention

Case Studies: Lead  Lead poisoning major problem in children Primary Sources of Lead  Leaded gasoline (phased out by 1986)  Lead paint (banned in 1970)  Lead in plumbing  Progress is being made in reducing lead

Case Studies: Mercury  Vaporized elemental Mercury  Fish contaminated with methylmercury Minamata Bay  Fish contaminated with methylmercury Minamata Bay  Natural inputs  Emission control  Prevention of contamination Minamata Bay Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification

Case Studies: Dioxins  Waste incineration  Fireplaces  Coal-fired power plants  Paper production Sources of Dioxins  Sewage sludge Examples: Love Canal Times Beach

Hazardous Waste Regulation in the United States  Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulates about 5% of the U.S. hazardous waste.  Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulates about 5% of the U.S. hazardous waste.  Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA - Superfund) was passed in The law identifies hazardous waste sites. 2.The law provides for cleanup of these sites on a priority basis. 3.The worst sites go on a National Priorities List (NPL) and are scheduled for total cleanup. 4.There are, also, laws that provide for cleaning up brownfields and abandoned sites contaminated with hazardous wastes like factories, gas stations, junkyards, etc.  Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA - Superfund) was passed in The law identifies hazardous waste sites. 2.The law provides for cleanup of these sites on a priority basis. 3.The worst sites go on a National Priorities List (NPL) and are scheduled for total cleanup. 4.There are, also, laws that provide for cleaning up brownfields and abandoned sites contaminated with hazardous wastes like factories, gas stations, junkyards, etc.  National Priority List  Polluter-pays principle

Solutions: Achieving a Low-Waste Society Local grassroots action The NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) philosophy has been replaced by most of citizens with the NOPE principle—Not On Planet Earth or ‘not in anyone’s backyard.’ There are four principles for transitioning to a low-waste society. 1.Everything is connected. 2.There is no place to send wastes “away.” 3.Diluting waste is not the solution to pollution. 4.The best solution is to prevent waste and pollution and, then, reuse/recycle the materials that we use. 5.It is necessary to detoxify the U.S. economy. Local grassroots action The NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) philosophy has been replaced by most of citizens with the NOPE principle—Not On Planet Earth or ‘not in anyone’s backyard.’ There are four principles for transitioning to a low-waste society. 1.Everything is connected. 2.There is no place to send wastes “away.” 3.Diluting waste is not the solution to pollution. 4.The best solution is to prevent waste and pollution and, then, reuse/recycle the materials that we use. 5.It is necessary to detoxify the U.S. economy. International ban on 12 persistent organic pollutants (the dirty dozen) In 2000, a global treaty to control twelve persistent organic pollutants (POPs) was developed. To be made effective, fifty countries must ratify the treaty. (1)POPs are toxic chemicals stored in the fatty tissue of humans and other organisms. (2)Twelve chemicals, the dirty dozen, need to be phased out, detoxified, and/or isolated. International ban on 12 persistent organic pollutants (the dirty dozen) In 2000, a global treaty to control twelve persistent organic pollutants (POPs) was developed. To be made effective, fifty countries must ratify the treaty. (1)POPs are toxic chemicals stored in the fatty tissue of humans and other organisms. (2)Twelve chemicals, the dirty dozen, need to be phased out, detoxified, and/or isolated. Precautionary Principle