1. Waste Generation and Waste Disposal

2. Waste Waste – nonuseful products generated within the system
throw-away society
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)
- everyday items that we use and then throw
away (“trash, garbage”)
- waste stream
Waste stream – all products wear out, lose their value, or are discarded; this is the flow of solid waste that is recycled, incinerated, placed in a solid waste landfill or disposed of in another way

3. A – before recycling, paper makes up the majority of MSW
B – containers and packaging make up the largest for MSW that is typically used once

4. The Three R’s “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” Reduce
a. optimal way of achieving a reduction in
solid waste generation
b. source reduction
* Used to divert materials from the waste stream

5. Reuse
a. allows material to cycle within a system
longer before becoming an output
b. no additional energy or resources needed
Recycle
a. MSW collected and converted into new objects
b. closed-loop
- aluminum cans
c. open-loop
- plastic bottles into fleece jackets
d. requires more energy than the other R’s
e. last choice among the 3 R’s

6. a. used for organic matter b. allows for controlled decomposition
Compost
a. used for organic matter
b. allows for controlled decomposition
c. produces material that enhances soil
structure, CEC, and fertility
d. layer dry (brown) with wet (green) material,
rotate regularly
- provides ideal C:N ratio
If you put organic material in landfill, it decomposes anaerobically producing methane (CH4)

7. Landfills and Incineration
a. hold MSW with very little contamination of
the surrounding environment

8. a. clay or plastic lining at the bottom b. pipes collect leachate
Structure of landfill
a. clay or plastic lining at the bottom
b. pipes collect leachate
c. soil or clay is used to cover landfill when
it reaches it’s capacity (can be reclaimed)
d. must control inputs
e. “tipping fee”
1. economic
incentive
2. recyclables
- no charge
Rainfall or other water inputs is minimized because excess water can lead to anaerobic decomposition at a greater rate releasing larger amounts of methane
Leachate that is not captured by the pipes can possible leach into nearby soils and groundwater
Inputs
a. best materials are ones that have the least possible impact on the environment meaning they are least likely to generate leachate and produce methane
b. aluminum and copper should never go into a landfill
c. glass and plastics are good as long as they are not able to be recycled or reused
d. anything with large amounts of metals cannot be in landfill

9. Landfill siting
a. soil rich in clay
b. located away from sources of water and
drinking supplies
c. far from population centers
d. consider amount of energy needed to get
trucks there

10. Problems with landfills
a. global problem – locating near populations
that do not have the resources to object
b. leachate contaminating water
c. methane (CH4)
- explosion hazard
- can be used to generate electricity
Landfills

11. Incineration
a. burning waste to reduce volume and mass
c. occasionally used for electricity
d. volume – 90%
weight – 75%

12. Structure of waste-to-energy incinerator a. MSW “tipped” onto platform
b. transferred to furnace
c. waste converted into CO2 and H2O and
released into atmosphere
d. ash
- fly ash
- bottom ash
Ash can be disposed of but is dependent upon its concentration of toxic metals such as lead and cadmium.
Ash can be used to fill in road construction as well as an ingredient in cement blocks and cement flooring
If the heat isn’t released into the atmospere it is considered waste-to-energy

13. Problems with Incinerator
a. tipping fees charged
b. produce ash (very toxic)
c. require large amounts of MSW in order to
burn efficiently

14. Hazardous Waste
“liquid, solid, gaseous, or sludge waste material that is harmful to humans or ecosystems”
Textile production, cleaning of machinery, manufacturing of computer equipment
* Only about 5% of hazardous waste produced is recycled in the US.

15. Handling hazardous waste
a. must be treated before disposal
b. treatment
1. making it less harmful to environment
2. altered through series of chemical
procedures
c. best option: substitute for other products
or use less of product

16. Legislative action to hazardous waste
a. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
- protect human health and natural environment
by reducing/eliminating the generation of
hazardous waste
- EPA maintains list of hazardous wastes used by
businesses, track it for proper disposal
- modified by Hazardous and Solid Waste
Amendment (HSWA) to encourage waste
minimization and phase out disposal of
hazardous waste on land; also increased law
enforcement authorities (punishment)

17. b. Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)
- “Superfund Act”
- imposes tax on chemical and petroleum industries
- revenue from tax used to cleanup abandoned and
nonoperating hazardous waste sites
- authorizes federal government to response directly to
release of substances that may pose a threat to human
health or environment
- EPA maintains National Priorities List (NPL) of
contaminated sites that are eligible for cleanup funds
* Superfund Site – Love Canal, New York
Love Canal
Originally a landfill for hazardous waste and was filled and then used for a school and housing development
later on there were large number of illnesses due to benzene and trichloroethylene that were found in the basements of the homes
Atracted national attention and people were evacuated

18. c. Brownfields 1. used to assist state and local governments in cleaning up contaminated sites (actual program) 2. contaminated sites that require cleanup before being redeveloped or expanded ex) old factories, gas stations, dry cleaners 3. can sometimes remain used and contaminated
Since they are ran by only state and local, the legislative actions can vary from region to region meaing that sometimes they don’t have liability controls making them remain used and contaminated

19. New Approaches to handling waste
a. Life-Cycle analysis
1. “cradle-to-grave analysis”
b. Integrated Waste Management
1.waste reduction management
2. disposal strategies
3. biggest emphasis – source reduction