Chapter 18.2 Solutions to the Solid Waste Problem source reduction defined by EPA as “the practice of designing, manufacturing, purchasing, or using materials (such as products or packaging) in ways that reduce the amount or toxicity of trash created” accomplishes two goals: 1. reduces amount of waste 2. conserves resources amount of waste per person reached peak of 4.5 pounds in 1990

examples of source reduction reducing the weight of many items has reduced the amount of materials used in manufacturing disposable diapers contain 50% less paper pulp aluminum cans contain 1/3 of the aluminum they had 15 years ago electronic communication and data storage has reduced paper consumption

examples of source reduction reducing the weight of many items has reduced the amount of materials used in manufacturing disposable diapers contain 50% less paper pulp aluminum cans contain 1/3 of the aluminum they had 15 years ago electronic communication and data storage has reduced paper consumption

examples of source reduction resale and reuse of durable goods (furniture, appliances, rugs) products are designed to last longer and repaired more easily increase in backyard composting

recycling more than 75% of MSW is recyclable two levels: primary—process in which the original waste material is made back into the same material secondary—waste materials are made into different products that may or may not be recyclable

reasons to recycle saves energy and resources Ex. one ton of recycled steel cans saves 2500 lb of iron ore, 1000 lb of coal, and more than 5400 BTU of energy Ex. one ton of recycled paper saves 17 trees, 6953 gallons of water, 463 gallons of oil, and 4000 kilowatts of energy decreases pollution Ex. making recycled paper requires 64% less energy and generates 74% less air pollution and 35% less water pollution than wood from trees

what gets recycled paper (48% recovery) glass (19% recovery) plastic (5.2% recovery) aluminum (22% recovery) yard waste (56% recovery) old tires (36% recovery)

municipal recycling 6.7% of MSW recycled in 1960 compared to 30.6% in 2003 diversity of recycling programs in U.S., ranging from curbside pickup to centers miles from residents’ homes keys to successful programs: 1. incentive 2. mandatory regulations 3. curbside pickup 4. drop-off sites for bulky items 5. effort is made to include local industries

paper recycling paper is most important item in waste stream easy to handle amount recovered is increasing rapidly 83% of newspaper is recovered since 25% of trees harvested in U.S. are used for paper, recycling saves trees key term in purchasing paper is “postconsumer” much paper is wasted in the manufacturing process, then rerouted to back into processing market is critical factor in paper recycling at times, cities have had to pay to have newspapers hauled away (still cheaper than landfill fees), while other times the paper has been very valuable lively international trade

glass recycling nonreturnable glass containers make up 5.3% of solid waste in the U.S. and about 50% of the nonburnable portion; also make up a large portion of roadside litter both the mining of materials and process used to manufacture beverage containers create pollution

bottle laws facilitate the recycle or reuse of beverage containers while every state has proposed bottle laws at some point, only 11 have passed in every case, the proposals have met fierce opposition from beverage and container industries, as well as other special interest groups in states with bottle laws, 75% of containers are returned repeated attempts have been made to pass a national bottle law opponents argue that law would threaten recent successes in curbside recycling

plastic recycling plastics have bad reputation in environmental debate have many uses that involve rapid use and disposal (packaging, bottles, cheap consumer goods) conspicuous in MSW and litter do not decompose only two states with bottle laws include bottled water and other noncarbonated beverages only 1 in 6 bottles were recycled in 2004

PETE and HDPE two recyclable plastics most commonly used: 1. PETE (polyethylene terephthalate; #1) when recycled, turned into carpets, jackets, and new PETE bottles 2. HDPE (high density polyethylene; #2) when recycled, used in sheet plastic and recycling bins in recycling process, plastics must be melted down and poured into molds; some contaminants from original containers may carry over critics argue that recycling plastic is more expensive than starting over from scratch

regional recycling basic sorting takes place when waste is collected waste is then trucked to materials recovery facility (MRF) and materials are moved through facility by escalators and conveyor belts, where workers inspect and sort further glass is sorted by color, cleaned, crushed into small pebbles, then shipped to glass companies where the recover raw materials (sand and soda ash) cans are sorted, flattened, and sent to detinning plants or aluminum processing facilities paper is sorted, baled, and sent to reprocessing mills plastics are sorted based on color and type of polymer

Chapter 18.3 Public Policy and Waste Management key pieces of federal legislation: Solid Waste Disposal Act (1965)—first attempt by Congress to regulate waste Resource Recovery Act (1970)—gave jurisdiction over waste management to EPA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976)— gave EPA power to close local dumps and set regulations for landfills Superfund Act (1980)—addressed hazardous waste sites

integrated waste management source reduction, waste-to-energy combustion, recycling, materials recovery facilities, landfills, and composting all have roles to play in waste management EPA sponsors WasteWise program which establishes partnerships with schools, local governments, and businesses to reduce waste EPA’s PAYT program encourages “unit pricing” which charges customers for waste they dispose

Solid Waste Interstate Transportation Act introduced in 2005 to give local and state governments the authority to limit or prohibit the import out-of-state wastes