Municipal 1.5% Sewage sludge 1% Mining and oil and gas production 75% Industry 9.5% Agriculture 13% Solid and Hazardous Waste U.S. Solid Waste Production

Major Types of Wastes 1) Solid Wastes - sources: mining, fossil fuels, farming, industry, garbage (municipal solid waste) 2) Hazardous Wastes - includes solids/liquids that are toxic, corrosive, cancer-causing, or reactive - most laws only regulate 5% of hazardous wastes

1st Priority2nd PriorityLast Priority Primary Prevention Stop using harmful chemicals Use less harmful products Reduce packaging Make products that are durable, recyclable, and reusable Secondary Prevention Reduce products Repair products Recycle Compost Buy reusable and recyclable products Waste Management Treat waste to reduce toxicity Incinerate waste Bury waste in landfill Release waste into environment for dispersal or dilution Solid Waste Solutions

Landfill 1) Produce Less Waste 2) Convert to Less Hazardous or Nonhazardous Substances 3) Put in Perpetual Storage Manipulate processes to eliminate or reduce production Recycle and reuse Land treatment Incineration Thermal treatment Chemical physical, and biological treatment Ocean and atmospheric assimilation Underground injection Waste piles Surface impoundments Salt formations Arid region unsaturated zone Hazardous Wastes Solutions

What Can You Do? Solid Waste Follow the four R's of resource use: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Purchase only what you need. Rent or borrow goods when you can. Don’t use throwaway items when reusable versions are available. Use in place of paper mail. Read newspapers and magazines online. Buy products in concentrated form.

New Approaches to Industry 1) Resource Exchange Web - closed system where the wastes of one company are used by another company. - acts as a natural ecosystem 2) Service Flow Economy - renting or leasing goods & services - companies collect old products to be refurbished or recycled

Pharmaceutical plant Local farmers Fish farming Cement manufacturer Area homes Wallboard factory Greenhouses Oil refinery Sulfuric acid producer Electric power plant Sludge Waste Heat Waste Heat Waste Heat Waste Heat Waste Heat Surplus Natural gas Surplus Sulfur Surplus Natural gas Waste Calcium sulfate Ash Fly Resource Exchange Solution

Reuse of Materials - allows for: 1) longer life of materials 2) high-quality materials 3) reduction in energy use - examples: - plastic containers instead of plastic bags - borrowing of tools - e-paper – electronic writing system - refillable drink bottles (METAL, NOT Plastic!!)

Aluminum can, used once Steel can used once Recycled steel can Glass drink bottle used once Recycled aluminum can Recycled glass drink bottle Refillable drink bottle, used 10 times Energy (thousands of kilocalories )

Recycling of Materials - two types: 1) Primary (closed loop) - recycling wastes to create same type of original product example: plastic bottle into plastic bottles 2) Secondary (downcycling) - recycling wastes to create different, lower quality products example: plastic bottles into plastic bags

RECYCLING: - reduces pollution - reduces energy demand - reduces waste production - reduces mineral demand WHICH: - saves energy & fuel supplies - reduces habitat destruction - protects species

Recycling: Paper vs. Plastic PAPER: - easiest to recycle- saves energy - reduces air/water pollution- saves landfill space - creates more jobs than tree harvesting - WARNING- recycled paper doesn’t mean recycled!!! - only 10% of recycled paper is postconsumer - most is preconsumer waste PLASTIC: - more durable than paper - more easily reusable - plastics create hazardous wastes - difficult to recycle(many types of plastics)

Dealing with Wastes 1)Detoxifying Wastes - using biological or chemical means to lower toxicity 2)Incineration - burning wastes in a controlled environment 3)Landfills - burying wastes in protected underground areas 4)Exportation - sending wastes to other countries

Topsoil Sand Clay Garbage Sand Synthetic liner Sand Clay Subsoil When landfill is full, layers of soil and clay seal in trash Methane storage and compressor building Electricity generator building Leachate treatment system Methane gas recovery Pipe collect explosive methane gas used as fuel to generate electricity Compacted solid waste Leachate storage tank Leachate monitoring well Leachate monitoring well Groundwater monitoring well Groundwater monitoring well Leachate pipes Leachate pumped up to storage tanks for safe disposal Leachate pumped up to storage tanks for safe disposal Clay and plastic lining to prevent leaks; pipes collect leachate from bottom of landfill Probes to detect methane leaks Groundwater

Advantages No open burning Little odor Low groundwater pollution if sited properly Can be built quickly Low operating costs Can handle large amounts of waste Filled land can be used for other purposes No shortage of landfill space in many areas Disadvantages Noise and traffic Dust Air pollution Releases greenhouse gases unless they are collected Groundwater contamination Slow decomposition of wastes Discourages recycling & waste reduction Sanitary Landfills Trade-Offs

Reduced trash volume Less need for landfills Low water pollution Quick and easy Incineration High cost Air pollution Produces toxic ash Encourages waste production Discourages Recycling and waste reduction AdvantagesDisadvantages

Other things to know: 1)Dangers & Sources of Lead & Mercury - Lead - sources include: pipes, food, toys, paint, ceramics - dangers include: nervous system damage - Mercury - sources include: air(coal, waste incineration), seafood - dangers include: nervous system damage 2) Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA) 3) Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)