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

2. Key Concepts Types and amounts of wastes Methods to reduce waste
Methods of dealing with wastes
Hazardous waste regulation in the US

3. Wasting Resources Industrial and agricultural waste
Municipal solid waste
Fig p. 533
US: 11 billion metric tons/year

4. Producing Less Waste and Pollution
Waste management (high waste approach)
Burying, burning, shipping
Waste prevention (low waste approach)
Reduce, reuse, recycle
Sustainability Six

5. Dealing with Material Use and Wastes
Fig p. 535

6. Solutions: Cleaner Production
Ecoindustrial revolution
Resource exchange webs
Biomimicry
Service-flow economy

7. 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
See Individuals Matter p. 538

8. Reuse Extends resource supplies Saves energy and money
Reduces pollution
Create jobs
Reusable products

9. Recycling Primary (closed-loop) Secondary (open loop)
Preconsumer waste
Postconsumer waste
Fig p. 539

10. Characteristics of Recyclable Materials
Easily isolated from other waste
Available in large quantities
Valuable

11. Benefits of Recycling
Fig p. 541

12. Recycling Methods
Centralized recycling of mixed waste (Materials-Recovery Facilities, MRFs)
Source separation
Pay-as-you-throw (PAUT)

13. 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

14. Burning Wastes Mass burn incineration Air pollution Waste to energy
Fig p. 546

15. Burying Wastes Open dumps Sanitary landfills Leachate collection
Monitoring wells
Emit greenhouse gases (CO2 and methane)

16. Sanitary Landfill
Fig p. 547

17. Sanitary Landfills: Trade-offs
Fig p. 548

18. Hazardous Wastes: Types
Contains at least one toxic compound
Catches fire easily
Reactive or explosive
Corrodes metal containers

19. Not Hazardous Wastes under 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

20. Dealing with Hazardous Wastes
Fig p. 550

21. Detoxifying and Removing Wastes
Physical methods
Chemical methods
Bioremediation
Phytoremediation
Plasma incineration

22. Deep-well Disposal
Fig p. 553

23. Hazardous Waste Landfill
Fig p. 554

24. Surface Impoundments: Trade-offs
Fig p. 553

25. 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

26. Case Studies: Mercury Vaporized elemental Mercury
Fish contaminated with methylmercury
Natural inputs
Emission control
Prevention of contamination

27. Case Studies: Dioxins
Potentially highly toxic chlorinated hydrocarbons
Sources of Dioxins
Waste incineration
Fireplaces
Coal-fired power plants
Paper production
Sewage sludge

28. Hazardous Waste Regulation in the United States
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
(RCRA)
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (Superfund)
National Priority List
Polluter-pays principle

29. Solutions: Achieving a Low-Waste Society
Local grassroots action
International ban on 12 persistent organic pollutants (the dirty dozen)
Precautionary Principle