1. Solid and Hazardous Waste
Chapter 24
Solid and Hazardous Waste

2. Solid Waste
US produces most per capita solid waste = 4.4 lbs per person per day
229 million tons per year (and increasing per year!)

3. Solid Waste
Types of Solid Waste

4. Solid Waste
Disposal of Solid Waste

5. Solid Waste
Disposal of Solid Waste
Sanitary Landfills

6. Solid Waste Disposal of Solid Wastes Sanitary Landfills
Problems Associated with Sanitary Landfills
Methane gas production
Surface water / ground water contamination
Not a long-term remedy
Even when closed, considerable cost

7. Solid Waste Disposal of Solid Wastes Sanitary Landfills
The Special Problem of Plastic
Shear amount is staggering
Do not readily breakdown

8. Solid Waste Disposal of Solid Wastes Sanitary Landfills
The Special Problem of Tires
Made from materials that cannot be recycled
Can be incinerated

9. Solid Waste Disposal of Solid Wastes Incineration
CO2 emissions per kwatt-hour of electricity production

10. Solid Waste Disposal of Solid Waste Incineration Types of incinerators
Mass burn
Modular
Refuse-derived

11. Solid Waste
Mass burn incinerator

12. Solid Waste Disposal of Solid Waste Incineration
Problems Associated with Incineration
Always some air pollution
Produce large amounts of ash
Site selection often controversial

13. Solid Waste Disposal of Solid Waste Composting
Reduces yard waste in landfills
Can be sold or distributed to community

14. Waste Prevention
Three goals:
1) Reduce
2) Reuse
3) Recycle

15. Waste Prevention Reducing the Amount of Waste: Source Reduction
Pollution Prevention Act (1990)
Dematerialization

16. Waste Prevention Reusing Products Refilling glass beverage bottles
What are some other products that can easily be reused or ways that you reuse products?

17. Waste Prevention Recycling Material
Solid waste produced by average family of four in one year in US

18. Waste Prevention
Glassphalt
Recycling Material
Paper
Glass

19. Waste Prevention
Recycling Material
Paper
Glass
Aluminum

20. Waste Prevention Recycling Material Paper Glass Aluminum
Metals Other Than Aluminum
Plastics

21. Waste Prevention Recycling Material Paper Glass Aluminum
Metals Other Than Aluminum
Plastic
Tires

22. Waste Prevention
Integrated Waste Management

23. Hazardous Waste
Examples:

24. Hazardous Waste Types of Hazardous Waste Dioxins
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
Radioactive material

25. Drums of low-level nuclear waste
Hazardous Waste
Case-in-Point: Hanford Nuclear Reservation
Drums of low-level nuclear waste

26. Hazardous Waste Management of Hazardous Waste Chemical Accidents
National Response Center notified
Petroleum spills most common
Current Management Policies
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976, 1984)
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (1980)

27. Old toxic waste dump site
Hazardous Waste
Management of Hazardous Waste
Cleaning Up Existing Toxic Waste: The Superfund Program
Cleanup
Old toxic waste dump site

28. Hazardous Waste Management of Hazardous Waste
Cleaning Up Existing Toxic Waste: The Superfund Program
Superfund National Priorities List (2002)
1234 sites currently listed
259 removed from list
656 partially cleaned

29. Hazardous Waste Management of Hazardous Waste
The Biological Treatment of Hazardous Contaminants
- Bioremediation
- Phytoremediation

30. Hazardous Waste Management of Hazardous Waste
Managing the Toxic Waste We Are Producing Now
1) Source reduction
2) Conversion to less hazardous materials
3) Long-term storage

31. Hazardous Waste
Hazardous waste landfill

32. Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice and Ethical Issues
Rights of poor / disenfranchised vs. rights of rich & powerful
Mandating Environmental Justice at the Federal Level
Federal agencies supposed to develop strategies to ensure nondiscrimination against poor and minorities.

33. Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice and International Waste Management
Basel Convention Treaty (1989)

34. Changing Attitudes
US needs to move away from being a throwaway society.
There is a need to embrace voluntary simplicity.
What are some ways that you could demonstrate voluntary simplicity in your actions?