Chapter 16 Waste Generation and Waste Disposal

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Chapter 16 Part 1 Case Study – Paper or Plastic Case Study – Recycling pg. 457

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Case Study: Paper or Plastic?

1. Describe polystyrene.

2. What are the advantages of Styrofoam?

3. Why is Styrofoam harmful to the environment?

4. Why is the elimination of Styrofoam not an environmental victory?

5. What is meant by cradle-to-grave analysis?

6. Do a chart analysis of the inputs and outputs of paper vs. plastic.

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Waste

• Inputs and Outputs 4

• How is waste defined: • • • • • Humans are the only organisms that produce waste that others cannot use.

Until a society becomes wealthy it generates little wastes.

1900s Industrial revolution Planned obsolescence 5

Municipal Solid Waste MSW

• Refuse collected by municipalities from households, small businesses, and institutions such as schools, prisons, municipal buildings and hospitals.

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Composition and Sources of MSW in U.S.

Solid Waste Stream 7

E-Waste

• Electronic waste – Televisions, computers, cell phones – Contains toxic metals.

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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle The Three Rs

• Reduce – Define with examples • Reuse – Define with examples • Recycle – Materials are collected and converted into raw materials and then used to produce new objects.

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Case Study

Recycling E-Waste in China pg.457

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Why is E-waste such a big problem?

What are the common hazardous materials in E-waste?

How much E-waste is recycled in U.S.?

What happens to most the E-waste generated in the U.S.?

Explain the practice that causes the export burden for e waste.

Describe the changes that Fernando Nilo implemented in his recycling facility.

What is done with the recycled materials?

Explain the term “Green Seal” 10

Compare and Contrast 11

Analyze graph 12

Composting

• Compost – organic material that has decomposed under controlled conditions to produce an organic-rich material.

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Large Scale Composting

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Landfills

• Sanitary landfills – Engineered ground facilities designed to hold MSW with as little contamination of the surrounding environment as possible.

• Leachate – The water that leaches through the solid waste and removes various chemical compounds with which it comes into contact. 15

Fate of MSW

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Landfill Inputs

• • • Most important component is to control the inputs: – Aluminums and other metals may contribute to leaching and are valuable as recyclables.

– No toxic materials • Household cleaners, paints, motor oil, antifreeze, electronics, organic materials.

Closed landfills can be reclaimed.

Tipping fees – charge for using the landfill – – If too high… Recyclables 18

Polk County’s Bioreactor

• • • The Polk County landfill provides 5,000 homes with power by taking the methane captured by the landfill and selling it to Tampa Electric Co. Bathtub Leachate Methane 19

Landfill Site

• • • • In area with soil rich in clay.

Away from waterways Away from population centers – But you have to look at the energy required to move the MSW to the landfill Siting – Designation of a location – Controversial and politically charged – NIMBY 20

Problems with Landfills

• • Leaching Methane production – Explosive hazard • Therefore landfills are vented.

• Some use the methane to generate heat or electricity.

• Keeping the organic material out and using it for compost would reduce the methane produced.

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• Incineration the process of burning waste materials.

• Reduces volume and mass.

• Burning can generate electricity.

Incineration

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Incineration Waste

• • • • Ash – Disposal is determined by concentration of toxic metals. Ash is tested for toxicity Exhaust gases – SO 2 , NO x – Moves through filters such as the baghouse filter in the diagram.

Acidic gases – Recovered in the scrubbers are neutralized then disposed of in regular or ash landfill.

Heat energy – Heat the building or generate electricity – waste-to energy. 23

Problems with Incineration

• • • • • Costs and construction are higher than landfills.

– Tipping fees NIMBY problems Concern that the ash produced is more toxic than the original MSW.

Incinerators may not completely burn all the waste.

Toxic materials.

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Chapter 16 Part 2

• • Complete your law sheet for all laws from Chapter 11 – the end of Chapter 16. Watch video on Love Canal – Slide 30 25

Hazardous Waste

• Hazardous waste: • Collection sites for hazardous waste must be staffed with specially trained personnel. • Hazardous waste must be treated before disposal.

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Handling and Treatment of Hazardous Waste

• • • • Most municipalities do not have a regular collection site for hazardous waste including household hazardous waste.

Keep in safe location and wait for periodic collections.

Sometimes the material gathered is unlabeled and unknown and must be treated with extreme caution.

Best not to create this waste at all or as little as possible.

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RCRA

• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act 1976 – Primary goal – protect human health and the environment by reducing or eliminating hazardous waste. – Also know as “cradle-to-grave” tracking.

– Amended 1984 • Phased out the disposal of hazardous waste on land • Increased law enforcement authority in order to punish violators 28

CERCLA - Superfund

• • Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act Puts a tax on the chemical and petroleum industries. – This revenue is used: – Requires the federal government to respond directly to the release of substance that may pose a threat to human health or the environment 29

Love Canal

• • • • • • Best know Superfund site.

Originally a hazardous waste landfill.

Covered with fill and topsoil and used as a site for a school and housing development.

Then cancer causing wastes were found in the basements of homes in the area.

Now cleaned up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iSFgZ-SlaU 30

Brownfields

• Contaminated industrial or commercial sites that may require environmental cleanup before they can be redeveloped or expanded. • Examples: 31

International Consequences

• • • Because of the difficulties of disposing of hazardous waste, many municipalities and industries try to send their waste to countries with less stringent regulations.

Cargo Vessel Khian Sea – Left Philadelphia in 1986 – 13,000 metric tons of hazardous ash Pennsylvania company specializing in recovering mercury accepted 270 metric tons of mercury waste from India 32

Life-Cycle Analysis

• • • • • • Objective analysis of solid waste disposal options.

Looks at the materials used and released throughout the lifetime of a product.

Cradle-to-grave analysis.

Help a community determine whether incineration or landfill.

Looks also at gas or diesel and pollution of trucking material to each.

Payment 33

Alternative Ways to Handle Waste

• Integrated Waste Management – Holistic method – Reduced environmental harm and cost – Cradle to Cradle 34

Laws

• • • Ocean Dumping Act – Makes it unlawful for any person to dump or transport for the purpose of dumping sewage, sludge or industrial waste into ocean waters.

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act – Management of non-hazardous and hazardous solid waste including landfills and storage tanks.

– Set minimal standards for all waste disposal facilities and for hazardous waste.

Marine Plastic Pollution Research and Control Act – Regulates the dumping of wastes into oceans and coastal waters 35

Laws

• Solid Waste Disposal Act – To find better and more efficient ways to dispose of solid waste – Promotes shredding and separation of waste and burning of remaining materials to produce steam or generate electricity – Promotes recycling.

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Laws

• • Toxic Substances Control Act • EPA is given the ability to tract the 75,000 industrial chemicals currently produced or imported tin the U.S.

• EPA repeatedly screens these chemicals and can require reporting or testing of those that may pose an environmental or human-health hazards.

• EPA can ban the manufacture and import of those chemicals that pose an unreasonable risk.

Hazardous Material Transportation Act (HAZMAT) • Governs the transportation of hazardous materials and wastes.

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