Environmental Science: Toward a
Sustainable Future
Richard T. Wright
Chapter 18
Municipal Solid Waste: Disposal
and Recovery
PPT by Clark E. Adams
Municipal Solid Waste: Disposal and
Recovery
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The solid-waste problem
Solutions to the solid-waste problem
Public policy and waste management
The Solid-Waste Problem
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Disposal of municipal solid waste
Landfills
Combustion: waste to energy
Costs of municipal solid-waste disposal
Disposal of Municipal Solid-Waste (MSW)
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The solid-waste problem:
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We generate huge amounts of MSW, and it is
increasingly expensive to dispose of it in ways
that are environmentally responsible and
protective of human health.
MSW Components
The Fate of MSW
Factors Contributing to Increasing
Amounts of MSW
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Increasing populations
Changing lifestyles
Disposable materials*
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Diapers
Excessive packaging*
* = two largest contributors to waste volume
Old Landfill Problems
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Leachate generation
Methane production
Incomplete
decomposition
Settling
http://www.zerowasteamerica.org/Pictures.htm
Improving Landfills
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Located above water table and away from
airports
Contoured floor for leachate-collection
system
Covered with earthen material
Groundwater monitoring wells
A Modern Landfill
Landfill Siting: Public Reactions
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LULU (locally
unwanted land use)
NIMBY (not in my
backyard)
NIMTOO (not in my
term of office)
http://www.zerowasteamerica.org/Pictures.htm
Interstate Transfer of MSW
Trash to Treasure (Table 18-1)
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Highest (more than 1 million tons) net
importers of MSW
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Pennsylvania
Virginia
Michigan
Trash to Treasure (Table 18-1)
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Highest (more than 1 million tons) net
exporters MSW
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New York
New Jersey
Maryland
Missouri
Combustion: Waste to Energy (WTE)
WTE Benefits
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80% MSW burned for electrical energy
production
12% recovered and recycled
8% put into landfill
WTE Benefits
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Tipping fees = $15 to $100/ton
Efficient
Electricity and fuel oil savings
WTE Benefits
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Extends life of landfill
Reduces pollution
Concrete blocks
Resource recovery
WTE Drawbacks
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Cost of construction
Uninterrupted MSW stream flow
Hazardous materials
Siting
Competition with recycling efforts
Costs of MSW Disposal
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Tipping fees increase: $34 to $263/ton
All revenues from MSW disposal = >$14
billion a year in 2002.
Illegal dumping
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Tires
Refrigerators
Car parts
Solutions to the Solid-Waste Problem
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Source reductions
The recycling solution
Municipal recycling
Regional recycling options
Source Reduction
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Less weight
Internet information transfer
Resale and donation of durable goods
Lengthening a product’s life cycle
Refusing bulk mail
Composting
The Recycling Solution
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Paper to paper
Newspaper = 13% MSW stream
Worth $30/ton
Ton of newspapers = 17 trees
The Recycling Solution
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Paper
Glass
Plastic
Metals
Yard wastes
Textiles
Old tires
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Match
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Compost
Refabrication
Synthetic lumber
Sand or gravel
Insulation
Strengthens recycled
paper
Highways
Municipal Recycling
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75% MSW recyclable if:
 Mandatory
 Easy to do
 Incentives
 Political and industrial support
State Recycling Rates
MSW Recycling in the United States
8
Regional Recycling Options
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Materials recovery facilities (MRFs)
Mixed waste processing
Mixed waste and yard trimmings
composting
Public Policy and Waste Management
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The regulatory perspective
Integrated waste management
The Regulatory Perspective
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Solid Waste Disposal Act 1965
Resource Recovery Act 1970 and 1976
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
(RCRA) of 1976
Superfund Act 1980
Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments
1984
Integrated Waste Management
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Waste reduction
Safe waste disposal
Recycling and reuse
Pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) trash pickup
End of Chapter 18