1. 1 Solid and Hazardous Waste Chapters 22 Living in the Environment, 11 th Edition, Miller

2. Learning Targets As life in many countries has become increasingly dependent on disposable items, the generation of solid waste has become more of a problem for both the natural and human environments. define waste generation from an ecological and systems perspective describe how each of the three Rs—Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle—as well as composting can avoid waste generation explain the implications of landfills and incineration understand the problems associated with the generation and disposal of hazardous waste present a holistic approach to avoiding waste generation and to treating solid waste 2

3. 3 Today, there is still no definitive answer as to whether the paper cup or the polystyrene cup causes less harm to the environment.

4. The Throw-Away Society After WWII the rapid population growth led to consumption and cultural changes, leading to purchases of disposable and “labor saving” household appliances. The United States became the leader of what came to be known as the “throw-away society” due to changes in production of materials. 4

5. 5 Wasting Resources United States ~60% from residences ~40% from commercial & institutional facilities

6. 6 Wasting Resources Other countries Japan: Average of 2.4 lbs/day Estimate for the developing world is 1.2 lbs per person per day Estimate for developed world is 1.8- 4.8 lbs per person per day

7. 7 Solid Waste Source Reduction Reuse Recycling Composting Landfills Hazardous Waste Superfund Sites

8. 8 Solid Waste 98.5% from: Mining Oil and gas production Agriculture Sewage treatment Industry 1.5% is municipal solid waste (MSW)

9. 9 Solid Waste Problems Disease (Rodent and pest reduction) Fire potential Decrease in the aesthetic quality of the environment www2.tltc.ttu.edu/jackson/solid%20waste.ppt

10. 10 Municipal Solid Waste MSW—more commonly known as trash or garbage - consists of everyday items that enter the waste stream such as: Product packaging Grass clippings Furniture Clothing Bottles Food scraps Newspapers Appliances Paint Batteries http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/facts.htm

11. Composition and sources of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the United States. (a) The composition, by weight, of MSW in the United States in 2008 before recycling. Paper, food, and yard waste comprise more than half of the MSW by weight. (b) The major sources, by weight, of MSW in the United States. Containers and packaging comprise almost one-third of MSW. [After U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, MSW Generation, Recycling and Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures for 2008.]

12. 12 Garbage does not just go ‘away’ Garbage on beaches and in the ocean is dangerous to marine organisms and people. -Plastics -Medical waste -Dumping of waste into the oceans (‘70s-’80s dumping off the coasts of US received increased attention and public outcry) -Today dumping is more of problem of developing countries where there is a lack of political mechanism and economic ability to manage garbage disposal properly

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15. 15 Agriculture Waste Livestock produce sewage 200,000 hens, 1200 head of cattle in a feedlot, & 10,500 hogs may produce as much waste as 20,000 people In the U.S., there are 337 million hens, 96.1 million head of cattle & 58.7 million hogs which produce twice as much sewage as all the humans in the U.S.

16. 16 MSW Several MSW management practices prevent or divert materials from the waste stream: Source reduction Reuse Recycling Composting http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/facts.htm

17. 17 Solid Waste Source Reduction ReuseRecyclingCompostingLandfills Hazardous Waste Superfund Sites

18. 18 Source Reduction An approach to reduce waste by reducing, in the early stages of design and manufacture, the use of materials, toxic and otherwise – destined to become MSW.

19. 19 Source Reduction May be as complex as redesigning a product use less raw material in production have a longer life be used again after its original use is completed Source reduction actually prevents the generation of waste in the first place, it is the most preferable method of waste management and goes a long way toward protecting the environment http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/facts.htm

20. 20 Source Reduction Since 1977, the weight of 2-liter plastic soft drink bottles has been reduced from 68 grams each to 51 grams That means that 250 million pounds of plastic per year has been kept out of the waste stream

21. 21 Solid Waste Source Reduction Reuse Recycling Composting Landfills Hazardous Waste Superfund Sites

22. 22 Reuse Reuse of a soon-to-be-discarded product or material, rather than disposal, allows a material to cycle within a system longer before becoming an output. Repair, donate, sell, repurpose, upcycle, craigslist, freecycle

23. 23 Ways to Reuse  Using durable coffee mugs  Using cloth napkins or towels  Refilling bottles  Donating old magazines or surplus equipment  Reusing boxes  Turning empty jars into containers for leftover food  Purchasing refillable pens and pencils  Participating in a paint collection and reuse program

24. 24 Solid Waste Source Reduction Reuse Recycling Composting Landfills Hazardous Waste Superfund Sites

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27. 27 Recycling requires time, processing, cleaning, transporting, and possible modification before the waste is usable as raw material, it does require more energy than reducing or reusing materials. Today, the goal in most recycling programs is to maximize diversion from the landfill, even if that means collecting materials that have less economic value.

28. 28 http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/mswdata.htm

29. 29 Benefits of Recycling Prevents the emission of many greenhouse gases and water pollutants Saves energy, supplies valuable raw materials to industry Creates jobs Stimulates the development of greener technologies Conserves resources for our children’s future Reduces the need for new landfills and combustors Reduce greenhouse gas emissions that affect global climate

30. 30 http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/mswdata.htm

31. 31 Solid Waste Source Reduction Reuse Recycling Composting Landfills Hazardous Waste Superfund Sites

32. 32 Composting Composting is the controlled biological decomposition of organic matter, such as food and yard wastes, into humus, a soil-like material. Organic materials take up space and are unstable, which in the absence of oxygen, they produce methane. Composting is nature's way of recycling organic wastes into new soil used in vegetable and flower gardens, landscaping, and many other applications.

33. 33 Benefits of Composting Keeps organic wastes out of landfills Provides nutrients to the soil Increases beneficial soil organisms (e.g., worms and centipedes) Suppresses certain plant diseases Reduces the need for fertilizers &pesticides Protects soils from erosion Assists pollution remediation

34. 34 Solid Waste Source Reduction Reuse Recycling CompostingLandfills Hazardous Waste Superfund Sites

35. 35 Landfills Holes dug in ground for sand, soil, rock, etc. then fill hole with waste = landfill Initially, there were few concerns about what material went into a landfill. Didn’t realize components of the MSW could generate harmful runoff and leachate—the water that leaches through the solid waste and removes various chemical compounds with which it comes into contact. Didn’t realize that landfills cause harm to landscape such as aquifers, rivers, streams, drinking water supplies, and human habitation.

36. What to consider when designing a landfill? Slope & terrain Soil depth Soil type and permeability Groundwater (depth to aquifer system) Gas migration (potential explosive gases) Nearby Wells, Mines & Quarries (can cause rupturing of liner systems) Other (access, zoning/land use, location, residences, natural features, airports, nature preserves, etc.) 36

37. 37 Federal Landfill Standards Location restrictions ensure that landfills are built in suitable geological areas away from faults, wetlands, flood plains, or other restricted areas Liners are geomembrane or plastic sheets reinforced with two feet of clay on the bottom and sides of landfills

38. 38 Modern Landfills

39. 39 Landfills Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), landfills that accept MSW are primarily regulated by state, tribal, and local governments EPA, however, has established national standards these landfills must meet in order to stay open The number of landfills in the United States is steadily decreasing—from 8,000 in 1988 to 2,300 in 1999 The capacity, however, has remained relatively constant New landfills are much larger than in the past

40. 40 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) was enacted by Congress in 1976 and amended in 1984. The act's primary goal is to protect human health and the environment from the potential hazards of waste disposal. In addition, RCRA calls for conservation of energy and natural resources, reduction in waste generated, and environmentally sound waste management practices.

41. Landfill Design The bottom liner may be layers of clay or other synthetic material (clay, plastic, or composite), which is placed on compacted soil. The bottom of the landfill is sloped and pipes along the bottom collect leachate. This leachate collections system must be very carefully planned and built by engineers. It is usually a system of pipes. (These pipes are among a gravel and sand layer.) The leachate is then pumped away and treated at a plant. Trash is dumped onto the landfill and consistently layered with soil to promote safer and better decomposition. A cover is placed over the landfill to keep water out (to prevent eventual leachate formation). Landfills also must have a system to dispose of methane gas. The structure of this system must be carefully engineered.

42. Landfill Design

43. 43 Federal Landfill Standards Operating practices such as compacting and covering waste frequently with several inches of soil help reduce odor; control litter, insects, and rodents; and protect public health. Groundwater monitoring requires testing groundwater wells to determine whether waste materials have escaped from the landfill.

44. 44 Federal Landfill Standards Closure and post-closure care include covering landfills and providing long-term care of closed landfills. Corrective action controls and cleans up landfill releases and achieves groundwater protection standards. Financial assurance provides funding for environmental protection during and after landfill closure (i.e., closure and post-closure care).

45. Landfill Problems Always the possibility of lechate contamination https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC1u6 rJkyzA How much damage can the lechate do to human health Methane released into atmosphere adds to greenhouse gases due to anaerobic respiration https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMrZ3XOV O-c 45

46. The good news about landfills and methane http://vimeo.com/34910699 Remember that PWC’s landfill opened more engines to produce ~65% more electricity from the methane from the landfill than it already does. 46

47. Incineration Process of burning waste materials to reduce their volume and mass and sometimes to generate electricity or heat Efficient incinerators operating under ideal conditions may reduce the volume of solid waste by 90% and the weight by 75% 47

48. Incineration 48

49. 49 Solid Waste Source Reduction ReuseRecyclingCompostingLandfills Hazardous Waste Superfund Sites

50. 50 Household Hazardous Waste Common household items such as paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides contain hazardous components Labels – danger, warning, caution, toxic, corrosive, flammable, or poison identify products that might contain hazardous materials Leftover portions of these products are called household hazardous waste (HHW) These products, if mishandled, can be dangerous to your health and the environment

51. 51 HW Facts and Figures Americans generate 1.6 million tons of HHW per year The average home can accumulate as much as 100 pounds of HHW in the basement and garage and in storage closets During the 1980s, many communities started special collection days or permanent collection sites for handling HHW In 1997, there were more than 3,000 HHW permanent programs and collection events throughout the United States

52. 52 Proper Handling The best way to handle HHW is to reduce the amount initially generated by giving leftover products to someone else to use To deal with household hazardous waste, many communities have set up collection programs to prevent HHW from being disposed of in MSW landfills and combustors – Glendale These programs ensure the safe disposal of HHW in facilities designed to treat or dispose of hazardous waste More than 3,000 HHW collection programs exist in the United States

53. 53 Benefits Proper HHW Management Reduction and recycling of HHW conserves resources and energy that would be expended in the production of more products Reuse of hazardous household products can save money and reduce the need for generating hazardous substances Proper disposal prevents pollution that could endanger human health and the environment

54. 54 Solid Waste Source Reduction ReuseRecyclingCompostingLandfills Hazardous Waste Superfund Sites

55. 55 About Superfund Years ago, people were less aware of how dumping chemical wastes might affect public health and the environment. On thousands of properties where such practices were intensive or continuous, the result was uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites, such as abandoned warehouses and landfills.

56. 56 About Superfund Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as the Superfund act (1980) Imposes a tax on the chemical and petroleum industries (tax funds cleanup of abandoned and non-operating hazardous waste sites when a responsible party cannot be established) Authorizes federal government to respond directly to the release or threatened release of substances that may pose health or environmental threats

57. 57 Superfund Legislation Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liabilities Act (CERCLA); 1980 “Superfund” to clean up abandoned sites Hazard Ranking System (HRS) National Priority List (NPL) Reauthorized in 1986 (SARA)

58. 58 Intended as a solution to those previously contaminated sites with no- one to pay (no PRPs) Two levels Emergency response immediate threat to human health or environment Long term remediation if Hazard Ranking System (HRS) shows a score over 27.5, it is added to the National Priorities List (NPL) for Superfund cleanup 1300 sites on NPL in 1990, more to come

59. U.S. Superfund Sites 59

60. Love Canal, NY Best known superfund site Was a hazardous waste landfill covered with fill and topsoil and used for a school and housing development location ~1978-1980 cancer-causing wastes seeped into the basements of homes in the area 1983 deemed a superfund site and the inhabitants were evacuated Cleaned up by 1994 60

61. Brownfields The Superfund designation is reserved strictly for those locations with the highest risk to public health. In 1995 the EPA created the Brownfields Program to assist state and local governments in cleaning up contaminated industrial and commercial land that did not achieve conditions necessary to be in the Superfund category. Brownfields are contaminated industrial or commercial sites that may require environmental clenanup before they can be redeveloped or expanded. Old factories, gas stations, industiral areas, landfills, rail yards, dry cleaners. 61 What might be some examples of brownfields?

62. 62 The Baird & McGuire Site is ranked by the EPA as the 14th worst site in the nation out of over 2,000 Superfund sitesBaird & McGuire

63. 63 Local Superfund Sites Woodbridge Research Facility Washington National Airpot Potomac Yard Site http://www.epa.gov/reg3 hwmd/super/va.htm

64. 64 HW Ch 21 read ch and answer questions pg. 494 Practice Quiz 1-10, and questions below 1.) Create a simple diagram of a sanitary landfill, highlighting the important features used to protect the environment. 2.) Explain the health threat posed by incinerator emissions. List three sources of emissions that could be recycled instead. 3.) Differentiate between the health effects posed by hazardous and toxic wastes