Solid and Hazardous Waste
Element
o
Describe the effects and potential
implications of pollution and resource
depletion on the environment at the local
and global levels (e.g. air and water
pollution, solid waste disposal, depletion
of the stratospheric ozone, global
warming, and land uses).
Essential Question
How can you reduce, reuse, and recycle?
Learning Targets
1.
2.
Learn the different types of solid waste.
Learn how you can prevent waste by
reducing, reusing, and recycling.
Overview of Solid Waste Disposal
o
Solid Waste
•
o
Waste Prevention
•
•
•
o
Types of Solid Waste
Reducing the Amount of Waste
Reusing Products
Recycling Materials
Hazardous Waste
•
•
Types of Hazardous Waste
Management of Hazardous Waste
Solid Waste
o
US generates more solid waste per
capita than any other country
•
o
2.1kg per person per day
Types of Solid Waste
•
Municipal solid waste
•
•
•
Solid material discarded by homes, office
buildings, retail stores, schools, hospitals,
prisons, etc
Relatively small portion of solid waste produced
Non-municipal solid waste
•
Solid waste generated by industry, agriculture,
and mining
Composition of Municipal Solid Waste
Disposal of Solid Waste
o
Three methods
•
•
•
Sanitary Landfills
Incineration =
(burning)
Recycling
Sanitary
Landfill
o
o
Compacting
and burying
waste under
a shallow
layer of soil
Most
common
method of
disposal
Sanitary Landfill
o
Problems
•
•
•
•
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Methane gas production by microorganisms
Contamination of surface water & ground water
by leachate
Not a long-term remedy
Few new facilities being opened
Closing a full landfill is very expensive
Sanitary Landfill
o
Special Problem of Plastic
•
•
o
Much of plastic is from packaging
Chemically stable and do not readily break down and
decompose – they are not biodegradable
Special Problem of
Tires
•
•
•
Cannot be melted and
reused for tires
Made from materials
that cannot be
recycled
Can be incinerated or
shredded
Your Assignment
o
o
o
o
Complete the concept maps with a partner
– keep and turn in at end of class because
you need to ….
Be prepared to share your results
Finish any unfinished assignments from
last week – turn into the plastic bin
Study for vocabulary quiz tomorrow on
quia.com
Incineration
o
o
Volume of solid
waste reduced by
90%
Produces heat that
can make steam to
generate electricity
•
Produce less carbon
emissions than fossil
fuel power plants
(right)
Incineration
o
Types of Incinerators
•
•
•
Mass burn (below)
Modular
Refuse-derived
Incinerator
o
Problems Associated with Incineration
•
•
•
Yields air pollution
Produce large amounts of ash
Site selection often controversial
Composting
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Includes:
•
•
•
•
o
o
Food scraps
Sewage sludge
Agricultural manure
Yard waste
Reduces yard waste in landfills
Can be sold or distributed to community
Waste Prevention
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Three Goals
•
•
•
(1) Reduce the amount of waste
(2) Reuse products
(3) Recycle materials
Reducing Waste
o
Purchase products with less packaging
Reducing Waste
o
Source reduction
•
o
o
Products are designed and manufactured in
ways that decrease the volume of solid waste
in the waste stream
Pollution Prevention Act (1990)
Dematerialization
•
Progressive decrease in the size and weight of
a product as a result of technological
improvements
Reusing Products
o
Refilling glass beverage bottles
•
o
Heavier glass that costs more
Japan recycles almost all bottles
•
Reused 20 times
Recycling Materials
o
Every ton of recycled
paper saves:
•
•
•
•
o
17 trees
7000 gallons of water
4100 kwatt-hrs of energy
3 cubic yards of landfill
space
Recycle
•
Glass bottles, newspapers,
steel cans, plastic bottles,
cardboard, office paper
Recycling
o
Recycling Paper
•
•
o
US recycles 50%
Many developed countries
are higher
Recycling Glass
•
•
•
US recycles 25%
Costs less than new glass
Can be used to make
glassphalt (right)
Recycling
o
Recycling Aluminum
•
Making new can from recycled one costs far less than
making a brand new one
Recycling
o
Recycling Metals other
than Aluminum
•
•
Lead, gold, iron, steel,
silver and zinc
Metallic composition is
often unknown
•
o
Makes recycling difficult
Recycling Plastic
•
•
Less than 20% is recycled
Less expensive to make
from raw materials
Recycling
o
Recycling Tires
•
Few products are made from old tires
•
•
•
•
•
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Playground equipment
Trashcans
Garden hose
Carpet
Roofing materials
36% of tires are currently recycled to make
other products
Integrated Waste Management
Hazardous Waste
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Any discarded chemical
that threatens human
health or the environment
•
o
Reactive, corrosive, explosive
or toxic chemicals
Types of Hazardous Waste
•
•
•
Dioxins
PCBs
Radioactive waste
Management of Hazardous Waste
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Hazardous Waste Landfill
Environmental Justice
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Environmental Justice and Ethical Issues
•
•
•
o
Right of every citizen, regardless of age, race,
gender, social class, to adequate protection
from environmental hazards
Fundamental human right
Grassroots campaign
Mandating environmental Justice- Federal
Level
Environmental Justice
o
International Waste Management
•
Developed countries sometimes send their
waste to developing countries
•
•
•
Less expensive than following laws within the
country
Controversial aspect of waste management
Basel Convention (1989)
•
Restricts international transport of hazardous
waste
Styrofoam
o
It takes Styrofoam 500 or more years to
decompose in a landfill.
Benefit of recycling
o
Household trash can be reduced by 80% by
recycling.
Benefit of recycling and
composting
o
If you recycled and composted, household
trash could be reduced by 90%!!!!
Benefit of recycling
o
Recycling saves money, energy, and
resources.