1. Ch. 19 Waste

2. Stats:
Every year, the US generates more than 10 billion metric tons of solid waste
Solid waste is any discarded solid material Ex. Junk mail, coffee grounds, cars
The amount of solid waste each American produces every year has more than doubled since the 1960s
Many towns are running out of space to dispose of the amounts of waste people create
Today the average person living in the US produces 4.4 pounds of solid waste per day

3. Types of Solid Waste There are two main types of solid waste:
Biodegradable: material that can be broken down by biological processes. Products from natural materials are usually biodegradable. Ex. Newspapers, paper bags, cotton fibers, leather
Non-biodegradable: Material that will not break down under normal biological processes. Ex. Plastic and polyester

4. Landfills More than 50% of our waste in the US ends up in landfills
Landfills are permanent waste disposal facilities where wastes are put in the ground and covered each day with a layer of soil, plastic, or both
One problem with landfills is leachate.
Leachate is a liquid that ha passed through compacted solid waste in a landfill

5. Source reduction
Source reduction is any change in design, manufacture, purchase, or use of materials or products to reduce the amount of toxicity
Ways to reduce solid waste:
Buy less
Make products last longer
Recycling
composting

6. Hazardous Waste
Large quantities of chemicals are produced each year as leftovers from factories, products, & cleaners
Many of these chemicals are a risk to the health of humans or other living things and are called hazardous waste

7. Hazardous wastes can be solids, liquids, or gases and must be disposed of properly to avoid contamination of soil and/or water
Safe disposal of hazardous waste is expensive and some companies may dump illegally.
The Superfund Act passed in 1980 gives the EPA the right to sue those who dump illegally

8. Hazardous Waste Common Household hazardous waste: Motor oil Paints
Pesticides
Batteries
Anti-freeze
Computers
Mobile phones