WASTE DISPOSALWASTE DISPOSAL

GET THE FACTS:GET THE FACTS: The US, with 5% of the world’s The US, with 5% of the world’s

population, generates 33% of the population, generates 33% of the world’s total waste.world’s total waste.

The major source of solid waste in the The major source of solid waste in the US comes from mining.US comes from mining.

The largest type of domestic solid The largest type of domestic solid waste in the US is paper.waste in the US is paper.

Nearly everything we do leaves Nearly everything we do leaves behind some kind of waste.  In fact, behind some kind of waste.  In fact, in 2006, U.S. residents, businesses, in 2006, U.S. residents, businesses, and institutions produced more than and institutions produced more than 251 million tons of municipal solid 251 million tons of municipal solid waste, which is approximately 4.5 waste, which is approximately 4.5 pounds of waste per person per day. pounds of waste per person per day. 

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)—more Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)—more commonly known as trash or commonly known as trash or garbage—consists of garbage—consists of everyday items everyday items we use and then throw awaywe use and then throw away, such as , such as product packaging, grass clippings, product packaging, grass clippings, furniture, clothing, bottles, food furniture, clothing, bottles, food scraps, newspapers, appliances, scraps, newspapers, appliances, paint, and batteries. This comes from paint, and batteries. This comes from our homes, schools, hospitals, and our homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses.businesses.

Municipal Solid Waste GenerationMunicipal Solid Waste GenerationIn 2009, Americans produced about 243 million tons of In 2009, Americans produced about 243 million tons of

MSW, or about 4.5 pounds of waste per person per day.MSW, or about 4.5 pounds of waste per person per day.

All Wastes Are Not Equal Biodegradable

Material- material that can be broken down by living things into simpler chemicals that can be consumed by living things.

Examples: newspapers, paper bags, cotton fibers, leather

Nonbiodegradable Material- material made from synthetic materials that do not exist in nature.

Examples: polyester, nylon, and plastic.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18538484/ns/nightly_news/t/paper-or-plastic-whats-greener-choice/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD07GkmM2fc

http://www.ted.com/talks/capt_charles_moore_on_the_seas_of_plastic.html

How is waste disposed?How is waste disposed?

1. 1. landfillslandfills - engineered areas where - engineered areas where waste is placed into the land. waste is placed into the land.

Landfills usually have liner systems Landfills usually have liner systems and other safeguards to prevent and other safeguards to prevent

polluting the groundwater.polluting the groundwater.

Pros and Cons of Pros and Cons of LandfillsLandfills

ProsPros Waste is covered each Waste is covered each

day with dirt to help day with dirt to help prevent insects and prevent insects and rodents.rodents.

Liners and drainage Liners and drainage systems control systems control leaching leaching

Collection of methane Collection of methane can produce energycan produce energy

ConsCons Rising land pricesRising land prices Transportation costs to Transportation costs to

the landfillthe landfill Expensive to run and Expensive to run and

monitormonitor Suitable areas are Suitable areas are

limited.limited. NIMBYNIMBY (not in my (not in my

backyard!)backyard!) Undesirable emissions Undesirable emissions

into the airinto the air Possible leaching into Possible leaching into

ground and water table.ground and water table.

Burying rubbish is not possible at Burying rubbish is not possible at Virginia Beach as it sits on a water Virginia Beach as it sits on a water

table just 6-8 feet below the ground. A table just 6-8 feet below the ground. A plan to convert the open trench into a plan to convert the open trench into a

mountain of trash and create a mountain of trash and create a recreational park was devised.recreational park was devised.

Mt Trashmore, Mt Trashmore, Virginia Beach, VAVirginia Beach, VA

2. Open Dumping2. Open Dumping

ProsPros InexpensiveInexpensive Provides a source of Provides a source of

income to the poor by income to the poor by providing recyclable providing recyclable products to sellproducts to sell

ConsCons Trash blows away in Trash blows away in

the windthe wind Vermin and diseaseVermin and disease Leaching of toxic Leaching of toxic

materials into the soilmaterials into the soil aestheticsaesthetics

3. Burning3. BurningProsPros

Heat can be used to Heat can be used to provide energyprovide energy

Reduces impact on Reduces impact on landfillslandfills

Mass burning is Mass burning is inexpensiveinexpensive

What is left is 10-20% What is left is 10-20% of the original volumeof the original volume

Burning waste at Burning waste at extremely high extremely high temperatures destroys temperatures destroys chemical compounds chemical compounds and disease-causing and disease-causing bacteriabacteria

ConsCons Air pollution including Air pollution including

lead, mercury, Nox, lead, mercury, Nox, cadmium, SO2, HCl cadmium, SO2, HCl and dioxideand dioxide

Sorting out batteries, Sorting out batteries, plastics, etc. is plastics, etc. is expensiveexpensive

Initial costs of Initial costs of incinerators are highincinerators are high

No way of knowing No way of knowing toxic consequencestoxic consequences

In addition to burning solid waste In addition to burning solid waste to generate electricity, we can to generate electricity, we can recapture the energy buried in landfills. recapture the energy buried in landfills. Methane gas is created as garbage Methane gas is created as garbage decomposes. Burning methane from decomposes. Burning methane from landfills is a three-fer:landfills is a three-fer:

– it eliminates a bubble of gas that could it eliminates a bubble of gas that could crack the clay cap that seals the top of the crack the clay cap that seals the top of the landfill (the cap keeps rainwater from landfill (the cap keeps rainwater from mixing with the decaying solid waste and mixing with the decaying solid waste and creating more "garbage juice" that could creating more "garbage juice" that could pollute creeks) pollute creeks)

– it converts a gas that has strong global it converts a gas that has strong global warming characteristics (methane) into a warming characteristics (methane) into a gas that has less impact (carbon dioxide) gas that has less impact (carbon dioxide)

– it generates "green" electricity that can be it generates "green" electricity that can be sold for a profit sold for a profit

How can we help How can we help reduce all the refuse?reduce all the refuse?

Source reductionSource reduction RecycleRecycle compostcompost

EPA encourages practices that reduce the EPA encourages practices that reduce the amount of waste needing to be disposed amount of waste needing to be disposed of, such as waste prevention, recycling, of, such as waste prevention, recycling, and composting.and composting.

Source reduction, or waste prevention, is , or waste prevention, is designing products to reduce the amount designing products to reduce the amount of waste that will later need to be thrown of waste that will later need to be thrown away and also to away and also to

make the resulting make the resulting

waste less toxic.waste less toxic.

Recycling - the recovery of Recycling - the recovery of useful useful materials, materials, such as paper, glass, plastic, such as paper, glass, plastic,

and metals, from the trash to and metals, from the trash to use to use to

make new products, make new products, reducing the reducing the

amount of amount of new raw materials needed.new raw materials needed.

RecyclingRecycling

ProsPros Turns waste into an Turns waste into an

inexpensive resourceinexpensive resource Reduces impact on Reduces impact on

landfillslandfills Reduces dependence Reduces dependence

on foreign oilon foreign oil Reduces air and water Reduces air and water

pollutionpollution Reduces need for raw Reduces need for raw

material and the costs material and the costs associated with it.associated with it.

ConsCons Poor regulationPoor regulation Fluctuations in market Fluctuations in market

priceprice Not all products can Not all products can

really be recycled really be recycled because stations can because stations can recycle all productsrecycle all products

Composting - collecting organic Composting - collecting organic waste, such as food scraps and yard waste, such as food scraps and yard trimmings, and storing it under trimmings, and storing it under conditions designed to help it break conditions designed to help it break down naturally. This resulting down naturally. This resulting compost can then be used as a compost can then be used as a natural natural

fertilizer. fertilizer.

CompostingComposting

ProsPros Creates nutrient-rich Creates nutrient-rich

soil additivesoil additive Aids in water retentionAids in water retention Slows down soil Slows down soil

erosionerosion No major toxic issuesNo major toxic issues

ConsCons Public reaction to Public reaction to

odor, vermin and odor, vermin and insectsinsects

NIMBYNIMBY

Currently, in the United States, Currently, in the United States, 33.8 % of SMW is recovered and 33.8 % of SMW is recovered and recycled or composted, 11.9% is recycled or composted, 11.9% is burned at combustion facilities, burned at combustion facilities, and the remaining 54.3% is and the remaining 54.3% is disposed of in landfills.disposed of in landfills.

Hazardous WastesHazardous Wastes

Wastes that are toxic or highly Wastes that are toxic or highly corrosive or that explode easily.corrosive or that explode easily.

They may be solids, liquids, or They may be solids, liquids, or gasesgases

Examples are dyes, solvents, PCB, Examples are dyes, solvents, PCB, toxic heavy metals (lead, toxic heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium), pesticides, mercury, cadmium), pesticides, radioactive wastesradioactive wastes

Hazardous WastesHazardous Wastes Over 40 million tons of hazardous waste Over 40 million tons of hazardous waste

are produced in the United States each are produced in the United States each year. year.

They are produced by large industrial They are produced by large industrial facilities such as chemical facilities such as chemical manufacturers, electroplating manufacturers, electroplating companies, petroleum refineries, and by companies, petroleum refineries, and by more common businesses such as dry more common businesses such as dry cleaners, auto repair shops, hospitals, cleaners, auto repair shops, hospitals, exterminators and photo processing exterminators and photo processing centers. centers.

Love Canal Love Canal In 1920 Hooker Chemical had turned an area in Niagara In 1920 Hooker Chemical had turned an area in Niagara

Falls into a municipal and chemical disposal site. In 1953 Falls into a municipal and chemical disposal site. In 1953 the site was filled and relatively modern methods were the site was filled and relatively modern methods were applied to cover it. A thick layer of impermeable red clay applied to cover it. A thick layer of impermeable red clay sealed the dump, preventing chemicals from leaking out sealed the dump, preventing chemicals from leaking out of the landfill.of the landfill.

A city near the dumpsite wanted to buy it for urban A city near the dumpsite wanted to buy it for urban expansion. Despite the warnings of Hooker, the city expansion. Despite the warnings of Hooker, the city eventually bought the site for 1 dollar. Hooker could not eventually bought the site for 1 dollar. Hooker could not sell for more, because they did not want to earn money sell for more, because they did not want to earn money off a project so clearly unwise. The city began to dig to off a project so clearly unwise. The city began to dig to develop a sewer, damaging the red clay cap that covered develop a sewer, damaging the red clay cap that covered the dumpsite below. Blocks of homes and a school were the dumpsite below. Blocks of homes and a school were built and the neighborhood was named Love Canal.built and the neighborhood was named Love Canal.

Love Canal seemed like a regular Love Canal seemed like a regular neighborhood. The only thing that neighborhood. The only thing that distinguished this neighborhood from others distinguished this neighborhood from others was the strange odors that often hung in the was the strange odors that often hung in the air and an unusual seepage noticed by air and an unusual seepage noticed by inhabitants in their basements and yards. inhabitants in their basements and yards.

Children in the neighborhood often Children in the neighborhood often fell ill. Love Canal families fell ill. Love Canal families regularly experienced regularly experienced miscarriages and birth defects.miscarriages and birth defects.

When Love Canal was researched, over When Love Canal was researched, over 130 pounds of the highly toxic 130 pounds of the highly toxic carcinogenic TCDD, a form of dioxin, was carcinogenic TCDD, a form of dioxin, was discovered. The total of 20,000 tons of discovered. The total of 20,000 tons of

waste present in the landfillwaste present in the landfill appeared to contain moreappeared to contain more than 248 different species than 248 different species of chemicals. The waste of chemicals. The waste mainly consisted of mainly consisted of pesticide residues and pesticide residues and chemical weapons research refuse.chemical weapons research refuse.

The chemicals had entered homes, The chemicals had entered homes, sewers, yards and creeks and Gibbs sewers, yards and creeks and Gibbs decided it was time for the more than decided it was time for the more than 900 families to be moved away from 900 families to be moved away from the location. Eventually President the location. Eventually President Carter provided funds to move all the Carter provided funds to move all the families to a safer area.families to a safer area.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ_-b7ZAWyM

Love Canal helped to get Love Canal helped to get the Superfund Program the Superfund Program establishedestablished Superfund protects the public and Superfund protects the public and

the environment by cleaning up the the environment by cleaning up the nation’s worst hazardous waste nation’s worst hazardous waste sites.sites.

The Superfund program responds to The Superfund program responds to abandoned and active hazardous abandoned and active hazardous waste sites, and accidental oil and waste sites, and accidental oil and chemical releases.chemical releases.

How to manage How to manage hazardous wastehazardous waste Produces lessProduces less ResuseResuse Convert into nonhazardous Convert into nonhazardous

substancesubstance IncinerateIncinerate Land disposal (deep-well Land disposal (deep-well

injection)injection)

Hazardous Wastes in Your Hazardous Wastes in Your HomesHomes

House paint –buy in small House paint –buy in small quantitiesquantities

pesticides – reduce the usepesticides – reduce the use batteries – look for recycling batteries – look for recycling

programsprograms motor oil – take it to a service motor oil – take it to a service

stationstation

E-wasteE-waste

Electronic waste such as computers, Electronic waste such as computers, cell phones and iPodscell phones and iPods

It is the fastest growing solid waste It is the fastest growing solid waste problemproblem