Any substance we throw away that is not a liquid or gas MSW (Municipal Solid Waste) – waste generated by homes and small businesses which constitutes.

Any substance we throw away that is not a liquid or gas

MSW (Municipal Solid Waste) – waste generated by homes and small businesses which constitutes about 1.5% of the waste. “Garbage”• Most is buried in landfills• About 30% is composted/recycled

98.5% of solid waste comes from MINING, production of oil and natural gas, industry, agriculture, and sewage sludge

U.S. is largest producer of solid waste.

In nature, “solid” waste is recycled into nutrients.

2 main problems from humans:• Waste of natural resources.• Contributes to air and water pollution, soil

erosion, and degradation of the land.

PAPER!!!! (38%) Yard waste (12%) Food waste (11%) Plastic products (10%) Electronic waste is the fastest

growing component of garbage and it often contains many hazardous wastes as well

According to a recently published report in The Environmental Science and Technology Journal, developing countries will exceed developed countries in disposing of E-waste by 2016

Enough aluminum to rebuild the country’s commercial airline fleet every 3 months

Enough tires each year to encircle the planet 3 times

Enough disposable diapers annually to reach the moon and back 7 times if linked end to end

2 billion disposable razors, 130 million cell phones, 50 million computers, and 8 milllion TVs

Enough carpet to cover Delaware

2.5 million non-returnable plastic bottles per hour

1.5 billion pounds of edible food per year

Enough office paper to build a wall 11 feet high from New York to San Francisco

186 billion pieces of junk mail each year (45% unopened)

Management vs. reduction Management assumes that waste is

inevitable and tries to reduce environmental harm by moving wastes from one part of the planet to another.

Reduction uses the 3 Rs (listed in order of increasing energy use).• Reduce• Reuse• Recycle

Use less Use materials more efficiently Design products to last longer, be easier

to repair, or to be recycled Reduce unnecessary packaging

The redesigning of industrial processes to copy what nature does

Benefits to companies by reducing costs, making workplace healthier for employees and reduces medical insurance costs.

Switch to a service flow economy where services are bought and sold not goods.

This involves cleaning and using the same materials over and over

Refillable containers Shopping bags Food containers Rechargable batteries Reusable sponges and

napkins

Turning useless, discarded materials into new products

5 major types of materials that can be recycled:• Paper products• Glass• Aluminum• Steel• Some plastics

Primary or closed loop – item broken down and recycled back to same item

Secondary or open loop – item recycled into something else.

Preconsumer waste –waste generated before you receive the item

Postconsumer waste – waste generated once you have the item

Recycled materials can be sorted at home or at facility.

Recycle biodegradable organic wastes into organic material that can be used as a fertilizer, to slow erosion, and to retain water.

Only about 5% is composted in U.S. Large scale composting can be smelly;

have to locate it carefully. Must avoid toxic chemicals to keep

material safe for use on crops.

Plastics are difficult to isolate and often contain other chemicals which must be removed first

Not much material is recovered because the amount of resin in the plastic is small

Price of recycled plastic is greater than for virgin plastic

Remember plastics are primarily made from fossil fuels

Types of plastics

Depends on how you look at the issue Critics would say

• It doesn’t make sense to recycle if it costs more than not recycling

• Recycling should pay for itself• Makes sense for easy to recycle, valuable materials

(Al, paper, steel), but not for those that are cheap or plentiful or expensive to recycle (glass)

• We are not running out of landfill space Proponents

• Benefits to environment outweigh costs• Makes us feel good• Recycling industry employs large numbers of

workers• Successful programs use Pay as You Throw

methods

Burying waste: about 54% of MSW in the U.S. is buried in sanitary landfills• Open dump

Trash is put in a hole in the ground and may or may not be covered with soil

• Sanitary landfill Most common method for getting rid of waste in

the U.S. Wastes are placed in compacted layers and covered

daily A liner covers the bottom to collect leachate which is

pumped out and treated Wells are drilled to monitor contamination Ventilation pipes are drilled to release trapped

methane and carbon dioxide (methane can be sold as fuel). If not vented, methane can be explosive.

Check out book for more pros and cons for landfills

Open Dump

Incinerators: trash is burned• Advantages:

Volume is reduced Not as many landfills needed Water pollution low Quick and easy

• Disadvantages: Cost is high Air pollution Highly toxic ash produced Encourages waste Discourages reduction and recycling of waste

Waste to Energy Incinerators (WTE)• Burn trash to heat water to make steam to

generate electricity (about 8% in U.S.) Mass-Burn Incinerators

• Mixed trash is put into a large furnace and burned --> air pollution and corrosion problems

Refuse derived Fuel Incinerators• Trash is separated to maximize energy

production and reduce pollution

Any discarded solid or liquid material that meets the following criteria:• Explosive• Inflammable• Oxidizing (reactive)• Toxic• Corrosive

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

About 5% of all hazardous waste falls under this legislation.

3 requirements• EPA identifies hazardous wastes and sets

management standards• Companies, etc. that have more than 100 kg

of hazardous wastes/month must have a permit describing how they are managed

• Permit holders must use a cradle to grave record keeping system that is submitted to the EPA

radioactive wastes; hazardous and toxic materials discarded by

households; mining wastes; oil and gas drilling wastes; liquid wastes containing organic hydrocarbons; cement kiln dust; wastes from small businesses and factories that

generate less than 100 kilograms of hazardous waste per month.

Common Household Toxic and Hazardous MaterialsCommon Household Toxic and Hazardous MaterialsCommon Household Toxic and Hazardous MaterialsCommon Household Toxic and Hazardous MaterialsCommon Household Toxic and Hazardous MaterialsCleaning Products:Cleaning Products: disinfectants, drain cleaners, oven cleaners, disinfectants, drain cleaners, oven cleaners, disinfectants, drain cleaners, oven cleaners,

bleach, ammonia, spot removersbleach, ammonia, spot removersbleach, ammonia, spot removers

Paint and Building Products:Paint and Building Products:Paint and Building Products:

latex paints, paint thinners, stains, varnishes,latex paints, paint thinners, stains, varnishes,latex paints, paint thinners, stains, varnishes,

asphalt, roof tarasphalt, roof tar

Gardening and Pest Control Products:Gardening and Pest Control Products:Gardening and Pest Control Products:

weed killers, flea powder, pesticides,weed killers, flea powder, pesticides,weed killers, flea powder, pesticides,

ant and rodent killersant and rodent killers

Automotive products:Automotive products: gasoline, used motor oil, antifreezegasoline, used motor oil, antifreezegasoline, used motor oil, antifreeze

General products:General products: dry cell batteries (mercury and cadmium),dry cell batteries (mercury and cadmium),dry cell batteries (mercury and cadmium),

artists' paints and inks, glues, cementsartists' paints and inks, glues, cementsartists' paints and inks, glues, cements

AS A RESULT, about 94% of “hazardous waste” is not regulated as such.

Manage it? Reduce the amount?

Physical means - separate out components and encapsulate them for storage

Chemical means - use reactions to convert harmful chemicals into harmless ones

Bioremediation - bacteria and enzymes are used to render hazardous waste harmless

Phytoremediation - using plants to absorb, filter, and remove toxic compounds from soil and water

Plasma torch - uses electrical current and high temperatures to convert hazardous waste into ions that can be converted into simple molecules which are cleaned up and converted to a gas.

Phytoremediation

Incineration produces highly toxic ash and air pollution.

Most hazardous waste is stored on land• Deep well injection

Pumped under pressure into porous rock below aquifers

• Surface impoundment Depressions are created in the land and liquid wastes

are stored

Deep well disposal

Storage Pit for Hazardous Waste

Store hazardous waste in containers and bury in secure landfills

Store in secure containers above ground Shipping hazardous waste is hazardous!

• 500,000 shipments/year• 13,000 accidents• 100 deaths• 10,000 injuries• 500,000 evacuations

Sites formerly used for industrial or commercial purposes

Often have abandoned wastes Can be cleaned up and turned into

something useful Between 450,000 and 600,000 sites

in the U.S.

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

Taxes raw materials for chemicals to set up trust fund

3 goals:• Identify hazardous waste sites• Protect and clean sites and groundwater.

Responsible parties must pay when found, if not use fund

• Put worst sites on National Priorities List (1250 on list)

Five states with most sites are: NJ, CA, PA, NY, and MI

http://www.scorecard.org/env-releases/land/

Wingate Municipal Incinerator

Davie Landfill

http://www.co.broward.fl.us/solidwaste/vistaviewpark.htm

Lead Mercury dioxins

“The EPA estimates that 9,150 children are expected to have an IQ score below 70 as a result of their exposure to lead.” from lead-info.com

Neurotoxin - affects nervous system, especially in young kids. Can result in palsy, paralysis, blindness, mental retardation, and death

Sources - paint, gasoline, lead-glazed ceramics, lead solder and piping, incineration, candle wicks, dust

Lead has been significantly reduced in most developing nations, but WHO says 130 to 200 million children are at risk of lead poisoning

80% of gas today is lead free, but 100 countries still use leaded gasoline

No safe levels of lead for children

3 types of Hg: elemental, inorganic, and organic methylmercury

Health effects (depends on the type of Hg exposure): neurological damage, mood changes, tremors, gum problems, hallucinations, memory loss, kidney damage, vomiting, pneumonia

Where found: thermometers, dental fillings, fluorescent lights, electrical equipment, paint pigments, pesticides, dry cell batteries

Sources in the atmosphere: incineration, metals mining and smelting, and power generation

Main sources of exposure for humans: inhaling vaporized elemental Hg and eating contaminated fish

mercury game

Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins are a group of chlorinated hydrocarbons

Sources: byproducts of industrial processes and some natural ones (volcanic eruptions)

Incineration of municipal and medical wastes is responsible for 70% of dioxin in the air

Other sources include: wood burning fireplaces, coal-fired power plants, metal smelting facilities, paper mills, sludge from wastewater treatment plants

30 are known to be toxic and one (TCDD) is a known carcinogen

Low levels of dioxin have effects on immune, endocrine, and reproductive systems

Low levels can also affect wildlife Precautionary acts would include banning of Cl for

bleaching paper and eliminating chlorinated hydrocarbons from incinerators

12/02/84 world’s worst industrial accident occurred at Union Carbide’s pesticide plant.

Explosion released highly toxic chemicals some of which became hydrogen cyanide gas.

Exposed up to 600,000 people and likely killed 8,000 within a few days and over 23,000 since.

Afflictions included: blindness, lung damage, neurological damage, and death

Union Carbide did not do enough to keep up the plant

Hooker Chemicals and Plastics placed over 200 chemicals into drums and put them into an old canal which was covered and sold to the Niagara Falls school board which was warned of danger from toxic wastes.

A school and playing fields were built atop the site and due to roads, sewer lines, and an expressway that were built, the chemicals were disturbed and leached into the groundwater.

There were complaints of health problems and in 1977 chemicals began leaking into basements. Due to media publicity and pressure from residents, the school was closed and those living closest to the site were moved.

Helped to create the Superfund. Remaining houses are now part of Black Creek Village.

Residents sign agreement before moving in regarding the “safety” of the homes.