1. Chapter 24 Solid and Hazardous Waste

2. Overview of Chapter 24 Solid Waste Waste Prevention Hazardous Waste
Types of Solid Waste
Waste Prevention
Reducing the Amount of Waste
Reusing Products
Recycling Materials
Hazardous Waste
Types of Hazardous Waste
Management of Hazardous Waste
Environmental Justice

3. Solid Waste
US generates more solid waste per capita than any other country
2.1kg per person per day
Types of Solid Waste
Municipal solid waste
Solid material discarded by homes, office buildings, retail stores, schools, hospitals, prisons, etc
Relatively small portion of solid waste produced
Non-municipal solid waste
Solid waste generated by industry, agriculture, and mining

4. Composition of Municipal Solid Waste

5. Disposal of Solid Waste
Three methods
Sanitary Landfills
Incineration
Recycling

6. Sanitary Landfill
Compacting and burying waste under a shallow layer of soil
Most common method of disposal

7. Sanitary Landfill Problems Methane gas production by microorganisms
Contamination of surface water & ground water by leachate
Not a long-term remedy
Few new facilities being opened
Closing a full landfill is very expensive

9. Sanitary Landfill Special Problem of Plastic Special Problem of Tires
Much of plastic is from packaging
Chemically stable and do not readily break down and decompose
Special Problem of Tires
Cannot be melted and reused for tires
Made from materials that cannot be recycled
Can be incinerated or shredded

10. Incineration Volume of solid waste reduced by 90%
Produces heat that can make steam to generate electricity
Produce less carbon emissions than fossil fuel power plants (right)

11. Incineration Types of Incinerators Mass burn (below) Modular
Refuse-derived

13. Incinerator Problems Associated with Incineration Yields air pollution
Produce large amounts of ash
Site selection often controversial

14. Composting Includes: Reduces yard waste in landfills
Food scraps
Sewage sludge
Agricultural manure
Yard waste
Reduces yard waste in landfills
Can be sold or distributed to community

15. Waste Prevention Three Goals (1) Reduce the amount of waste
(2) Reuse products
(3) Recycle materials

16. Reducing Waste
Purchase products with less packaging

17. Reducing Waste Source reduction Pollution Prevention Act (1990)
Products are designed and manufactured in ways that decrease the volume of solid waste in the waste stream
Pollution Prevention Act (1990)
Dematerialization
Progressive decrease in the size and weight of a product as a result of technological improvements

18. Reusing Products Refilling glass beverage bottles
Heavier glass that costs more
Japan recycles almost all bottles
Reused 20 times

19. Recycling Materials Every ton of recycled paper saves: Recycle
17 trees
7000 gallons of water
4100 kwatt-hrs of energy
3 cubic yards of landfill space
Recycle
Glass bottles, newspapers, steel cans, plastic bottles, cardboard, office paper

20. Recycling Recycling Paper Recycling Glass US recycles 50%
Many developed countries are higher
Recycling Glass
US recycles 25%
Costs less than new glass
Can be used to make glassphalt (right)

21. Recycling Recycling Aluminum
Making new can from recycled one costs far less than making a brand new one

22. Recycling Recycling Metals other than Aluminum Recycling Plastic
Lead, gold, iron, steel, silver and zinc
Metallic composition is often unknown
Makes recycling difficult
Recycling Plastic
Less than 20% is recycled
Less expensive to make from raw materials

23. Recycling Recycling Tires Few products are made from old tires
Playground equipment
Trashcans
Garden hose
Carpet
Roofing materials
36% of tires are currently recycled to make other products

24. Integrated Waste Management

25. Hazardous Waste
Any discarded chemical that threatens human health or the environment
Reactive, corrosive, explosive or toxic chemicals
Types of Hazardous Waste
Dioxins
PCBs
Radioactive waste

26. Case-In-Point Hanford Nuclear Reservation

27. Management of Hazardous Waste
Chemical accidents
National Response Center notified
Typically involves oil, gasoline or other petroleum spill
Current Management Policies
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976, 1984)
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (1980)

28. Management of Hazardous Waste
Cleaning up existing hazardous waste: superfund program
400,000 waste sites
Leaking chemical storage tanks and drums (right)
Pesticides dumps
Piles of mining wastes
Must be cleaned up

29. Management of Hazardous Waste
Superfund National Priorities List
2006: sites on the list
States with the greatest number of sites
New Jersey (115)
California (93)
Pennsylvania (93)
New York (86)
Michigan (65)

30. Management of Hazardous Waste
Biological Treatment of Hazardous Chemicals
Bioremediation
Phytoremediation
Management the Waste we are Producing Now
(1) source reduction
(2) conversion to less hazardous materials
(3) long-term storage

31. Management of Hazardous Waste
Hazardous Waste Landfill

32. Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice and Ethical Issues
Right of every citizen, regardless of age, race, gender, social class, to adequate protection from environmental hazards
Fundamental human right
Grassroots campaign
Mandating environmental Justice- Federal Level

33. Environmental Justice
International Waste Management
Developed countries sometimes send their waste to developing countries
Less expensive than following laws within the country
Controversial aspect of waste management
Basel Convention (1989)
Restricts international transport of hazardous waste