1. Waste Generation & Waste Disposal Ch 16

2. What is Solid Waste? Outputs in human systems that include anything not useful or consumed, and non- useful products generated within the system.

3. Throw-Away Society In 1900, all metal, wood, and glass materials were recycled. After WWII, consumption patterns changed: – Cultural & wealth changes – Industrialization – Bought “labor saving” appliances that were disposed of when new model was available. – Planned obsolescence –design of a product that will have to be replaced within a few years. – Ex: TV dinners, disposable napkins, disposable diapers

4. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Refuse collected by cities from households, businesses & institutions EPA estimates 60% from residence & 40% from commercial & institutional facilities Estimated in US avg. waste generation per person is 4.5 lbs./day US generated approx. 200 million metric tons (506 billion pounds) per year!!!!

6. Fastest growing waste in US 2% of waste – Environmental effect is far greater than the number imples 1 CRT computer monitor contains 2-2.5 pounds of lead, mercury and cadmium Expensive to recycle (often shipped to China) – 18% of TV and Computer products are sent to recycling facilities E-Waste

8. 3R’s?? Reduce and Refuse – Consume less, do not buy items you don’t need, use less single time use products Reuse and Repurpose – Rely on items that can be used over and over or used for something else Recycle – Conversion of products from one substance into another

9. Reduce 1 st choice because reducing inputs is the optimal way to achieve a reduction in MSW. – Input is reduced, therefore output is reduced. – Source reduction – reducing the early stages of design & manufacture, the use of materials. – Less waste, fewer resources used, increase energy efficiency – Ex: reduce packaging & material substitution

11. Reuse Allows material to cycle within a system longer before becoming an output No additional energy or resources is needed May require repairing the object costing time, money, labor & energy Energy may be required to prepare for reuse – Ex: Reuse of beverage containers (Coke, milk bottles) – clean, sterilize & transport; tires; newspapers – Flea markets, swap meets, eBay, Craigslist, thrift stores

12. How People Reuse Materials Children looking for materials to sell in an open dump near Manila in the Philippines. 2 liter bottles are being installed to provide light to houses during the day

13. REUSE ENERGY CONSUMPTION Reusing: – Extends resource supply – Reduces energy use – Maintains high quality matter Figure 22-7

14. Solutions: Other Ways to Reuse Things Shopping bags – Many countries in Europe and Asia charge shoppers for plastic bags. Food containers Drink containers Shipping pallets Borrow tools from tool libraries. Buy clothes at thrift shop or consignment stores

15. Recycling Closed-loop recycling – – Recycling a product into the same product indefinitely – Ex: Aluminum Open-loop recycling – – Recycling a product into another product – Ex: Plastic bottles into polar fleece jackets – It does not reduce the demand for the raw material

18. Reusing Plastic ? 1 – PET – Water Bottles, Single and multiuse, little evidence of leeching 2 – HDPE – Milk Containers, 1 use, does not leech chemicals 3 – V – PVC, not for consumption (dioxins/pthalates) 4 – LDPE –5 – PP 6 – PS – styrofoam (don’t microwave, consume fatty foods or alcoholic beverages) styrene 7 – Other – Hard plastic containers, multiple uses, can have BPA

19. Recycling Plastic Chemically and Economically Difficult – Many plastics are hard to isolate from other wastes. – Recovering individual plastic resins does not yield much material. – The cost of virgin plastic resins in low than recycled resins due to low fossil fuel costs. – There are new technologies that are making plastics biodegradable. Yucatan Trash

20. Recycling Plastic Why do it? – It is 1/10 th cheaper to make plastic products out of recycled plastic Removes waste from landfills Less plastics in ocean Keeps toxic chemicals from entering the environment – #3 PVC – phthalates and dioxins – #7 Other – BPA, phthalates BUT, it is not a closed loop recycling OR – REDUCE plastic consumption

21. Composting Equal, if not more important than the three R’s Organics in landfills cause two problems: – Take up space – Decompose anaerobically (no O2) & produce methane gas Composting – organic matter that is decomposed under controlled conditions to produce organic-rich material for gardens/crops

22. Composting What can be composted? – Vegetables & vegetable by-products – Yard waste, animal manure What cannot: – Meat & dairy because takes long to decompose and has foul odor. Rapid decomp needs C:N ratio of 30:1 To make sure process is aerobic, agitation and moisture are needed

24. What do we do with MSW? 1930’s public opposition to open trash dumps. Sanitary landfills: – Engineered ground facilities designed to hold MSW with little contamination. – Leachate – water that leaches (passes through) the solid waste & removes various chemical compounds Harmful Can be transported outside of the dump/landfill

25. Fate of MSW in US. Majority is disposed in landfills

26. Sanitary Landfills Lined at bottom with plastic or clay (impermeable-impedes water flow) System of pipes below landfill to collect leachate Cover of soil & clay called a cap to cover landfill when it reaches capacity Material destined for landfills are those least likely to cause environmental damage. – Ex: Plastic, paper, inter materials = yes; chemicals, electronics, organics, metal = no!

28. Sanitary Landfills Once filled to capacity, it is closed & capped. Water is minimized to reduce odor & slow decomp. Closed landfills can be reclaimed: – Parks, playgrounds & golf courses built on them Costly – – Paid for by a tipping fee (trucks are weighed and tipped into landfill; $35/ton

29. Problems with Landfills Possibility of leachate contamination of soil & groundwater. Once covered anaerobic decomposition occurs producing methane (CH 4 ) & CO 2 – Greenhouse gases & methane is explosive – Methane must be collected; can be used as fuel Decomp. Rates – very slow (40+) years; need correct mixes of air, moisture & organic material.

30. Sanitary Landfill

31. Incineration Process of burning waste material to reduce volume & mass & produce energy. – Reduce volume by 90% & mass by 75% Sorted MSW is tipped into incinerator – CO2 & water are released into atmosphere Particulates are end products of combustion – Ash is residual nonorganic material; bottom furnace ash is called bottom ash & residue beyond furnace is fly ash

33. Problems with Incineration Tipping fees are higher ($70/ton) NIMBY issues: – Releases pollutants – Produce ash that is more toxic than waste – Odor – Discourages recycling – Inconsistent burn (different materials) – Releases greenhouse gases (CO2)

34. Fig. 22-11, p. 531 Reduces trash volume Can compete with recycling for burnable materials such as newspaper Output approach that encourages waste production Older or poorly managed facilities can release large amounts of air pollution Some air pollution Difficult to site because of citizen opposition Costs more than short-distance hauling to landfills Expensive to build Some facilities recover and sell metals Modern controls reduce air pollution Sale of energy reduces cost Concentrates hazardous substances into ash for burial or use as landfill cover Low water pollution Less need for landfills Trade-Offs Incineration AdvantagesDisadvantages

35. Hazardous Waste Solid or Liquid Contains 1 or more of 39 mutagenic, carcinogenic or teratogenic compounds above established limits. – ORGANIC: Pesticides, PCB’s, Dioxins and INORGANIC: Heavy Metals Catches fire easily – Gasoline, paints, solvents Reactive or explosive or releases toxic fumes – Acids, bases, ammonia and bleach Corrosive – industrial cleaners oven and drain cleaners US creates 75% of Hazardous Waste RCRA – Resource Conservation and Recovery Act 1976

36. Distribution of NPL (Superfund) sites in US

37. Not Hazardous Wastes  Radioactive wastes  Household wastes  Mining wastes  Oil and gas drilling wastes  Liquids containing organic hydrocarbons  Cement kiln dust See Table 21-1 p. 527  <100 kg (220 lb) per month  Therefore hazardous waste laws do not regulate 95% of the country’s hazardous waste

38. Conversion to Less Hazardous Substances Biological Methods: – Bioremediation: bacteria or enzymes help destroy toxic and hazardous waste or convert them to more benign substances. – Phytoremediation: natural or genetically engineered plants absorb, filter and remove contaminants from polluted soil and water.

39. Hazardous Waste Land Disposal – In ground – Above ground Exporting – Canada – Shipping to developing countries, Basel convention Khian Sea, Philadelphia to Haiti

40. Deep-well Disposal of Liquid Hazardous Waste Fig. 21-14 p. 546

41. Above Ground Hazardous Waste Disposal Fig. 21-17 p. 547

42. Regulations RCRA – control hazardous waste from the "cradle-to-grave." This includes the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. RCRA also set forth a framework for the management of non-hazardous solid wastes. The 1986 amendments to RCRA enabled EPA to address environmental problems that could result from underground tanks storing petroleum and other hazardous substances. CERCLA, Superfund – provides a Federal "Superfund" to clean up uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous- waste sites as well as accidents, spills, and other emergency releases of pollutants and contaminants into the environment. Through CERCLA, EPA was given power to seek out those parties responsible for any release and assure their cooperation in the cleanup. Toxic Substance Control Act – reporting, record-keeping and testing requirements, and restrictions relating to chemical substances and/or mixtures. Certain substances are generally excluded from TSCA, including, among others, food, drugs, cosmetics and pesticides. Stockholm Convention – 12 POP’s (DDT, PCBs, Dioxins, many pesticides/fungicides)

43. What do we do with Brownfields? Redevelopment of land complicated by presence of hazardous chemicals – Clean-up and Reinvest Brownfield Revitalization - amendment to CERCLA Gives funds to clean-up and use underutilized areas Reduces blight – creates parks, neighborhoods, shopping areas etc...