Trash Talk Municipal Wastes Hazardous Wastes Toxicology

What is Municipal Waste w Sources w Is there a waste cycle? Or is it better described as a waste stream? w What do we discard? w How much do we discard? w What are the trends in waste production?

Municipal Waste w Non Hazardous Waste Biodegradable vs. Non-biodegradable Recyclable vs. non-recyclable Combustible vs. non-combustible w Hazardous Waste Problems Lehigh County: Household Hazardous Waste Pickup

Total U.S. Waste 2003 – by weight

The total amount of solid waste disposal in the United States is increasing more slowly - landfill disposal is decreasing and recycling is increasing.

Waste To Landfills in U.S

Hierarchy of Waste Management

Disposal Methods w Open Dumps w Ocean Dumping w “Sanitary” landfills w Incineration Trash to steam - energy recovery w NIMBY w Exporting waste

Developing Countries – Another Sad Story!

The Three R’s w Reducing w Reusing w Recycling

Reducing Waste Amounts w Packaging - 50% of domestic trash volume w Biodegradable plastics

Reusing w Returnable bottles-15 round trips w “Bottle Bills” - but not PA!! w Used household items

Reusing w Contrast reuse and recycle w What are advantages of reusing? w Why does reusing save energy? Discuss at least one in detail. w Examples of reusable items What do you and your family reuse? Why don’t you reuse more items?

Recycling in the U.S.

Recycling w Dropoff vs. curbside pickup w Advantages - saves resources, energy w Japan’s recycling program w Economics- costs vs. benefits w Creating markets for recycled products w Composting

Recycling w Contrast postconsumer and preconsumer recycling w 30% of U.S. MSW recycled What are key products recycling? What can be composted? What is a materials-recovery facility? w Contrast source separation with mixed urbane waste. Advantages and disadvantages

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) Figure 21-6 Page 535

Why not more recycling w Discuss the following – what is your opinion and why? Markets Tax breaks and subsidies Requiring government purchase (even if more expensive) Making companies responsible for all the wastes they produce

What about E-Waste w What are the issues? Why is this a special problem?

Hazardous Wastes w Flammable or explosive w Corrosive or reactive w Toxic-carcinogenic, mutagenic,teratogenic w Infectious w Radioactive

Hazardous and Toxic Waste w More than one ton per person of officially classified hazardous waste w Biggest sources: chemical and petroleum w 60 million tons does not enter waste stream

Specific Toxics and Threats (547 to 552) w Lead w Mercury w Chlorine w Dioxins

Bulk waste Impervious clay Earth Water table Groundwater Clay cap Gas vent Topsoil Earth Sand Plastic cover Impervious clay cap Leak detection system Reactive wastes in drums Double leachate collection system Plastic double liner Groundwater monitoring well Figure Page 546

Legacy w 5 billion metric tons improperly disposed of between w Dump sites, midnight dumping, railroad yards (and ocean and bay dumping) w 36,000 “seriously contaminated sites” w 1400 on National Priorities List; very few cleaned up (about 100) w Superfund

Legacy of Toxic Waste Disposal w Landfills, warehouses, wells, oceans, waterways, burning, “midnight dumping”, and railroad yards Equals w A toxic nightmare (thanks to our predecessors) w So, along comes CERCLA, the Superfund Act of 1980, and amended, and reauthorized Originally only 1.6 billion dollars

Superfund w What is the purpose of Superfund? w Who is liable? w 1400 sites on the National Priority List And as many as 36,000 seriously contaminated sites :-( How does one get the distinction of an NPL listee? w By 1997: $38 billion, but only 100 sites remediated----WHY?

CERCLA – 1980 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act w The “Superfund Act” w Discuss 4 goals of the act “Polluter-pays principle” Positive and negative impact of this “liability” w National Priorities List – 1900 sites 750 cleaned up w Examples – Pennsylvania SitesPennsylvania Sites In Emmaus – Rodale Manufacturing SiteRodale Manufacturing Site Palmerton Zinc Site

Where are the Sites? w Love Canal w Along Great Lakes and Gulf Coast w Industrialized areas of Northeast

What is a Brownfield? w Potential or actual contaminated sites w Would you purchase or develop them? Liability Degree of purity required w Efforts to encourage development of brownfield areas

What to do with Toxic Waste? w Reduce or eliminate - alter manufacturing processes w Surplus material exchange w Treatments-physical (separation from water) w Chemical processing w Incineration w Bioremediation (genetic engineering!) w Secure landfills w Permanent retrievable storage

RCRA – 1976 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act w Cradle-to-grave system Discuss this w Purpose of law