Solutions to the Solid-Waste Problem 18.2

Sustainability A huge stream of material flowing in _____ _____________, from resource base to disposal, is NOT sustainable. Natural _______________ depend on recycling of nutrients We are moving toward ______________. Even better-- source _____________.

Source Reduction Goals & Status 1.________________ the amount of waste that must be managed 2._______________ resources Peaked in 1990 at 4.5 lbs/person _________ highest per capita in the world. Consumer spending has continued to grow, but the waste stream has _______________off.

Examples of Source Reduction ____________ the weight of materials _______ = potential to reduce paper waste ____________, rather than buying new, (garage sales, flea markets, etc. ________________ a product’s life (But cheap products don’t usually last) _______________ yard waste. Take your name off _________ _________.

The Recycling Solution More than ______ of MSW is recyclable material. ____________ recycling: a process in which the original waste material is made back into the ____________ material. Ex: newspapers ____________ recycling: process in which materials are made into ___________ _______________ that may or may not be recyclable. Ex: cardboard from newspapers

Why Recycle? 1.It saves ___________ and __________. –Ex: 1 ton of recycled steel cans saves 2,500 lbs. of _______ _______, 1,000 lb. of coal, and more than 5,400 BTUs of energy. 2.It _____________ pollution. For every ton of waste processed, 620 lbs. of CO 2, 30 lbs. of methane, 5 lbs. of CO, 2.5 lbs. of _________________ matter, and other pollutants are eliminated as pollution

What Gets Recycled? Paper and paperboard (45% recovery) –Can be remade into ________ and reprocessed into paper, cardboard, etc. –Finely ground for cellulose for ____________ Most glass (19%) –Crushed, remelted, made into other containers or fiberglass, or “_____________” Some plastic (5.5%) –_______ fibers, outdoor ___________, sheet plastic

What Gets Recycled, Cont… Metals (25%): remelted & ______________ –Saves 90% of energy vs. _________ _______ –Reduces ________ ___________ (we import it) Yard Waste (57%) –Can be composted to produce ____________ Textiles (14.6%) –Shredded & used to __________ recycled paper Old Tires (38%) –Can be remelted or shredded to use in ______ –Can be burned in _________________ facilities

Successful Recycling Programs 1.Pay As You _______ (PAYT) & free recycling 2.____________ recycling with sanctions. 3.____________ recycling with free bins. 4.Drop off sites for __________ materials 5.Ambitious but _______________ goals 6.Effort to involve ________________. 7.___________ and committed coordinator

Recycling Rates

Critics of Recycling Based on __________________ Markets for recyclable materials _______________ wildly. Residents often ____________ recycling. __________ ranges from $20-$135 ton. Critics say: If it doesn’t ____ for itself, don’t do it. Critics don’t take into account ______ _____________ for virgin materials.

Support for Recycling In most areas, _______ of households will recycle if there is _____________ pickup. Percentage up with _____________. –Ex: Dover, New Hampshire –Trash declined from ____ lbs. to ______ lbs/ household –Cost ______________ from $123 to $73/year –City’s solid waste management costs dropped 27% even with ____________ ______________

Paper Recycling Newspapers _______________ waste stream _______ of newspapers recycled 25% of trees harvested in U.S. are for ______ Generally, a 1 meter _____ = pulp from _____ Manufacturers can say product made of recycled paper- even when it is their own ____________. _______________ recycled paper- paper that was used before and brought back to be recycled

Markets for Recycled Paper Improved _________________ = virtually impossible to tell the difference between recycled and virgin paper Fluctuating market –1980s ___________: Cities had to _____ to get rid of newspapers –1995 _____: People would ______ out of recycle bins –Late 90s ______: cities had to pay again, but ______________ than landfill costs Foreign market: –Europe & ______ purchase wastepaper from U.S.

Glass Recycling Nonreturnable ___________ containers = –5.5% of solid waste _______________ –50% of _______________ portion –90% of nonbiodegradable portion of _______ ___________________ Costs (of not recycling) –____________ of materials & ________________ process creates pollution –______________ to clean litter –Broken glass _________ to people and ________

Bottle Laws _____________ on beverage containers: retailers ____________ to accept used containers and pass them along for recycling or reuse Fierce _______________ from beverage and container industries –claim bottle laws = loss of __________ & higher beverage __________ States with bottle laws prove ___________________ –More jobs __________________ than lost –Costs did not rise –Significant _______________ in can & bottle __________

Why _______________ bottle laws not passed –Same opponents say would ____________ recycling But, national bottle law would reach ______ ________________ –States with bottle laws report 80%-_______ return rate

Plastics Recycling Do not ________________ in environment- ____________ unable to digest them. 2 most ____________ recyclable plastics –_________(high density polyethylene) code 2 –________ (polyethylene terephthalate) code 1 Melted down- but some ______________ from original container means can’t make food or beverage containers with it

Critics of Plastics Recycling Recovering plastics more _________ than starting from petroleum derivatives Plastics in landfills create no toxic _____________ or dangerous biogas Plastics ______ ___________ in combustion facilities and leave almost no ash

Materials Recovery Facility MRF or “_____________” Basic _______________ at curbside or at recycling station Waste _________ to MRF & sorted on 3 racks –1st for metal _________ & ______ containers –2 nd for ____________ products –3 rd for ____________

MRF Process Continued… Glass –Sorted by ______ & Crushed into small _______ –Shipped to glass ___________________ Cans –Sorted, ___________________ –Sent to ___________ plant or aluminum process. Plastics- sorted into 4 ______________, sold Paper- –sorted, ___________, sent to repossessing mills

Advantages of MRF Economy of ______________ Ability to make high ___________ end product High Tech MRFs –______________ pulleys –_______________sensors –I___________________ can cut costs

Mixed Waste Processing _________________ waste just as if it were going to the landfill MSW loaded on ______________ belt and sorted for recyclable materials before landfill or combustion ________ in U.S.

Mixed Waste and Yard Trimmings A few facilities ___________ MSW (after removing large items and metals) Often, treated __________ sludge is added- provides rich source of bacteria & nutrients Often _______________ problems Sometimes serious _____________ __________ trimming composting programs more common

Public Policy and Waste Management Chapter 18.3

Public policy: federal legislation and waste management Local governments used to manage ____ MSW –__________ and state agencies now regulate, encourage, and facilitate waste management Solid Waste Disposal Act (_______): gave the Bureau of Solid Waste Management jurisdiction over MSW –Financial and technical, not ________________ ___________ and Recovery Act (1970): gave the EPA jurisdiction over waste management –Directs attention to _____________ programs –Encouraged __________ to develop management programs

More federal legislation Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (________; 1976) –A _____________ (command-and-control) approach –The EPA can ______ dumps and set landfill regulations –Combustion facilities were covered by air pollution and hazardous-waste regulations –States must develop ______________ management plans The Superfund Act (1980): addresses abandoned _______________ Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (1984): the EPA sets _______________ for hazardous wastes –Closer monitoring of all landfill and combustion criteria

Integrated waste management It is not necessary to use only one method of handling MSW –Source reduction, waste-to-energy, combustion, recycling, MRFs, landfills, composting all have ________ –Integrated waste management uses _________ processes Waste reduction: the U.S. produces the most waste –We are a “throwaway society” –True management of MSW begins at ___________ WasteWise: an EPA-sponsored program that partners with local governments, ____________, corporations –Partners design their own waste-reduction programs

The throwaway society

PAYT and EPR PAYT: people pay curbside charges for ____________ MSW –Instead of paying taxes for collection and disposal –Used by 25% of the U.S. population –25%–45% waste reduction –32%–59% increase in recycling –The EPA is a _______________, not regulator EPR: extended product ________________ –Companies take ______ used items and manufacture more _______________ goods –The EPA provides information

Waste disposal issues There will always be MSW –Landfilling will decrease and more MSW will go to WTE ___________ facilities and _______________ Policy makers have opted for _________- term solutions with low political costs –Resulting in long-distance ____________ of MSW Areas required to handle their own trash will find suitable landfill sites and use the best ________________ –People don’t want trash from other areas –It will take an act of ________ to address this problem

Just say no! The Solid Waste Interstate Transportation Act (2009) –Local and state governments could limit or _____________ transportation of out-of-state wastes to landfills It is unfair that states that are working hard on managing their wastes must receive unrestricted wastes from other states Another policy goal: encourage more MSW ______________ –The best way to handle nonrecyclable mixed waste

Recycling and reuse Recycling is the wave of the _____________ Making more _____________ goods is overlooked and underutilized ______________ the disposal of recyclables in landfills and at combustion facilities makes sense –Massachusetts bans yard wastes, metals, glass, paper, and plastics A national _____________ law would be a giant step forward Closing the “recycling _________” would encourage recycling

Closing the recycling loop Set ______________ postconsumer levels of recycled content for newsprint and glass containers Require purchases of certain goods that include recycled products –Even if they are more _____________ Require that all packaging be reusable or made of ___________ materials ______ credits or incentives encourage the use of recycled or recyclable materials in manufacturing Help develop recycling ____________