1. Chapter 24 Solid Waste

2. Waste  US generates more solid waste per capita than any other country –__ kg solid waste/day/person

3. Municipal Solid Waste  Solid materials discarded by homes, offices, retail stores, restaurants, schools, prisons, hospitals etc.

4. Non-municipal Solid Waste  Mining wastes (~___%) agriculture (~___%) and industry (~__%)

5. 4 Ways to get rid of Solid Waste  1) Dump it –_____________. –_____________  2) Bury it –Sanitary landfills –Get __% of waste today –Place waste in a lined hole & cover it each day with thin layer of soil –Landfills lined with leachate –Charges tipping fees to accept wastes

7. 4 Ways to get rid of Solid Waste (cont.)  2) Bury it-Landfills (continued) –Land fill citing needs to consider area’s climate, likelihood of flooding & geology/soil properties/topography –Problems  methane gas generation (including explosivity)  Leachate leaks –Landfills monitored for 30 yrs. after closure

8. 4 Ways to get rid of Solid Waste (cont.)  3) Burn it-Incineration –2 positive aspects- volume of solids reduced by 50% and produces heat that can be captured for energy  Waste to energy incinerators produce substantially less carbon dioxide emissions than equivalent power plants.  Best materials for incineration= paper, plastics, and rubber (glass does not burn, food has high moisture content.)

9. 4 Ways to get rid of Solid Waste (cont.)  3) Burn it-Incineration (continued)  Types of Incinerators- –Mass burn incinerators- –Modular incinerators- –Refuse- derived fuel incinerators-  Problems w/ Incinerators- –Some waste produces toxic chemicals such as paper=dioxins or plastics= polyvinyl chloride

10. 4 Ways to get rid of Solid Waste (cont.)  3) Burn it-Incineration (continued)  Pollution control devices –Lime scrubbers-neutralize acid gas –Electrostatic Ppt-pullout particular & negative charged material  Bottom ash or slag-  Fly ash-ash from the flue (chimney) that is trapped by air pollution control devices

12. 4 Ways to get rid of Solid Waste (cont.)  4) Compost it-compost organic wastes & use it for compost (mixed in soil) or mulch (put on top of the soil)  Product Stewardship-manufacturers assume responsibility for their products from cradle to grave

13. Special Problems  Polymers-plastics composed of repeating carbon compounds –Photodegradable-break down in sunlight –Biodegradable-break down by microorganisms  Problem w/ tire: made of vulcanized rubber which cannot be melted or reused –Fire hazard –Collect water => breeding spot

14. Waste Prevention  1) Reduce amount of waste –Design/manufacture products in such a way to decrease volume of solid & hazardous waste =>source reduction  Dematerialization-progressive decrease in the size & weight of the product as result of technological improvements. –Only results in source reduction if new product is as durable as the one it replaces.  Pollution Prevention Act-law focuses on reduced generation of pollutants at their point of origin

15. Waste Prevention  2) Reuse –Can reuse bottles, clothes, etc. –Bottle reuse has dropped because thicker ones cost more to transport & centralization of bottling facilities make it economically difficult to reuse  3) Recycling –1 ton recycled paper saves: 17 trees, 7,000 gal water, 4,100 Kw/hr energy, & 3 yol3 landfill space

16. Waste Prevention  3) Recycling (continued) –Also generates jobs & revenue (pos.) –Uses energy & creates pollution (neg.)  Problems w/ composite materials waste separation  Average family of 4 recycles >454 kg (1,000 lb) of aluminum, cans, bottles, containers, newspapers, & cardboard.

17. Waste Prevention  3) Recycling (continued)  US recycles __% of municipal solid waste –Paper __% –Glass __% –Aluminum –Metal –Plastic < ___ % –Tires ___%  into tire products  into rubberized asphalt

18. Waste Prevention  3) Recycling (continued)  Cullet- crushed glass used/recycled into new glass products  Aluminum recycling uses a fraction of the energy to make new can  More recycling when economy is strong  Plastic not recycled much as its less costly to make it from raw material  PET is recycled more than any other plastic/polystyrene (Styrofoam) not really recycles

19. Means of Controlling Solid Waste  Fee-per-bag approach  Source reduction  Hazardous Waste –Hazardous or toxic waste- any discarded chemical that threatened human health or the environment  1% of solid waste stream  Materials that are reactive, corrosive, explosive or toxic

20. Hazardous Solid Waste  Examples of hazardous waste:  Dioxins: –By product of chlorine combustion –Hospitals=largest polluters of dioxin; others are hospitals, paper/pulp, coal –Delays fetal development, cognitive damage, decrease sperm production

21. Hazardous Solid Waste  PCBs (Polychlorinated biphenyls) –Group of 209 industrial chemicals composed of carbon, hydrogen & chlorine –Used for cooling fluids, hydraulics fluids, fire retardants, adhesives, lubricants, inks, etc. –Harm skin, eyes, reproductive capacity gastrointestinal system, endocrine disrupters  High temp incineration-effective way to destroy PCBs

22. Means of Controlling Hazardous Solid Waste  ERNS- Emergency Response Notification System  Principle of inherent safety- industrial process are redesigned to involve less toxic materials so that accidents are prevented.

23. Means of Controlling Hazardous Solid Waste  2 Federal laws dictating hazardous waste management:  1) Resource Conservation & Recovery Act - –Identify which waste is hazardous and to provide guide lines & standards in states for hazardous waste management programs (e.g. disposal)  2)Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation & Liability Act (CERCLA)- –Superfund Act- formed to tackle cleaning up hazardous waste sites –Created National Priorities List (NPL) which lists the baddest of the bad –1/5 th of NPL sites are open dumps or sanitary landfills

24. Means of Controlling Hazardous Solid Waste  Primary Responsible Parties- –Current land owner –Prior owners –Anyone who dumped waste on the land –Anyone who transported waste to a particular site  Treatment Options –Excavate & landfill –Bioremediation –Phytoremediation – fixation –Soil gas/vapor extraction –Incineration –Recycling –Soil washing

25. Means of Controlling Solid Waste  3 ways to deal w/ toxic waste 1. Source reduction 2. Conversion to less hazardous material/waste 3. Long-term storage  Environmental Justice –Every citizen, regardless of age, race, gender, social class or other factor is entitled to adequate protection from environmental hazards

26. Means of Controlling Solid Waste  Basel Convention- restricts the international transport of hazardous waste –Allows countries to export hazardous waste only w/ prior consent of importing countries plus any countries through which waste is transported  Integrated Waste Management- using combined techniques of 3Rs to create an over all waste management plan  Voluntary simplicity- recognizing that individual happiness & quality of life are not tied to the accumulation of material goods