Transcript Document

Pollution Prevention
and Minimization
Pollution Prevention
• Though an obvious concept, this has been
one of the most difficult concepts to
implement
• Congress mandated that the production of
waste should, in general, be prevented
rather than controlled
• This is one of guiding principles of RCRA
RCRA Goals (revisited)
• Protect human health and the environment
from the potential hazards of waste disposal
• Conserve energy and natural resources
• Reduce the amount of waste generated
• Ensure that wastes are managed in an
environmentally sound manner
Waste Reduction
• Means decreasing the generation of waste to
reduce its;
– handling
– treatment
– disposal
• This is a better way of reducing risk to the
environment, human health, and specifically
the health of workers in industry
Waste Minimization
• A broad term, that includes;
– Waste reduction
– Recycling
– Waste treatment processes that eliminate (or
destroy) the waste material (ex. incineration in
some cases)
• These are actions taken that reduce the
volume or toxicity (or both) of waste
Solid Waste Reduction
• What are some of the types of solid waste
generated in the U.S.?
– Residential, includes; food waste, packaging, ash,
construction debris, electronics, ?
– Commercial, includes; food waste, packaging, ash,
demolition debris, some hazardous waste, ?
– Municipal, includes; same generally as above
– Sewage Treatment Plants, includes; residual sludge
– Agriculture, includes; spoiled food waste, rubbish, and
some hazardous waste
Solid Waste Reduction
• Which of these previously identified wastes
can be reduced and how?
• Let’s take them by type and discuss
Hazardous Waste Reduction
• EPA has set up a hierarchy for hazardous waste
management (in order of preference)
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Source reduction
Recycling
Treatment
Landfill (no longer generally accepted)
• EPA has tried to build into this system a series of
incentives and impediments (especially under
RCRA) to encourage this hierarchy for waste
management
Approaches to Waste Reduction
• Generally these have been spelled out
industrial use in terms of hazardous waste
reduction, however they are also applicable
to solid waste
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–
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Good operating practices
Changes in technology
Material substitution
Product modification
Good Operating Practices
• These are procedures when changed that
reduce the amount of waste generated
• In some cases this can be accomplished by
cost-accounting, or through inventory and
material handling practices
• In other cases segregating waste can
accomplish this goal, how?
Changes in Technology
• These are changes in how a process is preformed
that will result in less waste being produced
• Examples include;
– Changes in physical operations like handling/moving
materials so that less spilling or waste is generated
– Additional automation, that reduces human input thus
potentially reducing error and thus waste generation
Material Substitution
• This is a change that has different starting
materials used (sometimes in the form of purer
materials)
• These materials would be chosen on the basis on
how much waste, or toxicity of the waste, that is
generated in their use
• Possible examples of this are;
– printing dyes
– chrome plating materials
– Changing the formulation of pressure-treated wood
Product Modification
• Changing the product that is being produced
to reduce waste generation
• Examples of this include;
– Replacing CFC’s with FC’s in coolant and
refrigeration units
– Replacing creosote posts with concrete
– Producing longer-lasting products in general
• How could that be encouraged?
ISO – International Standards
Organization
• This is a voluntary group of guidelines that
organizations (heavy industry, commercial and
non-profit) meet
• These standards are designed to eliminate trade
barriers between countries due to conflicting
environmental standards
– To this end, ISO 9000 standards have been replaced
with ISO 14000 standards
• Companies that demonstrate compliance with ISO
14000 to external auditors will be able to have
their compliance ‘certified”
ISO 14000
• The standard for companies includes
– A commitment from management to improve environmental performance
– Establish procedures to identify environmental impacts that their
organization
– Complete an initial environmental review their current position in terms
of; regulatory requirements, environmental impacts, liabilities, and
contractual activities
– Establishment of an environmental policy that addresses the above
– Development of internal environmental performance criteria and
objectives
– Et cetera
• Currently ISO 14000 has effectively become a condition of doing
business in Europe and many companies in the U.S. are ISO 14000
certified
• It is a growing service offered in the environmental field